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17 December 2018 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Supplied
Sport ablution South Cam
Sports ablution facilities at the South Campus will ensure universal access.
As part of its 2018 infrastructure expansion, the University of the Free State (UFS) launched three solar farms earlier this year. The solar farm in Bloemfontein is large enough to power up to 300 houses, while the Qwaqwa and South campuses had 750kWp ground-mounted solar systems installed. 

“The power generated from the solar systems will always take preference over the conventional Centlec power supply meaning less power will be used from the national grid,” said Maureen Khati, Assistant Director at Facilities Planning.

All these sites will be connected directly to the university’s medium voltage electrical grid, thus the power can be distributed to areas where needed. 

The year that was 

The solar farms formed part of 274 new developments which were planned for the year by the Department of University Estates. These covered all three campuses and the off-campus environment in some cases. Areas including sports and recreation, academic spaces, security, energy, electrical, property, and landscapes experienced major upgrades.

By the virtue of being an institution and given the growing population of the university, study areas have ascended to human rights status. This has warranted an additional 24/7 study space on the Bloemfontein Campus. This new development provided a necessary diversion of traffic from the Sasol Library Study Labs during the year-end exam period.

According to Khati: “The space accommodates 80 students and is a collaborative learning facility since it is divided into different compartments such as discussion rooms and a larger open study space which is safe to study for longer hours.”

A student housing unit with 268 beds was built in the South Campus to accommodate undergraduate students. A new University Estates building, sports ablution facilities on the South Campus, which includes universal access, and tutorial venues on the Qwaqwa Campus were also successfully completed.

Projects currently under way

A 252- and 255-bed student housing project that will be connected to the existing grey water system is in progress on the South Campus. The new intake of students for the next academic year will be treated to luxury student living equipped with a heat pump.

In addition, a new hockey Astro Turf field was constructed at the Bloemfontein Campus to supplement the already existing facility, and the Naval Hill telescope sculpture and a viewing platform were installed.

Looking to the future

The university has been granted funding by the Department of Higher Education and Training for three projects on the Qwaqwa Campus and an additional three at the Bloemfontein Campus. These projects include residences, Student Lecturing Assessment Centres, as well as Language Development Centres.

Safety and security is at the core of developments at the UFS.
Safety and security is at the core of developments at the UFS.
World-class study space for improved learning efficiency.
World-class study space for improved learning efficiency.
Harvesting natural resources to power Qwaqwa Campus.
Harvesting natural resources to power Qwaqwa Campus.
Solar energy is the future: new solar farm propels UFS into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Solar energy is the future: new solar farm propels UFS into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Game time upgrades: Hockey on a brand new Astro Turf field for our star athletes.
Game time upgrades: Hockey on a brand new Astro Turf field for our star athletes.

News Archive

Walk to Cape Town closes on high note
2014-06-03

Photo Gallery of arrival in Cape Town
Dagbreek interview (kykNet) (YouTube)
Thank you from all UFS students (YouTube)

It was a gruelling road totalling a distance of 1 038 km, but the UFS #NSHstride team completed the challenge of walking all the way to Cape Town.

On Thursday 1 May 2014, Adéle van Aswegen and Ntokozo Nkabinde, both from the UFS, took on the road to Cape Town on foot in order to highlight the problem of food insecurity among students at the UFS.

Two kind-hearted Bloemfontein residents, Nico Piedt and Ronél Warner, tackled the journey together with them, not only to draw the country’s attention to food insecurity, but also to raise money to address the problem.

The hike, known as the No Student Hungry 1000/33 stride (or #NSHstride), came to an end at the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town on Tuesday 3 June 2014.

About R500 000 were raised before, during and after the foursome’s hike.

The NSH bursary, established in 2011 by Prof Jonathan Jansen, the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, and Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, aims to put food insecurity among students at the UFS under the spotlight.

Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, says: “We are completely inspired by the victory of a 1 000 km with one step at a time – as it reminds us of the courage of our students who beat hunger one day at a time.”

“The stride team challenges us to change our world for the better every day. We hope to continue their victory for students by challenging all universities to join the struggle for food security and will call a colloquium in this regard in October.”

These boots are made for walking ... to Cape Town (Article of 02 May 2014)
“Aren’t auntie and them hungry yet?” Country folk worried about NSH hikers (15 May 2014)
UFS hikers to Cape Town reflect on their journey (Article of 26 May 2014)

Daily updates:
(You can also follow us on @UFSweb for daily tweets)

Day 33: 2 June 2014
13:40
20 km
Sunset Beach, Cape Town

Day 32: 1 June 2014
16:05
26 km
Mervyn and Sanet Wessels, Belville

Day 31: 31 May 2014
16:31
39.6 km
Rhonell and Gavin Julain, Paarl

Day 30: 30 May 2014
14:00
16 km
Monte Rosa, Rawsonville

Day 29: 29 May 2014
13:16
31 km
The Habit, Worcester

Day 28: 28 May 2014
11:00
22.4 km
Monte Roza, De doorns

Day 27: 27 May 2014
17:00
21.1 km
Karoo Hotel

Day 26: 26 May 2014
18:27
43.3 km
Tows river

Day 25: 25 May 2014
12:18
Lord Milner Hotel, Matjiesfontein

Day 24: 24 May 2014
16:30
42 km
Laingsburg Country Lodge

Day 23: 23 May 2014
17:32
41.8 km
Vergenoeg

Day 22: 22 May 2014
16:42
43 km
Assendelft Lodge and Bush Camp, Prins Albert

Day 21: 21 May 2014
15:09
42 km
Leeu Gamka Hotel

Day 20: 20 May 2014
13:39
20 km
Alida, Springfontein

Day 19: 19 May 2014
12:31
27.6 km
Teri Moja Game Lodge

Day 18: 18 May 2014
First rest day
Nagenoeg Guesthouse, Beaufort West

Day 17: 17 May 2014
19:30
62.3 km
Nagenoeg Guesthouse, Beaufort West

Day 16: 16 May 2014
13:00
14 km
Taaibochfontein

Day 15: 15 May 2014
16:03
32 km
Travalia, Three Sisters

Day 14: 14 May 2014
18:33
43 km
Joalani Guest Farm

Day 13: 13 May 2014
17:30
33 km
Die Rondawels

Day 12: 12 May 2014
16:49
40 km
Aandrus B&B in Richmond

Day 11: 11 May 2014
39 km
Wortelfontein (Magdel and Christiaan)

Day 10: 10 May 2014
15:44
34 km
Hanover Lodge

Day 9: 09 May 2014
40.8 km
Camping between Colesberg and Hanover

Day 8: 08 May 2014
15:25
33.7 km
Colesberg, The Lighthouse Guesthouse

Day 7: 07 May 2014
15:08
23 km
Orange River Lodge

Day 6: 06 May 2014
15:57
51.06 km
Gariep Forever Resort

Day 5: 05 May 2014
12:18
28 km
Rondefontein

Day 4: 04 May 2014
15:27
35 km
Trompsburg: Fox Den

Day 3: 03 May 2014
17:30
46.74 km
Edenburg Country Lodge (Hotel)

Day 2: 02 May 2014
11:44 am
15.3 km
Tom's Place

Day 1: 01 May 2014
32 km
Leeuwberg

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