Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
05 February 2025 | Story Vuyelwa Mbebe | Photo Supplied
Regional Committee SAACHS
The Kovsie Health staff members who also serve on the SAACHS regional committee: Shibashiba Moabelo, Riana Johnson, Sarien de Necker, Theresa de Vries, and Emmerencia Sibanda.

The University of the Free State (UFS) took centre stage at the annual South African Association of Campus Health Services (SAACHS) Conference, held at the Windmill Casino Conference Centre in Bloemfontein from 8 to 10 January 2025. 

The conference was themed ‘Student Centredness’ and brought together representatives from 22 higher education institutions to explore critical issues related to student health and wellness.

SAACHS is a national association comprising tertiary institutions that offer primary and occupational healthcare services on campuses across South Africa. This year’s conference covered a range of pressing topics, including HIV support for students, strategies to assist pregnant students, telehealth collaborations, caregiver self-care, student health-seeking behaviours, food insecurity, and best practices in campus health emergency medical services.

Sr Riana Johnson, Deputy Director of Kovsie Health and regional chair of the Free State and Northern Cape SAACHS committee, emphasised the impact of the UFS’s involvement. “The strong representation of UFS speakers highlighted the strides we have made in campus health services and the invaluable contributions our institution brings to these crucial discussions,” she said.

As key organisers, Johnson and her team – including Sr Sarien de Necker and colleagues from the UFS and the Central University of Technology (CUT) – were instrumental in securing speakers, selecting relevant topics, and managing conference logistics. Their efforts ensured the smooth running of an event that encouraged knowledge-sharing and collaboration among campus health professionals.

“The conference provided a vital platform for networking and exchanging ideas,” Johnson said. “UFS’s active participation helped strengthen partnerships with institutions such as the Department of Health and promoted shared solutions to student wellness challenges.”

She added that hosting the event underscored the UFS’s leadership in campus health and allowed other institutions to learn from its initiatives. Discussions and collaborations at the conference enhanced awareness campaigns and reinforced a collective commitment to student well-being.

Looking ahead, Johnson believes the insights gained will shape the future of Kovsie Health. “Exploring new health technologies and expanding student-centred health initiatives are among our top priorities,” she concluded. “The knowledge shared at this conference will undoubtedly influence how we evolve our services to meet the needs of our students more effectively.”

News Archive

And the Best Managed Residence is…
2014-10-27


As examinations draw near and the end of the year is around the corner, residences want to know who the best of the best is.

During the 2014 Residence Awards on 22 October, the UFS announced their best managed residences of the year at the Bloemfontein Campus.

Wag-’n-Bietjie walked away with the spoils of the evening, winning both best managed female residence, and best managed residence overall. Armentum claimed the title of best managed male residence, while Sonnedou was named as the best managed day residence.

Further results for overall best managed residences and other categories are as follows:

Best Managed Residence
Male Residences:

  1. Armentum
  2. JBM Hertzog
  3. Karee

Female Residences:

  1. Wag-‘n-Bietjie
  2. Roosmaryn
  3. Soetdoring

Day Residences:

  1. Sonnedou
  2. Imperium
  3. Marjolein

Overall Ranking:

  1. Wag-‘n-Bietjie
  2. Armentum
  3. Roosmaryn

College
  1. South College (Armentum, Emily Hobhouse, Marjolein, NJ vd Merwe, Villa Bravado)
  2. East College (Arista, JBM Hertzog, Kayalami, Roosmaryn, Legatum, Sonnedou)
    and North College (Madelief, Tswelopele, Vergeet-my-Nie, Veritas, Welwitschia)
  3. Central College (Akasia, Kagiso, Karee, Soetdoring, Wag-‘n-Bietjie)
    and West College (Abraham Fischer, Conlaurês, Imperium, Kestell, Outiniqua)

Environmental Affairs
Male Residences:     JBM Hertzog
Female Residences:  Wag-‘n-Bietjie
Day Residences:        Sonnedou
Overall Winner:           Sonnedou

Diversity
Male Residences:                               JBM Hertzog
Female Residences:                          Akasia 
Day Residences:                                Arista
Best Improved Male Residence:         Villa Bravado
Best Improved Female Residence:    Kestell
Overall winner:                                    Akasia

Executive Portfolios
Male Residences:                               Tswelopele
Female Residences:                          Wag-‘n-Bietjie
Day Residences:                                Imperium
Best Improved Male Residence:         Tswelopele
Best Improved Female Residence:    Marjolein
Overall Winner:                                   Imperium

Academics
Male Residences:                               Outeniqua
Female Residences:                          Wag-‘n-Bietjie
Day Residences:                                Imperium
Best Improved Male Residence:         Imperium
Best Improved Female Residence:    Marjolein
Overall Winner:                                   Wag-‘n-Bietjie

Finance
Male Residences:                               Armentum
Female Residences:                          Roosmaryn
Day Residences:                                Imperium
Best Improved Male Residence:         Villa Bravado
Best Improved Female Residence:    Kestell
Overall Winner:                                   Armentum

Culture
Male Residences:                               Abraham Fischer
Female Residences:                          Wag-‘n-Bietjie
Day Residences:                                Sonnedou
Best Improved Male Residence:         Armentum
Best Improved Female Residence:    Akasia
Overall Winner:                                   Wag-‘n-Bietjie

Sport
Male Campus and Day Residences:           Armentum
Female Campus and Day Residences:      Wag-‘n-Bietjie
Best Male RC Sport:                           Armentum
Best Female RC Sport:                      Sonnedou

First-Years
Male Residences:                                                       Armentum 
Female Residences:                                                  Welwitschia
Day Residences:                                                        Sonnedou
Best Improved Male and Female Residence:            ConLaurês and Outeniqua
Overall Winner:                                                           Armentum

Prime
Male Residences:                               Tswelopele
Female Residences:                          Wag-‘n-Bietjie
Day Residences:                                Arista
Best Improved Male Residence:         Tswelopele
Best Improved Female Residence:    Arista
Overall Winner:                                   Tswelopele

Social
Overall Winner:                                   Karee
Best Improved Residence:                 Kestell

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