Enabling post school student success
Better data. Better decisions. Better student outcomes
Siyaphumelela works with Post-School Education and Training institutions to use data to improve student learning and ensure more students complete their studies on time.
About Siyaphumelela
The Siyaphumelela (“We Succeed”) Initiative seeks to broaden evidence-based strategies for postsecondary student success in South Africa. Launched in 2014 with funding from the Kresge Foundation, the initiative is led by Saide and draws on insights from global student success innovators like the University Innovation Alliance and Achieving the Dream. In 2019, with additional funding support from the Kresge Foundation, Saide launched Siyaphumelela Network 2.0. By 2022, 17 South African public higher education institutions had joined the network. The current phase, Siyaphumelela Network 3.0, was launched in June 2024. A total of 20 institutions were admitted as members of the network, representing 20 out of 26 public universities in South Africa. These 20 institutions receive grant funding from the Kresge Foundation to accelerate and embed their student success efforts.
What we do
We transform institutions
The design and development of Siyaphumelela 3.0 builds on the solid foundation of Siyaphumelela 1.0 and 2.0, incorporating insights gained from an analysis of partner reports and lessons learned.
As we transition into Siyaphumelela 3.0, our commitment remains focused on fostering enhancing student success and, in particular, on actively involving executive leadership from newer institutions in the network, ensuring their full support for the Siyaphumelela initiative within their respective institutions. Two further focus areas include the need to strengthen learning and teaching efforts and concerns about graduate employability.
Additionally, the Siyaphumelela Network 3.0 aims to further develop and enhance the objectives established in the first two phases of the Siyaphumelela Initiative. These objectives focus on collaborative efforts to promote equity in South African higher education by:
Data
Improving institutional capacity to collect and use student data
Evidence
Building scalable evidence-based student success initiatives
Student voice
Embedding the student voice in student success initiatives
Student centredness
Establishing a more student-centred culture
Collaboration
Fostering collaboration within and between institutions
Siyaphumela impact through collaboration
20 out of 26
Public Higher Education Institutions in SA
80%
of Students in Public Higher Education reached
1500+
University Staff trained through capacity building courses and workshops in Siyaphumelela 2.0
Visit the Siyaphumelela website to find out more
