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Prof Hendrik Swart named among South Africa’s most influential leaders

29 May 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

Prof Hendrik Swart from the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Physics was recently honoured at the Golden Key Honour Society Southern Africa’s Black Tie Gala Event, held on 23 May 2025. The event celebrated 300 of South Africa’s most influential leaders across academia, industry, government, and the financial sector.

Prof Swart, who is an NRF B1-rated researcher and currently also holds the SARChI Research Chair in Solid-state Luminescent and Advanced Materials (2023-2027), described the recognition as both meaningful and affirming at this stage of his academic journey.

“Being recognised by such a prestigious organisation is a meaningful acknowledgment of my academic efforts and personal dedication,” he says. “It was a moment of validation and inspiration, reminding me that hard work truly pays off.”

While the exact selection criteria were not publicly detailed, the emphasis was placed on academic excellence, scholarship, and leadership.

This is not Prof Swart’s first recognition from the Golden Key Honour Society. In 2012, the UFS student chapter awarded him honorary membership for his contributions as a mentor and supervisor – an early nod to his lasting impact on student success.

“The student chapter here on campus gave me some recognition by awarding me honorary membership,” he recalled. “It meant a lot to me as a mentor.”

The gala itself offered more than accolades – it created a space for meaningful exchange. Prof Swart reflected warmly on reconnecting with one of his former students from the early 2000s, calling it a highlight of the evening.

Looking ahead, Prof Swart welcomed the society’s plans to continue this initiative across the country.

“This was the first time they had an event like this, but more are expected to follow. I see it as a good initiative to mingle with other sectors in South Africa.”

News Archive

UFS scientists involved in groundbreaking research to protect rhino horns

2010-07-27

Pictured from the left are: Prof. Paul Grobler (UFS), Prof. Antoinette Kotze (NZG) and Ms. Karen Ehlers (UFS).
Photo: Supplied

Scientists at the University of the Free State (UFS) are involved in a research study that will help to trace the source of any southern white rhino product to a specific geographic location.

This is an initiative of the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (NZG).

Prof. Paul Grobler, who is heading the project in the Department of Genetics at the UFS, said that the research might even allow the identification of the individual animal from which a product was derived. This would allow law enforcement agencies not only to determine with certainty whether rhino horn, traded illegally on the international black market, had its origin in South Africa, but also from which region of South Africa the product came.

This additional knowledge is expected to have a major impact on the illicit trade in rhino horn and provide a potent legal club to get at rhino horn smugglers and traders.

The full research team consists of Prof. Grobler; Christiaan Labuschagne, a Ph.D. student at the UFS; Prof. Antoinette Kotze from the NZG, who is also an affiliated professor at the UFS; and Dr Desire Dalton, also from the NZG.

The team’s research involves the identification of small differences in the genetic code among white rhino populations in different regions of South Africa. The genetic code of every species is unique, and is composed of a sequence of the four nucleotide bases G, A, T and C that are inherited from one generation to the next. When one nucleotide base is changed or mutated in an individual, this mutated base is also inherited by the individual's progeny.

If, after many generations, this changed base is present in at least 1% of the individuals of a group, it is described as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), pronounced "snip". Breeding populations that are geographically and reproductively isolated often contain different patterns of such SNPs, which act as a unique genetic signature for each population.

The team is assembling a detailed list of all SNPs found in white rhinos from different regions in South Africa. The work is done in collaboration with the Pretoria-based company, Inqaba Biotech, who is performing the nucleotide sequencing that is required for the identification of the SNPs.

Financial support for the project is provided by the Advanced Biomolecular Research cluster at the UFS.

The southern white rhino was once thought to be extinct, but in a conservation success story the species was boosted from an initial population of about 100 individuals located in KwaZulu-Natal at the end of the 19th century, to the present population of about 15 000 individuals. The southern white rhino is still, however, listed as “near threatened” by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
27 July 2010

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