UFS Business School

🌍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱, 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟱𝟬?
The future of agrifood in Sub-Saharan Africa is being shaped by powerful forces that could redefine markets, investment and sustainable development. But what megatrends do we need to understand today to prepare for tomorrow?

Join the 𝗨𝗙𝗦 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 for an insightful online webinar with 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗯𝘂𝘀 𝗢𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿, Head of the Research Chair in Climate Financing Sustainable Food Systems at the University of the Free State, as we explore the megatrends shaping the future of the agrifood sector towards 2050.

📅 Date: 27 October 2026
⏰ Time: 18:30–19:30
💻 Venue: Online at https://bit.ly/4zQHWNf
🎟️ Cost: Free

Whether you are interested in agribusiness, investment, sustainability, food systems or Africa’s economic future, this is a conversation worth being part of.

📩 RSVP: Adele Louw at [email protected]

Be part of the conversation. Be worth more.

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📚 Planning ahead, reflecting and moving forward!

The UFS Business School’s Annual Academic Operations Performance and Improvement Planning Meeting is currently underway!

Our team is coming together to reflect on performance, share insights, discuss opportunities for improvement and plan strategically for the year ahead. It’s all about celebrating progress, learning from experience and finding ways to continuously strengthen our programmes and the value we offer our students and partners.

Here’s to meaningful conversations, fresh ideas and an exciting year ahead! 🔴⚪

🎓 𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆

What will it take to lead the African university of the future?

The 𝗨𝗙𝗦 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗠, invites you to join 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗹𝘃𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝗱𝗻𝘆-𝗚𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗲 for an insightful webinar exploring how higher education leaders can drive innovation, advance equity and strengthen universities’ impact on society.

💡 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻?

- Fresh perspectives on leading transformation in higher education.
- Insights into building more inclusive and innovative institutions.
- Ideas for strengthening universities’ relevance and societal impact.

📅 Date: 26 October 2026
⏰ Time: 18:00–19:00
💻 Venue: Online at https://bit.ly/3TQNUOO
🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://bit.ly/4ye6CxO

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱.
✨ 𝘉𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘉𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

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It’s been a busy few weeks for Dr Arthur Mapanga from the UFS Business School, who has been presenting his research at several academic conferences.

From sustainability and consumer behaviour to customer experience and digital transformation, his work covers a variety of interesting topics.

Here’s a look at the papers he has presented recently! 👇

🔹 International Business Conference (IBC)

📍 Cape Town, South Africa | 7 September 2026

📄 Mapping Circular Economy Research in Business and Management

📄 Examining the Factors Influencing Youth Purchase Intentions Towards Second-Hand Clothing

🔹 South African Institute of Management Scientists (SAIMS) Conference

📍 Bloemfontein, South Africa | 28 September 2026

📄 Tangibility, service excellence, and customer satisfaction in municipal water services

📄 An empirical examination of customer experience, service quality, satisfaction and loyalty in South African retail banking

🔹 HRMIC Conference

📍 2Ten Hotel, Sibasa, Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province | 13–16 October 2026

📄 Reimagining Talent Management for Enhanced Value Creation in Digital Supply Chains

Congratulations to Dr Mapanga on sharing his research, contributing to important academic conversations and representing the UFS Business School at these conferences! 👏

𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. During a UFS Business School masterclass, RUFORUM Executive Secretary Prof Patrick Okori highlighted how entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration can unlock opportunities across agricultural value chains, food systems, finance, and technology. He also called on African universities to play a stronger role in business incubation and enterprise development.

Read more here: https://ufsweb.co/3WpzC8t
UFS Business School RUFORUM Network

𝗨𝗙𝗦 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀

As digital technology becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, the ability to use online and mobile services safely has become an important part of financial wellbeing and personal security. This is particularly relevant for older adults, who may increasingly encounter sophisticated phishing messages, fraudulent telephone calls, impersonation attempts and other forms of cyber-enabled fraud.

As part of its commitment to meaningful community engagement, the University of the Free State (UFS) Business School participated in a cybersecurity awareness initiative presented through Gerontologie: Betekenisvolle Veroudering, an initiative of the Dutch Reformed Church, at the ENGO Hall in Bloemfontein.

The session, presented by Dr Cornelie Crous CA(SA), Senior Lecturer at the UFS Business School, focused on helping older members of the community protect themselves, their personal information and their finances in an increasingly complex digital environment.

𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Cybersecurity can often appear highly technical. For individuals using smartphones, WhatsApp, online banking and other digital services, however, some of the most important protective measures are relatively simple.

The session therefore concentrated on practical situations that participants may encounter in their daily lives. These included fraudulent calls from individuals claiming to represent a bank, requests for PINs or one-time passwords (OTPs), WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers impersonating children or grandchildren, and messages containing suspicious links.

Participants were encouraged to apply four practical safeguards:
1. Keep PINs, passwords and OTPs private. These credentials should never be provided to someone who contacts you by telephone or WhatsApp.
2. End suspicious calls and make contact independently. If someone claims to be calling from a bank about an urgent problem, end the call and contact the bank using an official number, such as the number printed on the bank card.
3. Verify unexpected WhatsApp requests for money. A message claiming to be from a family member using a new number should be independently verified before any money is transferred.
4. Avoid suspicious links. Unexpected messages directing recipients to websites relating to banking, SASSA, SARS or other financial matters should be treated with caution.

𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
The rapid development of artificial intelligence adds another dimension to digital safety. AI can be used legitimately to improve productivity and access to information, but the same technologies can also make fraudulent communications more convincing.

For this reason, digital literacy increasingly requires more than recognising poorly written scam messages. Individuals need habits that remain effective even when a message, email or telephone interaction appears credible. Independent verification, protecting authentication information and resisting pressure to act immediately are therefore becoming increasingly important.

The emphasis of the session was consequently not on creating fear of technology, but on providing participants with clear actions they can apply when confronted with an uncertain situation.

𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲
Cybersecurity awareness is most effective when information remains available after a training session. Each attendee therefore received a practical“Bly Veilig met Jou Geld” fridge guide, designed to be kept close to the telephone as an everyday reminder.

The guide summarises the four key protective measures and also provides emergency contact information to use where an individual believes that banking information may have been compromised.

Providing a physical reference guide is particularly valuable because a person experiencing a suspected scam may need to make a decision quickly. Instead of relying on remembering everything discussed during the session, participants have a simple resource that can assist them in deciding what to do next.

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀
For the UFS Business School, initiatives of this nature reflect a broader understanding of the role of a business school within society. Knowledge and expertise should not remain confined to classrooms, research publications and formal qualifications. It can also be translated into practical interventions that strengthen individuals, organisations and communities.

Cybersecurity and financial protection are closely connected to responsible management, governance, ethics and financial literacy. By sharing this knowledge with members of the community, the Business School can contribute to building greater confidence and resilience among people navigating an increasingly digital world.

The initiative also demonstrates the value of collaboration between higher education institutions and community organisations. Through partnerships such as the engagement with Gerontologie: Betekenisvolle Veroudering, academic expertise can be translated into accessible knowledge with an immediate practical application.

For the UFS Business School, community engagement of this kind forms part of its commitment to ensuring that knowledge creates value beyond the university itself — helping people make informed decisions, protect themselves and participate more confidently in a rapidly changing digital society.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘳 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦.

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The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Free State invites you to The Dean’s Distinguished Guest Lecture, featuring Dr Rashad Cassim, Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank.

The lecture, titled The Role of Monetary Policy in an Evolving Economy, will explore the work of the SARB and its role in the economy. Gain valuable insights while engaging directly with a leading voice in economic policy through an interactive discussion and Q&A.

🔹 Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
🔹 Time: 13:00
🔹 Venue: Centenary Complex, Bloemfontein Campus
🔹 To RSVP, click on this link https://bit.ly/4jIE4ZI or scan the QR Code

RSVPs close on 16 October 2026

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