The first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed under the leadership of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tandi Matsha-Erasmus, has marked a decisive step in strengthening African-led academic partnerships. Fresh from her inauguration earlier in November 2025, Professor Matsha-Erasmus led a senior delegation of SMU deans and directors to Maputo, Mozambique, where an MoU between SMU and Universidade Wutivi (UniTiva) was formally concluded.
The delegation received a warm welcome from UniTiva’s Chancellor, Professor Domingos Tivane, and Rector, Professor Nelson Chacha. Held from 18–19 November, the visit brought together leaders from both institutions to identify strategic areas of collaboration, tour UniTiva’s newly launched Faculty of Health Sciences Simulation Laboratory, and formalise the MoU that will anchor the growing partnership.
Senior SMU representatives—including Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dini Mawela; Dean of the School of Medicine, Professor Risenga Chauke; Dean of the School of Pharmacy, Professor Patrick Demana; and Dean of the School of Health Care Sciences, Professor Douglas Maleka—met with their Mozambican counterparts to chart practical joint initiatives. Discussions focused on internationalising curricula, increasing staff and student mobility, and deepening collaborative research.
In parallel, the Director of SMU’s Skills and Simulation Centre, Dr Lesego Phiri, visited UniTiva’s Simulation Centre, which was designed based on SMU’s model. Director of Student Affairs, Tulani Nkuntse, and Director of Internationalisation, Dr Carlien Jooste, held further engagements centred on student life and intercultural exchange.
Reflecting on how meaningful partnerships are built, Dr Jooste emphasised: “Collaborations should never only be a signature on a piece of paper. The success of a collaboration lies in how schools, academics, and students find common areas of interest and subsequently grow fields of knowledge.”
The MoU was officially signed on 19 November 2025, with the South African High Commission in Mozambique represented by First Secretary: Political, Stanley Netshimboni. Speaking at the ceremony, Netshimboni said: “I am delighted to be here today, as our role is to support initiatives such as this between our two countries.”
The signing ceremony also drew several former Mozambican Ministers of Health who played pivotal roles in establishing UniTiva’s Faculty of Health Sciences. Addressing the gathering, Rector Professor Nelson Chacha underscored the significance of the new partnership: “We expect to create a collaborative movement. We want to make a big difference with this MoU. We want to solve the problems that our two countries are facing in the health sector.”
In her keynote address, Professor Matsha-Erasmus outlined a clear vision for African-led advancement, stating, “I look at what Africa can do for itself. It is time for Africa to solve its own problems. For SMU, the signing of this MoU is the seed of what Africans can achieve when we work together. We commit, in South Africa and at SMU, to honour this partnership. This partnership is mutual and requires respect and shared commitment.”
This latest milestone follows a high-level benchmarking visit by UniTiva to SMU in April 2025. The ongoing momentum—through exchanges, joint planning sessions and now a formal agreement—demonstrates SMU’s commitment to building impactful, sustainable collaborations on the continent. The University continues to prioritise partnerships that deliver measurable value, uphold academic excellence, and expand Africa’s capacity to address its own health challenges.
