Fundraising

The year 2023 was a remarkable period for the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of fundraising achievements and donor engagement. This narrative review encapsulates the financial milestones, donor demographics, regional contributions, and notable initiatives that have shaped UCT’s philanthropic landscape.

As of 31 December 2023, UCT’s donation income surged to an impressive R768 510 401, representing a substantial increase from R484 886 525 in 2022. A notable factor contributing to this growth was a significant R300 million donation from the Mastercard Foundation. Despite a slight decrease in the number of donors to 1 529 in 2023 from 1 668 in the previous year, the university experienced a significant boost in funding, highlighting the impact of strategic partnerships and targeted fundraising efforts.

International philanthropic funding continued to play a key role, contributing 79% of UCT’s total donation income in 2023, compared to 71% in 2022. This was bolstered by a single significant donation that skewed the general trend of income results. This, however, reflects the strategic emphasis on global engagement and outreach, showcasing UCT’s ability to attract support from diverse geographical regions. Similarly, despite the growing uncertainty and deepening economic and social pressure, national funders contributed 24% of the donation income in 2023, down from 31% in 2022, indicating a shift in the balance between local and international donor support.

“National funders contributed 24% of the donation income in 2023, down from 31% in 2022, indicating a shift in the balance between local and international donor support.”

Despite a decrease in the overall number of donors, the year saw a significant influx of new donors, with 555 new contributors in 2023, constituting 33% of all donors, compared to 476 new donors in 2022 (31% of all donors). This surge in new donations underscores UCT’s success in expanding its donor base and attracting fresh support. Some key highlights include the national office hosting two high-net-worth (HNW) donor engagements, and a prestigious Donor Recognition Event held in December. Further to this in a bid to explore and cultivate a diverse donor base, explorations and alumni stewardships were held across various countries and regions, including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and local locations such as Durban, Gqeberha, Gauteng, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town.

The year also witnessed the successful execution of two annual Golf Day fundraisers, which provided valuable platforms for donor networking, engagement, and support.

In conclusion, 2023 has been a transformative year for UCT in terms of fundraising success, donor engagement dynamics, and strategic initiatives. The university’s ability to secure significant donations, attract new donors, and foster meaningful partnerships reflects its commitment to advancing academic excellence and sustainability through robust financial support. UCT looks forward to building on these achievements and further enhancing its impact in the years to come.

Alumni Relations engagement

Alumni engagement activities conducted during the period under review were focused on finding and reconnecting with UCT’s global community of alumni as well as on profiling excellence. In 2023, the university marked the second anniversary of a fund established by alumna Zellah Fuphe to support UCT student survivors of gender-based violence. To date, the Alumni in Action fund has raised R1 109 338 and is a model for the kind of partnerships that are possible with alumni. In February 2023, the department arranged the annual Heads of Mission breakfast at Glenara, attracting the highest number of dignitaries who head international embassies that are based in Cape Town.

Capitalising on the popularity of rugby, 200 alumni were transported to the first FNB Varsity Cup game of the season, in a historic rivalry between UCT’s Ikey Tigers and Stellenbosch Maties. Our Afrika month events hosted in Kenya and Uganda profiled some of Africa’s thought-leaders in artificial intelligence, enabling connection to new and younger audiences of alumni.

To commemorate the devastating impact of the fire, UCT Libraries partnered with Multichoice to bring broader awareness to the rebuilding and restoration work under way at UCT Libraries. Seven UCT alumni luminaries contributed forewords for the chapters contained in a special commemorative book called Stories from The Ashes. In addition to making their significant media platforms available to UCT for the duration of the campaign, Multichoice sponsored the production of 15 limited edition pens with ink made from the ashes of the fire. Stories from The Ashes is on display in the foyer of the UCT Jagger Library.

In October 2023, the inaugural UCT Day served to unite our global community in support of student success. The day brought a carnival atmosphere to UCT, drawing more than 3 000 participants on to campus with events echoing around the world. Highlights included an eight-hour phonathon, an executive challenge led by the vice-chancellor, staff and student sports challenges, UCT Radio broadcasts from the Green Mile, sponsored by Peninsula Beverages, an outdoor film experience courtesy of Sunshine Cinema as well as an appearance by the Ikey Tigers, fresh from their victory at the World University Rugby Invitational Tournament in Bordeaux. In Canada, alumni and friends hosted an end-of-summer picnic while in London, alumni dropped into The Savannah at London Bridge for a quintessentially South African breakfast of pukka rooibos tea and rusks. The alumni chapter in Australia hosted an inaugural UCT Women’s Lunch which attracted 40 alumni participants. Heightened social media interest in UCT during this month-long campaign was particularly encouraging.

Piggybacking on the UCT Day campaign, a number of key alumni events were held on both sides of the Atlantic. In New York, the Development and Alumni office hosted a Watch Party in Midtown for the South Africa versus Ireland match. This was attended by 60 alumni, some of whom travelled from other parts of the USA to be there. In Amsterdam, the first alumni event in 10 years was held, and in Berlin, the first-ever recorded UCT alumni event. The energy and enthusiasm at all these events have been enormously encouraging. An alumni cocktail event was held in San Francisco in November 2023, where alumnus Nic Marais welcomed guests and shared his experience of being a student at UCT and the positive impact the university made on his life. UCT alumni and friends enjoyed an inspiring evening with Professor Salome Maswime, the head of Global Surgery at UCT and chair of the University of the Future project, who spoke about medical advances and innovations taking place in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at UCT. The chairman of the UCT Fund in the USA, Trevor Norwitz, hosted Lara Foot, the CEO and artistic director of the Baxter Theatre and a group of Manhattan-based UCT alumni in his New York home.

In Canada, regional director Samantha Mandigora delivered a keynote address at the Africa Accelerating 2023 conference, hosted by the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business and led by Garreth Bloor, UCT alumnus and president of the Chamber. Mandigora concluded her talk with a call to action, urging alumni to be part of the African growth strategy by giving back to their alma mater. Canadian alumni hailing from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region united to establish a hardship fund, to assist SADC students facing financial difficulties. A Fireside Chat series hosted by the United Kingdom (UK) office included a panel discussion between Peter Husemeyer (co-founder and CTO of Sportable), Luke Churchyard (founding chief risk officer at topi) and Kimeshan Naidoo (CTO at BX and co-founder of Unibuddy). Alumni had the opportunity to hear about their respective entrepreneurship journeys.

While in London, Vice-Chancellor Interim Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy connected with donors over lunch to discuss key developments taking place at UCT as well as plans for 2024. A group of UK-based Law faculty alumni gathered at the offices of law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell in central London, to meet Dean of Law Professor Danwood Chirwa. Alumni and friends attended a spectacular performance by Cardiff Singer of the World finalists, Siphokazi Molteno and Nombulelo Yende, in St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London, followed by a gathering for drinks and canapés in the undercroft of the church.

At another event, alumni gathered in Oxford to hear Professor Ntobeko Ntusi talk about “UCT in a Global Health Context: the Future of Medicine”. Nick Mallett headlined an event in London where he shared stories from his illustrious career, providing fascinating insights into the world of rugby today. As UCT finds more alumni, the expectation is that the university will grow its network of alumni volunteers who can support the institution. Currently, UCT has 270 000 engaged alumni, four existing chapters in South Africa, seven in the rest of Africa and five in the Global North.

The year 2023 saw the establishment of a new executive committee (exco) of convocation, merging two separate alumni entities: the President of Convocation and the alumni advisory board. Naadiya Moosajee was elected UCT’s President of Convocation at the Annual General Meeting, held in December 2023. Her appointment along with a new exco, will provide support to the fundraising and alumni engagement activities of the Development and Alumni Department (DAD).

Centre for Extra-Mural Studies (including the annual Summer School)

The Centre for Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) contributes to UCT’s adult education initiatives through offering certified and non-certified programmes, lectures, and courses throughout the year for alumni, friends of UCT and adult learners from across the world.

The annual Summer School, convened and offered by EMS, is the largest public education programme of its kind in Africa. It serves as a showcase for UCT’s excellent research and scholarly work across a vast range of interests, topics and disciplines that includes the humanities, science and medicine.

With UCT being fully open, Summer School 2023 was the first post-COVID-19 programme. Being back in-person made it possible for participants to be part of, as well as students of, the university over three weeks filled with intellectual stimulation, learning, discussion, and debate. Topics in the programme ranged from neuroscience, astronomy, politics, history and music to literature and art. Highlights of the programme included bespoke campus tours by Emeritus Registrar Hugh Amoore, a visit to the university’s Irma Stern Museum and the opportunity to listen to the South African College of Music’s opera students. The annual Legacy Society lecture was presented by Justice Owen Rogers, who serves in the Constitutional Court.

The social impact work of EMS, which fulfils the university’s transformation imperative, focuses on learners – many of them in programmes that prepare them for tertiary study such as the 100UP programme, IKamvaYouth and Just Grace. The social impact work takes the form of Saturday Summer Schools that focus on topics that could inspire learners to study in a particular discipline, and that are of general interest. During Summer School, three lectures on quantum phenomena were offered to the 100UP learners and learners from nearby schools. In addition, the Summer School programme was livestreamed to the Philippi Hub at the UCT GSB’s Solution Space, the Dennis Goldberg House of Hope and SHAWCO’s venue in Kensington. A coding course was developed for learners and offered at the Dennis Goldberg House of Hope, SHAWCO’s Kensington venue, the Philippi Hub and to the IkamvaYouth learners in Masiphumelele. A morning session was also offered to the 100UP learners by the d-School Afrika. A special programme on astronomy was also presented to the 100UP learners.

EMS offered a webinar on artificial intelligence, Summer School extension presentations, which included a lecture by Lord Peter Hain, online short courses such as writing courses as well as the UCT certificated short course, the cutting edge Applied Complexity Science course. The first cohort of students in the Applied Complexity Science programme graduated in June 2023 and the second cohort from the provincial government registered for and started the course. A bespoke course was developed and offered in collaboration with the d-school Afrika for provincial government officials. The Standard Bank sponsored lecture, Energy resilience: from the global to the local, focused on energy resilience in a global, African and local context. Panellists included Wikus Kruger from the Power Futures Lab at the UCT GSB.

EMS is working on extending its learning opportunities through bespoke study tours and excursions. Three rock art excursions to the Cederberg with senior scholar Emeritus Professor John Parkington took place as well as a palaeontology excursion to the Karoo with Professor Roger Smith. EMS developed three bespoke study tours for international students focusing on archaeology, palaeontology and astronomy. These certificated two-week study tours are being offered in collaboration with UCT’s International Academic Programmes Office.

During 2023, EMS developed a certified short course on Supply Chain Management and a certified short course on Heritage Law, which was due to start in 2024. On request from the provincial government, a course on balanced scorecards was developed that was going to be offered in 2024.