2025 Programme

National Member Meeting

The National Meeting is restricted to PURCO SA's Member Institutions.
The meeting is not open to suppliers unless personally invited.

Meeting venue:
Bill Gallagher Room
2nd Floor, SCC

PRE-CONFERENCE: NATIONAL MEETING Tuesday 30 September 2025 Second Floor, SCC - Bill Gallagher Room
09h30	Registration and Tea on arrival
10h00	Welcome and formalities Apologies and Finalisation of Agenda Conflict of Interest – Any declaration to be recorded in the attendance register Competition Act – Everybody to be aware of the Guidelines: www.purcosa.co.za Minutes of the previous meeting Matters arising from the previous meeting
10h20	CEO's report Company report Finance PURCO SA Consultancy Legal / Procurement Tender Strategy PURQ
11h00	Social media
11h15	PURCO SA Feedback Session – Universities & TVETs
11h45	National Contracts, Framework Agreements/Transversal Contracts
12h00	Tea break
12h15	PURQ
12h00	ESD/SCM Training/Quality
12h30	Supplier session
13h00	LUNCH
13h30	Member session
14h15	General
15h00	Closure

18h00	Annual Member Dinner Member institutions only Venue to be advised

PURCON Day 1: Programme

PURCO SA CONFERENCE 2025 DAY 1: Wednesday 1 October 2025
07h30 - 10h00	Make your own way to the Convention Centre
08h00	Registration and welcoming refreshments in Exhibition Hall
10h00	Conference starts in the Plenary Room
	Welcome Selvan Govender: CEO, PURCO SA
10h10	Vice Chancellor's Address Prof Nana Poku: Vice Chancellor and Principal, University of KwaZulu-Natal
10H45	South Africa's economy and its history, and the role of education Dr Azar Jammine, Director and Chief Economist, Econometrix
11h25	Reforming Higher Education for SA's Future Panel discussion: Dr Riaan Steenberg, Executive Director, Eduvos and NetEd Group
12h30	LUNCH IN EXHIBITION HALL
	Breakaway Room 1	Breakaway Room 2	Breakaway Room 3	Breakaway Room 4
13h30	Reimagining Student Dining – A Sustainable Catering Model in Action Etresia vd Westhuizen, Manager: TuksRes Procurement & Inventory Management (TuksRes Food Services) Explore how the University of Pretoria is redefining student catering through a sustainable, tech-driven model that balances cost, quality, and choice. From daily pre-booked meals and themed food experiences to build-your-own stations, vending solutions, and off-campus dining options, this model caters to evolving student needs. Learn how strong supplier partnerships, internal innovation, and student workforce integration are shaping a flexible, inclusive, and financially sustainable approach to campus food services — one meal at a time	Procurement Masterclass Robin Golding, Director Procurement and Payment Services University of Cape Town	ERP in Higher Education – Driving Efficiency through Integration Presented by Advanced Technology Services Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) streamlines university operations by uniting finance, HR, procurement, and student data into a single, real-time system—eliminating inefficiencies from manual processes and data silos. This session offers practical strategies to automate workflows, boost audit readiness, and improve decision-making, supported by real-world university case studies. Attendees will receive tools and an ERP maturity checklist to drive agility, compliance, and cost savings across their institutions.	Gaming the Ethics of AI Join this interactive, crowd-powered gaming session where your decisions shape the journey! Using your own mobile device, you’ll tackle questions about the ethics of artificial intelligence. Correct answers help our game character move forward and overcome obstacles—wrong answers leave them stuck. Together, you’ll explore real-world ethical dilemmas in AI while having fun in a fast-paced, collaborative game that turns learning into play.
14h15	Emotional and Financial Wellbeing Sean Zimunya, Winterton Consulting	Case study to be advised	From Automation to Autonomy: The Transformative Impact of Agentic AI on Higher Learning Institutions A case study: Using agentic AI to advance student selection at a South African University Thabo Mogaswe, CTO, Adapt IT Education	Gaming the Ethics of AI A Repeat session to give all attendees a chance to play this fun, immersive game
15h00	Innovations and best practices in secure academic credentialing and identity management Mihloti Mkhatshwa, Regional Director: Southern Africa Advanced Secure Technologies The practical session will explore emerging trends and risks in certificate fraud and identity misrepresentationi. It references local and international case examples of how universities are strengthening verification processes, with lessons learned from system integrations that enhance efficiency and reduce administrative workload. The session will include considerations for ensuring compliance with legislative and policy frameworks.	Medical ecosystems - a case study with the University of KwaZulu-Natal Coleen Daniel, Corporate Sales Manager ER24	Bidvest case study	Student engagement through gamification Jaco Sauer, Co-Founder and GM · RGB Gaming Understanding gaming as a medium and methodology for student engagement. Case studies from multiple South African Higher Ed institutions (invited)
15h45	TEA IN EXHIBITION HALL
16h15	Redefining Campus Safety and Security in South Africa – Technology-Driven Prevention and Protection Advanced Technology Services This plenary explores the critical challenges and opportunities in securing university campuses in South Africa. With rising incidents of theft, vandalism, and personal safety concerns, the session focuses on how intelligent surveillance systems—such as CCTV, AI-enhanced monitoring, and integrated command centres—are transforming campus safety. Real-world examples and pilot outcomes from local institutions will illustrate the operational, psychological, and financial impact of a safer, smarter campus.
17h00	Closing remarks
	Visit the Exhibition Hall
	Make your own way to your hotel
19h00 - 23h00	Casual Dinner at the Convention Centre

Programme is subject to change.

PURCON Day 2: Programme

PURCO SA CONFERENCE 2025 DAY 2: Thursday 2 October 2025
07h00 - 08h30	Make your own way to the Convention Centre
07h30	Registration and welcoming refreshments in Exhibition Hall
08h30	Conference starts in the Plenary Hall
08h45	Vice Chancellor's Address
09h20	South Africa: Failed state or Brighter Prospects? Navigating a Lower Inflation Target locally and Waning Investor Appeal in the USA Johann Els: Group Chief Economist, Old Mutual Ltd
10h05	TEA IN EXHIBITION HALLS
10h35	How AI is changing the Financial Sector Naude Pretorius: Chief Data Analytics Officer, FNB South Africa
11h20	Human Centered AI Design: Ethics, Impact and Augmentation Vebashini Naidoo: Chief Data Scientist, SARS
12h00	LUNCH IN EXHIBITION HALL
	Breakaway Room 1	Breakaway Room 2	Breakaway Room 3	Breakaway Room 4
13h00	Think Tank Session: From Legacy to Innovation - Why standing still might be the biggest gamble Tyrrell Naidoo, Chief Executive Officer, eGrowth This session will discuss the costs of not upgrading legacy technology, how institutions are successfully transitioning to new technology solutions, and the areas of transition where most value can be derived.	Procurement Masterclass II Robin Golding, Director Procurement and Payment Services University of Cape Town	Prof Andre Nel, advisor in the office of the COO, University of Johannesburg	Gaming the Ethics of AI Join this interactive, crowd-powered gaming session where your decisions shape the journey! Using your own mobile device, you’ll tackle questions about the ethics of artificial intelligence. Correct answers help our game character move forward and overcome obstacles—wrong answers leave them stuck. Together, you’ll explore real-world ethical dilemmas in AI while having fun in a fast-paced, collaborative game that turns learning into play
13h45	Cybersecurity case study: The SA Weather Service ransomware attack Suren Govender COO iGuardSA In January 2025, the South African Weather Service was the target of a Russian ransomware cyber attack. The disruption limited access to critical weather services used by the agricultural, aviation, marine, and disaster management.	Case study to be advised	Kenny Nkwana. Executive Director: Facilities Management, University of Johannesburg	Gaming the Ethics of AI RA Repeat session to give all attendees a chance to play this fun, immersive game
14h30	TEA IN EXHIBITION HALLS
15h00	Case study to be advised		Case Study: Supply Chain Management Audits Angelo Sampson, Contracts Manager, PURCO SA A case study of managing a successful supply chain audit with Member Institution
15h45	Celebrating Innovation and Technology: Unlocking the Potential of Education Tshepo Masigo: Head: Business Development, BCX Cloud and Cyber Security Solutions		Case study to be advised
16h30	Conference closes for the day. Visit the Exhibition Hall
16h30-17h30	Make your own way to your hotel
18h30	Gala Dinner Pre drinks
19h00 onwards	Gala Dinner at the Convention Centre

Programme is subject to change.

PURCON Day 3: Programme

PURCO SA CONFERENCE 2025 DAY 3: Friday 3 October 2025
07h00 - 08h45	Make your own way to the Convention Centre
07h30	WELCOMING TEA IN THE EXHIBITION HALL
08h45	MC opens Conference in the Plenary
08h50	Vice Chancellor's Address Prof Ndanduleni Bernard Nthambeleni, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Venda
09h20	Ground Zero of a Cybersecurity Data Breach: Taming the Chaos Monkey Suren Govender: COO, iGuardSA
10h00	TEA IN THE EXHIBITION HALL
10h30	Ishan Kolhatkar, Global Evangelist, Inspera Global speaker, author and evangelist Ishaan Kolhatkar writes and vlogs about digital literacy and the use of technology to improve the way we work and interact; in particular its use in education and the law.
11h10	The Future of Work Prof. Wesley Rosslyn-Smith, Centre for the Future of Work, University of Pretoria
12h00	LUNCH IN EXHIBITION HALL
12h45	Transforming culture: mindset and paradigm shift as the catalyst for human potential Nokulunga Mzekandaba: CEO, I Believe Me
13h15	ENGAGEMENT FINALE AND PRIZES
14h00	Conference closes