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26 August 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Sonia Small
Sing off
SingOff participants getting ready for the upcoming finals of the competition.
The SingOff competition, which is regarded as one of the biggest arts and culture experiences at the University of the Free State (UFS), has returned after a two-year hiatus. “Due to COVID-19, the competition has not happened in just over two years, and we are very excited to have it happen this year,” expressed Hlumelo Xaba: SRC Arts and Culture. 
The SingOff finals will be held in the Kopanong Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State on 27 August 2022 from 17:00.

What the UFS community can expect

From the rotations, which took place from 24 to 25 August 2022, leading up to the finals, the competition has generated a lot of excitement, specifically among the residences. “There’s a lot of competition this year, each and every person wants to make a name for themselves. So, the audience can expect a lot of competition, energy, and fun from the eight groups selected to be in the finals,’’ stated Xaba. 

Although the format of the competition has not changed much, some new elements have been introduced to make it more interesting. “What we decided to do this year, is to make it 80% music and 20% creativity. The creativity portion includes all the choreography, instruments, and costumes used by the participants,” explained Xaba. In addition, two new categories – best male and best female vocalist – have been added to the finals of the competition.

Collaboration

The excitement about the SingOff finals is not limited to the UFS community. In collaboration with the SRC: Arts and Culture, Standard Bank has jumped on board as the official sponsor of the SingOff finals. “This is something that has not happened in nearly four years, so we are very excited about Standard Bank being able to collaborate with us,” Xaba highlighted. In fact, Standard Bank has also been instrumental in building hype around the competition through the activations it has been hosting at the Thakaneng Bridge from 24 August 2022.


Furthermore, Standard Bank has contributed a cash prize of R10 000, which will be divided among the final top three, along with trophies to be awarded to the runners-up.

Xaba maintains that SingOff is an important aspect of student life at the UFS. “It allows people to gain exposure through the arts, and it also builds a sense of community and camaraderie among students,” he expressed. As such, with the final stage of the SingOff fast approaching, Xaba urges that, “all the participants and the UFS community at large should enjoy this moment, as it is about building memories”.

News Archive

UFS teams up with Department of Agriculture and donates latest farming technology to Oppermans
2009-03-09

 
Attending the recent launch of the latest technology that measures the salinity of soil – the EM38 system – during an information day held in Jacobsdal were, from the left, back: Mr Robert Dlomo, a farmer from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, Prof. Leon van Rensburg, Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the UFS, Mr Sugar Ramakarane, head of the Department of Agriculture in the Free State, Dr Motseki Hlatshwayo, national Department of Agriculture, and Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS; front: Mr Robert Smith and Mr Fagan Scheepers from Oppermansgronde, who will be working with the EM38 system in the area.
Photo: Landbouweekblad
UFS teams up with Department of Agriculture and donates latest farming technology to Oppermans

Emerging and commercial farmers of the Oppermans Community in the Northern Cape will now be able to monitor the salinity levels on their farms effectively for the first time.

This is as a result of a donation of the latest technology that measures the salinity of soil – the EM38 system – which the University of the Free State (UFS) is donating to the community.

The unique project was launched by the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the UFS and the Department of Agriculture in the Free State during an information day held at Jacobsdal recently.

The day was attended by members of the Oppermans Community and representatives of the UFS as well as the Department of Agriculture. Mr Sugar Ramakarane, Head of the Department of Agriculture in the Free State, did the welcoming and several academics from the UFS held discussions about various topics related to the salinity levels in soil.

Since the establishment of the Oppermans Community emerging farmers are now for the first time able to accurately monitor the salinity levels on their farms as well as that of irrigation schemes of commercial farms in the area.

“In a region such as the Northern Cape it is very important that the salinity level of soil is monitored properly. As water is administered to crops, salts accumulate in the soil because the roots leave most of the salts in the soil when it transpires. When the salinity of soil increases, the osmotic potential thereof can also increase, which can seriously damage the water intake of crops and can create loss in yield and income,” said Prof. Leon van Rensburg from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the UFS and leader of the Oppermans Project.

To assist the farming community of Oppermans to apply precision farming and to measure the salinity level of soil more accurately the latest technology that measures salinity in soil – the EM38 – will be donated to the community. Although the system is used throughout the world, the UFS is the only tertiary institution in the country that owns the latest version of this system.

“We are also training two persons from the Oppermans Community as technicians that will monitor the use of the system. The advantage of the donation of the system for the university is that we can gather data that can be used for research purposes by our Master’s and Doctoral students. We also want to see if water-table heights can be measured with this system,” said Prof. Van Rensburg.

According to him the system has several advantages for the community’s emerging farmers. “For the first time the salinity level of soil can now be measured accurately, salt maps can be drawn up, we can advise farmers about the corrections that need to be made and salinity management plans can be compiled,” he said.

The system is very accurate as it takes measurements every 200 mm while it is pulled by a four-wheel motorbike. The readings provide the distribution of salts up to a soil depth of 1 500 mm. “In the past the measuring of salinity levels was time-consuming and the cost thereof was R90 for one sample. The new system is more cost-effective,” stated Prof. Van Rensburg.

The instruments will be handed over to the African Spirit Group of the Oppermans Community, who will then become the owners. The service to farmers will then be managed by an operational group consisting of people from the Oppermans Community, a postgraduate student who can compile salinity maps and Prof. Van Rensburg, who will act as project leader and advisor.

The system will also be made available to farmers at the Riet River and Vaalharts Schemes.

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  
9 March 2009
 

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