Data provision for students and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

The University of Cape Town (UCT) will continue to provide data for eligible students in the 2021 academic year. Read more on this and other updates in this campus announcement.

1. Data provisioning for students

The university has made arrangements to continue with the rollout of mobile data for qualifying students. Mobile networks will start the next data allocations from Wednesday, 31 March 2021. Telkom will only start rolling out data to their subscribers from 2 April 2021. These rollouts will take several days. 

If you require data please ensure that your cell number is up to date. If you have changed your South African mobile number since the last data allocation please update it on PeopleSoft by Monday, 29 March 2021 at 16:00. If your correct mobile number is not saved in the SA cellular field, you will not receive a data bundle even if your number is in another field.

If you no longer require data, please opt out by clicking the biographic tab on PeopleSoft and selecting no under the mobile data bundles section.

Students back in residence will not receive mobile data bundles from UCT as they now have access to UCT’s wifi service, Eduroam. To connect to the service, please follow the instructions on the ICTS website. 

To support teaching and learning online, Cell C, MTN, Telkom and Vodacom have all agreed to UCT’s request to continue to zero-rate access to certain UCT websites.

• Read more on zero-rating and data bundles.

2. Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation to host commemorative lecture

The Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation will host a commemorative lecture on 29 March 2021 at 07:30 to remember, celebrate and acknowledge the life of the late UCT student. The lecture is held once a year around Uyinene’s birthday and aims to empower young people to stand up against gender-based violence.

UCT, in continuing to take a strong stance against GBV, stands in solidary with both the foundation and the lecture’s host partner, Kingswood College. Staff and students are invited to attend the Uyinene Mrwetyana Commemorative Lecture, and to support the work of the foundation.

• Attend the event virtually (on 29 March at 07:30).
• Support the work of the foundation.

3. Financial aid support for postgraduate students

Following the university Council’s concession to allow students with outstanding 2020 debt to register for the 2021 academic year, the Postgraduate Funding Office has secured additional funding. This limited funding will be used to provide criterion-based financial assistance, as per UCT’s postgraduate funding policy, to academically deserving, eligible students with debt. Due to the source of funding, this call is only applicable to South African students or students with a South African permanent residency permit.

Eligible postgraduate students are encouraged to apply through the appeals form, which is to be emailed to pgappeals@uct.ac.za by 5 April 2021. The outcome of the appeals will be communicated by 20 April 2021.

• Read the DVC Desk: Financial aid support for postgraduate students.

4. ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 28 March

Please note that on Sunday, 28 March 2021, the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department will perform extended scheduled maintenance from 07:00 to 17:00. Unless advised to the contrary, staff and students should note that no ICT services will be available for the duration of the maintenance slot. Please remember to consult the scheduled ICTS maintenance slots for 2021 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, and other activities that require ICT services.

5. Campus Life 2021 online publication

You’ve made the right choice in coming to study at UCT, and you can be assured that we will walk beside you every step of the way. While your time at university can be the best years of your life, you sometimes need a little help, so we’ve made a wide range of services available to you. Whether it’s mental health or physical wellness, study tips or the inside scoop on your new neighbourhood, you can find out all you need to know in Campus Life 2021 – our annual online publication for new students.

Communication and Marketing Department

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements