TUT is truly an institution in service of the Southern African community. One of its key focuses is, therefore, the economic and social development of the Southern African region. In its quest to promote knowledge and technology, it provides the market with a career-focused workforce. It also aims at making a significant contribution to creating sustainable economic growth that will impact on the
standard of living of all of the region's people. The education offered at TUT, with its entrepreneurial focus, opens up unlimited opportunities for students to become job creators and entrepreneurs. This is established by creating prosperity through the stimulation of innovation and creative thinking. This is facilitated by various incubators and technology stations. The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) is a proud product of South Africa's first decade of democracy. While the size and scope of this dynamic new institution impress, the quality of its teaching, research and community engagement is what makes the University really stands out. TUT was established on 1 January 2004, with the merging of the former Technikon Northern Gauteng, Technikon North-West and Technikon Pretoria. At the time of the merger, the uniquely South African institutional designation of "technikon" was dropped in favour for the internationally accepted "university of technology" designation. This new mega-institution annually enrols approximately 60 000 students. Its student body is one of the most demographically representative in the country in terms of both race and gender, reflecting the Rainbow Nation in all its diversity. With almost 22 per cent of contact students accommodated in residences, the University is by far the largest residential higher education institution in Southern Africa. Its geographic footprint covers four of South Africa's nine provinces – Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North-West Province – with campuses located in Tshwane (Pretoria, Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa), Mbombela, eMalahleni (previously called Witbank) and Polokwane (previously called Pietersburg). Large numbers of students are also drawn from other provinces and from neighbouring countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Swaziland. TUT employs more than 2 700 permanent staff members, including almost 855 highly qualified permanent academics. These academics are increasingly focusing on conducting applied research and community engagement activities in addition to their instructional roles. Caring for the underprivileged, the upliftment of people and assisting those in need are key elements of the University's community engagement strategy.
