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Purchase a laptop from the UFS

11 May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced universities to embrace technology and find alternative ways to campus-based classes. Like most other institutions in the country, the University of the Free State (UFS) is following an online/blended learning and teaching approach during the 2021 academic year. This means that most students will spend their time online, therefore owning or having regular access to a laptop has become a necessity.

To ensure students have access to digital devices, the UFS is offering registered students the opportunity to purchase a laptop at affordable rates. Students can apply to purchase a device in order to access online platforms, obtain learning material, and engage with lecturers. The laptops will be provided interest-free through various payment options and will become the property of the student.

Who can apply for a laptop?

The offer is open to all registered students. The UFS has made provision for 3 000 laptops, and devices will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

What is the make, model, and cost of available devices?

► Option 1:

Make: Hewlett Packard

Model: HP 250 G7

Style: Laptop

Price: R5 040,34 (VAT inclusive)

► Option 2:

Make: Asus

Model: X540NA-C45B0T

Price: R5 247,97 (VAT inclusive)

The laptops are enabled with Microsoft 365 software and a step-by-step manual to help you with the personal configuration once you receive the device.

What are the payment options?

The student must agree to the payment terms as defined by the UFS.

The payment options are as follows:

A. Final-year students (students who will be completing their qualifications in 2021):

► Option 1: Two payments – one in May 2021 and a second payment in October 2021

► Option 2: Six payments – from May 2021 to October 2021

► Option 3: Once-off cash payment

B. New and other returning students with bursaries

► Option 1: Two payments – one in May 2021 and a second payment in October 2021

► Option 2: Equal payments until November 2021

► Option 3: Once-off cash payment

C. New and other returning students without bursaries (with the exclusion of final-year students)

► Option 1: Three payments – one in May 2021, a second payment in October 2021, and a final payment in March 2022

► Option 2: Twelve equal payments – from May 2021 to April 2022

► Option 3: Once-off cash payment

How will I receive the laptop?

Students will have the option of collecting a laptop from the Bloemfontein or Qwaqwa Campuses, or to collect it from a courier. We will communicate the logistics of this individually to students.

Students who opt for courier services will be charged an additional cost of R162,71.

When can I order a laptop?

Applications are currently open.

To apply for a laptop, click HERE and make sure that the digital form is fully completed before submitting it via the SUBMIT button.

Enquiries:

Enquiries about technical support regarding the issuing of the laptops, delivery, and courier services can be directed to: Studentdesk@ufs.ac.za | +27 51 401 2000.

News Archive

ANC Centenary Dialogue reflects on past leadership

2011-10-12

Making their mark at the ANC Centenary Dialogue were, from left to right: Prof. Kwandiwe Kondlo, Senior Professor: Centre for Africa Studies (UFS); Dr Adekeye Adebajo, Director: Centre for Conflict Resolution (Cape Town); and Prof. E C Ejiogu, Senior Researcher: Centre for Africa Studies (UFS).

The Centre for Africa Studies at our university recently hosted its ANC Centenary Dialogue at the Bloemfontein Campus. Keynote speaker, Dr Adekeye Adebajo, delivered a paper titled Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, and the ANC’s Footprint in Africa. The lecture focused on two of South Africa’s democratically-elected presidents.

Mr Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first democratically-elected president. This Nobel Peace Laureate played a prophetic leadership role in Africa in 1993. He was inspired by Mr Mahatma Gandhi’s tactics of ‘passive resistance’, which played a role in the ANC’s Defiance Campaign.

Mr Mandela’s visit to other African countries gave him insights into continental diplomacy and the tactics of other liberation movements. “The ANC used Madiba to embody the face of the struggle. He emerged from prison without any bitterness towards his enemies. He tirelessly promoted national reconciliation,” said Dr Adebajo.

Unlike other post-independence ‘Founding Fathers’, Mr Mandela bowed out gracefully at the end of his first presidential term in 1999, setting a standard for future African leaders aspiring to greatness. “Mr Mandela’s lasting legacies are his efforts at promoting national and international peacemaking,” elaborated Dr Adebajo.

Mr Thabo Mbeki challenged Africans to discover a sense of their own self-confidence after centuries of slavery and colonialism. Under his foreign policy, South Africa established solid credentials to become Africa’s leading power. He sought multilateral solutions to resolve regional conflicts. Mr Mbeki also sent peacekeepers abroad and increased South Africa’s credibility as a major geostrategic player in Africa.

Many question whether Mr Mbeki’s heirs, President Jacob Zuma and beyond, will maintain the same level of commitment to the continent that he demonstrated. Mr Mbeki has bequeathed this foreign policy legacy to his successors. “These very different ANC leaders have left a heavy African footprint on the sands of time,” concluded Dr Adebajo.

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