Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Breaking barriers: Zané Dippenaar becomes UFS’s youngest Business Management PhD graduate

11 April 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Onthatile Tikoe

Zane Dippenaar — Dr Zané Dippenaar (30) is the youngest PhD graduate in this year’s Business Management class from the University of the Free State.

Zané Dippenaar, a 30-year-old marketing and project manager at a Cape Town-based solar energy company, is the youngest person in this year’s graduating class to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Management degree from the University of the Free State this year.

But despite this achievement, the newly minted Dr Dippenaar says she would not have predicted she would study her way to PhD level.

“I wasn’t particularly academically driven before tertiary education, but I knew from early on that I wanted to either become a teacher or pursue something in the world of business,” she says. Her natural ability and her family’s encouragement led her to explore entrepreneurship and marketing, which she soon developed a passion for.

Overcoming challenges and finding support

Dr Dippenaar’s academic journey was marked by significant challenges, including balancing work and study commitments. However, she credits her supervisors and family for helping her stay motivated.

Her dissertation, titled ‘Advertising and Brand Loyalty in the South African Solar Industry’, showcases her expertise in marketing and branding.

“There were moments filled with doubt, setbacks, and exhaustion, but I was fortunate to have a strong support system who continuously encouraged me and reminded me of what I was working towards,” she says.

Achieving a personal milestone

Dr Dippenaar’s PhD achievement is not only an academic milestone but also a personal triumph. She had set a goal of completing her PhD before turning 30 and achieved it just weeks before her birthday. “That was a personal milestone I had set for myself, and achieving it was incredibly fulfilling,” she says.

She plans to apply the knowledge she gained in the industry and potentially return to academia. She advises younger students to trust their instincts and start their academic journey without waiting for perfection.

“Don’t wait until you’re ‘ready’ – you never will be. Just start. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, ask for help when you need it, and take it one chapter at a time,” she advises.

A role model for others

Dr Dippenaar hopes to inspire others, particularly young women, by showing that success in academia doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all formula. “I hope my story demonstrates that with the right support, determination, and a willingness to carve your own path, anything is possible.”

The University of the Free State is proud to have played a role in Dippenaar’s academic journey, fostering her growth and expertise in business management. Her achievement is a testament to the institution’s commitment to academic excellence and innovation.

News Archive

UFS to award honorary doctorate to Maria Ramos

2004-12-08

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) recently approved the awarding of an honorary doctorate to Ms Maria Ramos, Group Chief Executive of Transnet in April 2005. A total of five honorary doctorandi will be honored.

The other doctorandi are Proff Jan Groenewald (D Sc (hc)), Jaap Durand (D Phil (hc)), Sampie Terreblanche (C Dom (hc)) and Anthon Heyns (MD (hc)).

Me Ramos will receive an honorary doctorate in Economics (P hD (Economics) (hc)) for the large contribution she made to the establishment of a prudent fiscal and macro-economic policy in South Africa and hence, to the restoration of the financial credibility of the country in the eyes of domestic and foreign investors. Ms Ramos was the Director General of the National Treasury from 1996-2003.

She obtained the MSc-degree in Economics in 1992 from the University of London and was awarded a British Council Scholarship (Helen Suzman award) in the same year and in 1991. During the early nineties she was among others project leader of the ANC’s Macro-economic Research Group and also a member of the team that negotiated chapters on finance in the interim Constitution of South Africa. She was a research associate at the Centre for the Study of the South African Economy and International Finance at the London School of Economics and also lectured at the Universities of South Africa and the Witwatersrand.

“It is a great privilege for us to honor Ms Ramos and the other doctorandi in their different fields of expertise. This once again serves as an example of the UFS’s policy to give recognition to people who excel and make a difference,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Prof Jan Groenewald will receive an honorary doctorate for his life-long commitment to the establishment and development of Agricultural Economics as a subject field in South Africa and in Africa and his various contributions to the UFS. During his career, Prof Groenewald received various awards among others in 1998 when he received the Stals Prize for Economics from the South African Academy for Science and Art and in 1990 when he received an honorary medal from the South African Society for Agricultural Economics.

Prof Jaap Durand will receive an honorary doctorate in Philosophy for his pioneering work on various fields in the South African society. He obtained his Masters degree in Philosophy from the UFS and contributed to almost 60 articles and collections. Prof Durand has a colourful career as academic manager: from professor in Systematic Theology and dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of the Western Cape to Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the same university. He was the ombudsman of the University of Stellenbosch from 2002-2003.

Prof Sampie Terreblanche will receive an honorary doctorate in Economics for the important role he played, and is still playing, to keep the debate about and the need for socio-economic and socio-political reform in South Africa going. Prof Terreblanche started his career as a lecturer at the UFS. In 1992 the Stals Prize for Economics was awarded to him by the South African Academy for Science and Art. Prof Terreblanche was also a founding member of ASSET, an organisation addressing the problems of poverty, inequality and social injustice in South Africa.

Prof Anthon Heyns, Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Blood Service, will receive an honorary doctorate in Medicine. Prof Heyns is a well-known international researcher in Hematology and recently received a Centenary Medal from the UFS for his strong role and national prominence as expert and leading figure in establishing and developing Hematology at the UFS. He was the first head of the UFS’s Department of Hematology and is also co-editor of the only Afrikaans hand book of Hematology. He serves among others as a council member and member of the executive management of the South African Medical Research Council. On the international front he serves on at least five committees of the World Health Organisation based in Geneve, Switzerland. He has two honorary appointments as professor respectively at the UFS and University of the Witwatersrand.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
8 December 2004

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept