2026 Programme

Economic and Market Overview:  Outlook for Higher Education Institutions
Izak Odendaal: Chief Investment Strategist, Old Mutual Wealth

The world economy has been hit by a series of shocks in recent years, most recently an energy crisis. What are the short-term and longer-term implications? And what does it mean for South Africa's economic outlook?

The Human Advantage: Leadership, Agency and Meaning in an Age of Abundant Intelligence
George Kusche: 2026 Comrade Winner

As artificial intelligence makes knowledge and information increasingly abundant, the real competitive advantage shifts from simply knowing more to exercising judgment, choosing what matters, and acting with deliberate purpose. Drawing on George Kusche’s journey from leaving competitive running to winning the Comrades Marathon, this talk explores Adrian Gore’s four principles—Disciplined Optimism, Focused Urgency, Declared Goals and the Pareto Tail—as a practical framework for leadership and personal agency. It also considers a broader question: in a world becoming ever more technologically capable, how do we ensure that we become not less human, but more so?

Give Us Certainty, and We'll Give You Value
A Supplier-Led Panel Discussion

Session Chair
Kamal Patel: CEO, PURCO SA

Sbu Dantjie: Partner and Education Lead, Consulting, EY Africa

Robin Friester:
Commercial Director iOCO Technology Group

Trevor Naidoo: Managing Director,ProcureSense

Suppliers can only offer their best terms when they can see what is coming. In this supplier-led panel, leaders from EY, iOCO and ProcureSense look beyond headline pricing to ask what higher education can do to unlock better value. They explore demand aggregation, volume commitments, contract utilisation, standardisation and better forecasting, and where institutions miss opportunities to reduce total cost and improve service.

The panel also weighs competitive tension against long-term partnership, and asks whether current procurement practice gives suppliers the visibility and certainty they need. This is the supplier side of the conversation; Members respond after lunch..

Qless: Replacing physical queues on campus

Ismail Hassam, Co-Founder, Qless

Bheka Mabika, Co-Founder, Qless

In this session, student entrepreneurs Bheka Mabika and Ismail Hassam introduce Qless, a student-developed platform that replaces physical queues with scheduled ordering and collection, helping campus vendors manage peak demand while giving students greater control over their time.

Following a successful pilot at the University of Cape Town, Qless has already attracted more than 3 600 registered students and fulfilled over 1 000 orders.

Qless co-founders Bheka Mabika and Ismail Hassam cover three threads:

• The product: what Qless does and the campus dining problem it was built to solve.
• Expansion: taking the platform from UCT to Wits, and what changed in moving to a second campus.
• The response: how students and vendors across campuses have taken to the platform, and what that signals for the next phase.

Beyond Compliance: Reimagining ESD in Higher Education - From Procurement Spend to Sustainable SMME Growth

Nonhlanhla Mtwisha: Senior Manager: Supply Chain Performance, University of Johannesburg

Senamile Dlangalala: Industry and Projects Coordinator,  innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Facilitatded by Kabelo

How can Higher Education move supplier development beyond compliance towards lasting capability and impact?

In this interactive session, UJ and DUT share candid lessons from their ESD programmes: what worked, what did not, and what they would do differently. The conversation explores supplier capability, procurement readiness, market access, sustainability and measurable impact, offering practical insights for institutions seeking to build stronger, more competitive and resilient supplier ecosystems.

Professional Business Coaching: Building Through Uncertainty
Brian Naicker: Global Higher Education Consultant

Running and growing a business requires confident decision-making in an increasingly uncertain environment.

This session explores how suppliers and business leaders can navigate changing markets, economic pressures, technological disruption and evolving customer expectations. It provides practical coaching insights to help entrepreneurs strengthen leadership, identify opportunities, build resilience, make better strategic decisions and position their businesses for sustainable growth.

12h25 -  13h45

Dr Mpoti Ralephata: Chief Operating Officer, University of Johannesburg

Kamal Patel: CEO, PURCO SA

Dr Samuel Bosire: Strategy Execution Integrator – Office of the DVC; Nelson Mandela University

Mafika Nkambule: Chief Information Officer, North-West University

Universities and TVET colleges must do more with less, within tight budgets and a strictly regulated procurement environment. In this member-led panel, leaders from the University of Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela University and North-West University share how they combine strong governance, risk and compliance with the best commercial terms. They explore where institutions miss opportunities to reduce total cost and improve service, and how aggregating demand, buying collectively and cutting duplication can stretch every rand without compromising quality.

Responding to the morning's supplier panel, they ask what Members need from suppliers, and what institutions can offer in return.

Governance Masterclass:
UCT Shared Learnings: Conflict of Interest

Robin Golding: Director Procurement and Payment Services, University of Cape Town

Conflicts of interest are part of normal professional life — they arise through relationships, roles, influence, urgency, favours, competing duties and good intentions.

The risk is not that conflicts exist; the risk is failing to recognise, disclose and manage them before judgement is questioned and the audit trail is tested. This masterclass is about recognising those moments early, managing them properly, and protecting decision integrity before institutional trust is put at risk.

From Compliance to Intelligence:
Reimagining digital Procurement and Supplier Governance
Trevor Naidoo: Managing Director,ProcureSense

Technology is transforming procurement from an administrative and compliance-driven function into a source of real-time intelligence and strategic value.

This session explores how digital platforms strengthen supplier governance through trusted supplier data, automated compliance monitoring, transparent workflows, audit trails and procurement analytics. It will examine how institutions can reduce administrative burdens and risk while improving accountability, supplier performance and decision-making, and connecting procurement more effectively with transformation, localisation and supplier-development objectives.

Interactive Master Class:
Better Communication, Better Outcomes.
Because how you say it matters as much as what you say

Vebashini Naidoo: Executive Head: Data Science, Telesure Investment Holdings

Strong relationships depend on clear, effective communication. This practical session explores proven frameworks for communicating with greater clarity, reducing misunderstandings and building trust between suppliers and their stakeholders.

Participants will gain practical techniques for navigating difficult conversations, understanding expectations, presenting information more effectively - helping to build more productive relationships, resolve challenges faster and achieve better outcomes.

Case study:
Cost optimisation in Security Services

Ms Thembi Tabata: Director SCM, Vaal University of Technology

Themba Sithole: Contracts Manager, PURCO SA

The future of university security isn't about more officers or more cameras — it's about building an intelligent security ecosystem where technology, people, information and processes work together. Cost optimisation doesn't mean reducing security; it means achieving the right level of protection at the most efficient total cost.

This session explores the implementation of smart security in higher education institutions, and the missed opportunities in cost optimisation. Today's university operates like a small city - students, staff, contractors, assets, infrastructure and information systems all in motion. We'll examine the gap between available security technology, the value it delivers, and true cost efficiency.

Case study
From Procurement to Delivery: Lessons from a Turnkey University Infrastructure Project

Cobus Gouws: Senior Manager, Properties & Services, University of Fort Hare

Kabelo Dire, Contracts Manager, PURCO SA

This case study explores the procurement and delivery of the University of Fort Hare’s new Veterinary Science Faculty building as a turnkey construction project.

Drawing on first-hand project experience, it examines procurement strategy, project implementation, stakeholder collaboration and the practical challenges of translating institutional requirements into a completed facility. The session highlights lessons for both procurement and facilities professionals involved in planning and delivering complex higher education infrastructure.

Performance selling 
for sales professionals
Vaughan Zoutendyk: Sales and Procurement Coach

Sales teams lose hours to systems, data reporting, and housekeeping - time that should be spent in front of prospects.

This session on Performance Selling and Sales Agility shows sales professionals how to maximise real selling time, get more out of every prospect conversation, and identify and exploit their competitive advantage. This 1 hour session is practical, focused, and built for salespeople who want fewer admin hours and more conversations that actually close.

A qualification lays the foundation, but student success also depends on the systems, services and partnerships surrounding it.

Dr Riaan Steenberg explores how procurement and operational decisions influence learning, institutional resilience and employability, offering higher education leaders a practical framework for turning every investment into lasting value for each student.

Beyond the Airwaves: Reimagining Student Radio as a Strategic Campus Platform

Martin Vilakazi: Station Manager, Voice of Wits 

Martin explores how student radio can evolve into a multi-platform institutional asset supporting student engagement, employability, communication, community connection and digital innovation. Drawing on VOW FM, Radio101 and TVET Radio experience, he examines the technology, infrastructure, governance, skills and sustainability required.

SESSION CONTINUED

Performance selling 
for sales professionals
Vaughan Zoutendyk: Sales and Procurement Coach

Conference closes for the day. Visit the Exhibition Hall

Panel discussion for Suppliers
What to do when your tender bid goes wrong
Tshepo Mampuru: Business Development Manager, PURCO SA

What happens when your tender submission goes wrong, and what can suppliers do about it? Using anonymised real-world case studies, this panel examines common problems including incomplete submissions, missed deadlines, system difficulties, unsaved work and user errors.
The session explains how the eTender system works, how deadlines and procedural requirements are communicated, and when suppliers should seek assistance. Suppliers will gain practical guidance on what evidence matters, how to raise concerns, when to seek support and when escalation may be appropriate.

From funding to impact: Reimagining Grants Management in Higher Education
Connecting funding, governance, technology and outcomes across the grant lifecycle.
Sbu Dantjie: Partner and Education Lead, Consulting, EY Africa

Universities are under increasing pressure to secure and manage funding effectively, strengthen governance, reduce administrative burden, and demonstrate the impact that funding ultimately creates. Yet grant management is often fragmented across systems, teams and processes, limiting visibility and creating unnecessary administrative effort and risk.

This session will explore how institutions can treat grants management as an end-to-end institutional capability rather than simply an administrative process. We will unpack four principles (designing for users, focusing on outcomes, preparing for complexity and innovating with technology) and explore their application from programme design and application through assessment, award, post-award monitoring and impact reporting.

Using a higher-education research and innovation funding scenario, the session will practically illustrate how integrated workflows, data, analytics, automation and AI can improve efficiency, governance, transparency and decision-making; ultimately helping institutions move from funding to measurable impact.

Delegates will leave with a practical lens for assessing their own grants environment and identifying opportunities to simplify, standardise and digitise the grant lifecycle; ultimately contributing to improving funding outcomes, institutional control and measurable impact.

Fed up with AI and all the hype? What does it actually mean and where is it really going? 
Glenn du Toit: Country Manager and Director of Acer Africa

Glenn brings a technology leader's view on cutting through the AI hype. Drawing on his experience steering Acer's local strategy through the shift to AI-ready computing, the session unpacks in clear and simple terms what artificial intelligence genuinely means for productivity, decision-making and competitiveness today. Expect a grounded, practical perspective on AI adoption alongside the broader technology trends reshaping how South African businesses operate, compete and plan ahead.

With a background steeped in the fast-moving world of consumer and business technology, Glenn is a regular commentator in South African tech media on trends shaping the PC and IT landscape, including the shift to AI PCs, local manufacturing, and closing the digital divide through accessible technology. 

From Facilities to Futures: Reimagining the University for an Age of Intelligence
Dr Chris Jardine: Group CEO Tsebo Solutions Group

The challenge facing universities is more than navigating a skills gap.  It is a capability, affordability, accessibility and productivity challenge, all at the same time.

New technology holds the potential to move all four levers simultaneously: expanding what institutions and individuals can do, reducing the cost of access, broadening opportunity, and improving productivity.  In doing so, it presents an opportunity not simply to modernise universities, but to reimagine how they create value, expand opportunity and deliver impact at scale.

The Science and Art of Negotiation
For sales and procurement professionals
Vaughan Zoutendyk: Sales and Procurement Coach

Successful negotiation requires more than instinct or experience. It combines the science of preparation, strategy, leverage and proven negotiation principles with the art of communication, judgement, emotional intelligence and reading the room. This practical session explores how to apply both to real-world commercial negotiations — uncovering hidden value, managing competing interests, strengthening relationships and achieving better outcomes without simply defaulting to price.

When the Buyer Isn't Human: Procurement in an Age of Autonomous Systems
Kutlwano Ngwarati: Founder High Risers AI; Managing Partner NK Intel

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly moving beyond tools that simply generate content. AI agents can now research suppliers, compare proposals, conduct evaluations, monitor contracts, flag risks and initiate procurement workflows with increasing levels of autonomy. For higher education institutions, this creates significant opportunities to improve procurement efficiency, reduce administrative burden and strengthen decision-making. However, it also introduces new questions around accountability, transparency, data protection, supplier bias and human oversight.

This session will explore how AI agents are likely to reshape procurement, the capabilities institutions should begin preparing for, and the governance safeguards required before autonomous systems are permitted to influence or execute procurement decisions. Delegates will leave with a practical understanding of where AI agents can add value, where human judgement must remain, and the questions procurement leaders should be asking now.

CONTINUATION OF SESSION
The Science and Art of Negotiation
For sales and procurement professionals
Vaughan Zoutendyk: Sales and Procurement Coach

Successful negotiation requires more than instinct or experience. It combines the science of preparation, strategy, leverage and proven negotiation principles with the art of communication, judgement, emotional intelligence and reading the room. This practical session explores how to apply both to real-world commercial negotiations — uncovering hidden value, managing competing interests, strengthening relationships and achieving better outcomes without simply defaulting to price.

In a world racing toward artificial intelligence, what happens to the human advantage? Master Certified Coach Neil Bierbaum draws on four decades studying human development and over 10,000 hours of executive coaching to show leaders how to perform under real pressure without losing what makes them human. Neil reframes emotional intelligence as strategic capability, not soft skill - one of the few edges machines can't replicate. Direct, evidence-based, and free of corporate theatre, this session gives technically-minded leaders practical tools to deal with what's real, and what matters, as AI changes everything else.