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24 October 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Stephen Collett
Sanlam and Santam Economist of the Year’ competition
From left to right: Jaco Geldenhuys, Senior Business Manager at Sanlam; Mokai Malope, secured second place; Reatile Seekoei, winner of the 2024 Sanlam and Santam Economist of the Year competition; Tricia Khoza, secured third place; and LC Olivier, Senior Business Manager at Santam.

The inaugural ‘Sanlam and Santam Economist of the Year’ competition gala, held on 18 October 2024 at the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus, has been hailed as a significant opportunity for growth. Hosted by the Department of Economics and Finance in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), in collaboration with Sanlam and Santam, the event celebrated the exceptional talents of young economists.

The gala brought together representatives from Sanlam and Santam, faculty members, the top 10 competition finalists, and the department’s leading academic performers from each year group. Jaco Geldenhuys, Senior Business Manager at Sanlam, commended the participants for their dedication, noting: ’Today, we not only recognise your academic excellence but also the potential, positive impact you will have in the world.’’

Prof Johan Coetzee, Chairperson of the Department of Economics and Finance, echoed this sentiment, emphasising that the competition aims to equip graduates to become global citizens who can solve problems, think critically, and communicate effectively in a constantly changing world.

What transpired during the event

The top 10 finalists presented their analysis in a 6-minute presentation before a panel of economists from the department, demonstrating their understanding of the macroeconomic environment, the methods they used to predict key macroeconomic indicators, and the lessons they gained from the process. After these presentations, the top three finalists were chosen and were required to respond to questions from the panel, determining the overall winner.

The top three included Tricia Khoza, who secured third place, Mokai Malope, who earned second place; and Reatile Seekoei, who was named the 2024 ‘Sanlam and Santam Economist of the Year.

All three finalists expressed their gratitude for the opportunity. Seekoei shared: “Competitions like this are invaluable because they prepare us for the working world. We have gained several graduate attributes we were introduced to at the start of our academic journey.’’

In addition to recognising the top three finalists, the department also awarded certificates to its top academic achievers, ranging from first-year undergraduate students to master's candidates.

Paving the way for the future

For many of the participants, the competition provided an invaluable glimpse into the professional world, offering them a chance to apply their classroom learning to real-world economic challenges. Geldenhuys encouraged the young economists to use their knowledge to challenge inequality, promote fairness, and drive innovation and sustainable growth.

News Archive

From a dream to a reality: Free State Mother and Child Academic Hospital
2016-08-31

Description: Free State Mother and Child Academic Hospital  Tags: Free State Mother and Child Academic Hospital

The message, From a dream to a reality, echoed
throughout the launch of the Mother and
Child Academic Hospital. From left to right:
Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS,
Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014 and
Patron of the Mother and Child Academic Hospital,
Prof André Venter, Head of the Department of
Paediatrics and Child Health, and Dr Riaan Els,
CEO of the Fuchs Foundation South Africa.
Photo: Charl Devenish

“Sometimes dreams do come true, and finally, this institution is starting to dream big dreams.” These were the words of Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS) at the launch of the Free State Mother and Child Academic Hospital collaborative initiative. The launch was an official declaration of intentions regarding the establishing of the hospital, a specialist unit which will focus on paediatric and maternal healthcare, fully supported by the Department of Health in the Free State. As the first Mother and Child Hospital in South Africa, it will be unique.

Under the leadership of Prof André Venter, the UFS Department of Paediatrics and Child Health serves over 250 000 children of the southern regions of the Free State at secondary care level, and is responsible for the tertiary care of nearly one million children from the whole of the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces, as well as some children from Northwest and Eastern Cape Provinces and Lesotho.

As part of a multi-faceted initiative, the 350-bed mother and child hospital will benefit the community of the Free State greatly, and will support the objectives of the Strategic Development Goals. It will further Free State Strategic Transformation Plan (STP) by improving access to healthcare for the most vulnerable members of the population, thus reducing paediatric mortality and improving maternal health. An additional objective of the project is to develop academic excellence, and improve the environment in which medical specialists and subspecialists develop their skills according to international standards.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-chancellor and Rector of the UFS, described the project as one which captures the head and the heart, as it caters most for little lives, a hub wherein great talent and potential waits to be unleashed. In support of the project, the university has offered a piece of land on the campus where the hospital will be built, thus strengthening the quality of tertiary education.

Former Miss World, Mrs Rolene Strauss, also pledged her support. She said she is honoured to be the patron of the project, one she believes will lead to healthier women, healthier children, and a healthier nation.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Fuchs Foundation, CEO Dr Riaan Els, awarded a donation of R2250000 towards the building of the hospital, a contribution which will bring the project a step closer to its realisation.

Prof André Venter, leader of the project, hopes that it will serve as a blueprint for other academic hospitals in the country, and mark the beginning of an era of highly specialised medical care for humanity’s most precious people.

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