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Ready to register? Let this be your guide

09 January 2020 | Story Valentino Ndaba

Are you a first-year or senior student in need of essential registration information? Look no further, below is your official guide to the process.

Bloemfontein Campus:
First-year students:
20 – 24 January 2020: On-campus registration

Senior students:
9 January – 7 February 2020: Online registration
27 – 31 January 2020: On-campus registration

On-campus registration:
Callie Human Centre, Bloemfontein Campus
Weekdays from 08:00 to 15:00

South Campus:
First-year and senior students:
13 January 2020: UAP: Education (excluding international students)
14 January 2020: UAP: Natural and Agricultural Sciences (excluding international students)
15 January 2020: Higher Certificate: The Humanities (excluding international students)
16 January 2020: Higher Certificates: Economic and Management Sciences and second-year extended EMS programme (excluding international students)
17 January 2020: All international students (all faculties)

On-campus registration:
Madiba Hall, South Campus, Bloemfontein
Weekdays from 08:30 to 15:30

Sub-regions:

Motheo: 20 January 2020
Motheo TVET College: Bloemfontein Campus
09:00-15:00

Bethlehem: 21 January 2020
Maluti TVET College: Bethlehem Campus
09:00-15:00

Welkom: 22 January 2020
Moruti House / Goldfields TVET Skills College: Welkom
09:00-14:00

Kwetlisong: 23 January 2020
Maluti TVET College: Phuthaditjhaba Campus
09:00-14:00

Oudtshoorn: 27 January 2020
South Cape TVET College: Oudtshoorn
09:00-14:00

Sasolburg: 28 January 2020
Flavius Mareka TVET College: Sasolburg
09:00-14:00

Qwaqwa Campus:
First-year students:
8 - 17 January 2020: On-campus registration

Senior students:
9 January 2020: Online registration
27 – 31 January 2020: On-campus registration

On-campus registration:
Main Entrance and Mandela Hall, Qwaqwa Campus
Weekdays from 08:00 to 15:00

Please bring the following when you come to register:
- Your identity document (ID)
- NSC (Grade 12 results, N4, N5, N6 certificates – if applicable; NCV L4 certificate – if applicable)
- Proof of payment/bursary/NSFAS (first payment has to be done FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO REGISTRATION)
- Financial agreement form (credit-facility form that was sent to you by the UFS)
- ID of the parent or third party that signed the financial form
- Black pen
If you are younger than 18 years on the day of registration, your parent/legal guardian has to approve and sign the registration form with you.

Please note that you need to make the following payment five (5) days prior to registration:

First payments for registration 2020 (please click on the link to view the document).

Registration enquiries:
If you have any queries, contact the Student Service Centre at +27 51 401 9666 or send an email quoting your student number to studentadmin@ufs.ac.za. Our friendly staff is ready to assist you.

Password enquiries:
If you have any password related queries, contact the ICT helpdesk on +27 51 401 2000 and select option two.

Information on academic advice before registration

More information on registration, and how to add/change modules

Important information for 2020 first-year students

News Archive

Agriculture must adapt to change

2008-11-28

At the launch of "50 years of agriculture" at the UFS were, from the left: Mr Corwyn Botha: Chairman: Agri Business Chamber and Managing Director: Cape Agri Group, Mr Motsepe Matlala, President of NAFU, Mr Hans van der Merwe, Executive Head: Agri SA, Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk: Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS, and Mr Sugar Ramakarane, Head: Department of Agriculture, Free State Province.
Photo: Lacea Loader

“The biggest factor driving agriculture today is change. Our major challenge is to adapt to this changing environment.” This was stated by Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) during the recent celebration of the faculty’s “50 years in agriculture”.

Prof. Van Schalkwyk stated that the most important changes include power relationships in supply chains, consumer demand, new products and technology in agriculture, government action and developments in neighbouring states. “At the moment there is very little cooperation between small-scale farmers, small-scale farmers and commercial farmers and farmers and processors. There are also low levels of processing, low levels of value adding and a lack of creative thinking in agriculture," he said.

“This must change – we need comprehensive agricultural support and new business ideas in agriculture. We need better infrastructure, value chain financing and improved institutional support,” he said.

Speaking about agriculture and institutional co-operation in the Free State, Mr Sugar Ramakarane, Chief Director of the Free State Department of Agriculture, said that the UFS plays a vital role in bringing together organised agriculture in the province. “The responsibility of transforming our economy cannot be done by government alone. We need partners like the UFS to assist us with bringing together the two most important stakeholders of the agricultural sector, namely the National Farmers’ Union (NAFU) and Free State Agriculture. You can assist us with harnessing co-operation and providing practical solutions," he said

Mr Ramakarane said that his department is aware of the university’s good work with emerging farmers. “But, I want to encourage the university to help us with skills transfer and the development of the emerging farmers. You can play a vital role in developing a mentorship programme. Yours remains a central and critical role of being torch bearers in guiding the transformation agenda of our country," he said.

In his contribution on the challenges of small scale farmers in South Africa and the role of the university, Mr Motsepe Matlala, President of NAFU, said that unity in organised agriculture and working together with other stakeholders has become even more crucial with regard to the global challenges now faced by the country. “The university should take the lead in guiding all farmers on how to respond to, among others, the global financial turmoil and politics, developments in trade negotiations, food prices, input costs and the availability of energy," he said.

“If the UFS, and more specifically the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, is to continue to play a leading role in academia as well as in the production of research that matters to the growth and development of this country, it must adopt an approach that seeks to harness the capacity of everyone in an inclusive manner. The strides already made in this regard must be applauded,” Mr Matlala said.

Speaking on the future challenges in agriculture and the role of universities, Mr Hans van der Merwe, Executive Head of Agri SA said that South Africa has not spent money on agricultural development in a long time. “We must increase our product capacity in the agricultural sector. Universities must focus on cultivating enough expertise and the skills necessary to manage the resources and capacity needed," he said. In his view, South Africa must also focus on technological advancement in agriculture as this has also been neglected in the past. He urged universities to provide best-practice education and to look at international trends in agricultural training. “That is why we should not only focus our attention on South Africa, but on southern Africa,” Mr van der Merwe said.

In conclusion to the day’s programme, Mr Corwyn Botha, Chairperson of the Agricultural Business Chamber, Managing Director of the Cape Agri Group and former Kovsie stated that: “If you want to be an example of leadership, people around you must do better because you are there. A university should evaluate itself in this context. You cannot create solutions to problems with the same attitude in which the problems were created."

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
28 November 2008

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