Africa Centre for Inclusive Health Management

29/10/2026

Tomorrow Prof Munya Saruchera will deliver the keynote address at the Khayelitsha Eastern Substructure (KESS) Research Day 2026, hosted by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health and Wellness and the UWC School of Public Health. This year's theme (Evidence, equity and excellence: Advancing healthcare in KESS) seeks to showcase research that informs service delivery, promotes equitable health outcomes and contributes to excellence in healthcare.

Ethically-inclined researchers should be concerned about what many organisations refer to as community engagement. This often comes down to turning up in a community, undertaking a one-off engagement with individuals, followed by a quick survey and focus groups ‒ extract the information, write the report and move on.

When engagement becomes extractive, people quickly learn that their role is simply to provide information and opinions, rather than being involved in shaping change. The community needs to feel involved. They need to feel ownership. Without it, very little happens afterwards.

That’s where MEaL can become something much more meaningful. Not Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning as a compliance exercise, but as an ongoing cycle of reflection, adaptation and involvement.
Not “done to” communities but done WITH them. This requires relationships, presence, trust, ongoing involvement and investment in the relationship building and maintenance and much more, as well as sticking around much longer than the drive-through model allows.

Stellenbosch University

28/10/2026

The Africa Centre has a strong research foundation and we recruited our first research fellow in 2023 to enhance this profile. Now we’re growing it into a more integrated approach that connects disciplines through inclusive health management. A core aspect of this approach is attracting quality research fellows to strengthen our research output.

Imagine how excited we are to welcome SIXTEEN new extraordinary research fellows who have been appointed for three years. Perfectly aligned to our vision, they want to work with real-world challenges and use knowledge to make a tangible difference. Read more about them on our team page (scroll past the permanent staff): https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/team/



Stellenbosch University

28/10/2026

We’re excited about welcoming Winnie Byanyima of UNAIDS as the speaker at the Africa Centre’s inaugural public lecture on 9 November.

Byanyima’s career as an engineer, parliamentarian, diplomat, institution-builder and international development leader spans four decades and includes senior leadership positions across regional and global organisations, including the African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme and Oxfam International.

Her work on HIV, health financing, equitable access to medicines, community leadership and pandemic preparedness aligns closely with the Africa Centre’s mission of inclusive health management, with her many achievements. Read more on https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/africa-centre-inaugural-public-lecture-9-november-2026/.

In leading the UN’s efforts to end HIV/Aids as a public health threat by 2030, Byanyima has consistently argued that scientific progress alone cannot end the epidemic; it will require removing structural inequalities. This approach has contributed to wider discussions on health systems strengthening, universal health coverage and pandemic preparedness.



UNAIDS Stellenbosch University

26/10/2026

Office administrator Samukele Mbhamali is the go-to person who helps keep everything running smoothly in the office. She enjoys bringing order to busy environments and supporting people, whether individuals or teams.

Sam's BTech in Office Management and Technology ensured a strong foundation in organisational skills, communication and the effective use of office systems and technology. She previously worked as a departmental secretary, where she gained hands-on experience in administration, coordination and office support.

It's a perfect fit. As Sam says: "Over the past 10 months at the Africa Centre, I have particularly enjoyed and appreciate the opportunity to interact with staff, students, academics and visitors from different backgrounds. I find it rewarding to contribute to an environment that fosters learning, collaboration and meaningful connections. The welcoming atmosphere and strong sense of community are among the things I value most about working at the centre."

Outside of work, Sam enjoys spending time with family and friends and unwinding with activities that help her recharge. She likes to stay busy, but also appreciates quiet moments to reset and stay balanced.

Get a bit of that orderly support vibe and enrol at the Africa Centre for 2027. Read more here: https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/who-we-are/



Stellenbosch University

23/10/2026

With five weeks to go before the deadline for this year's PgDip and MPhil applications, the weekend is the perfect time to sign up.

Before you do that, please read the nifty FAQs on our website: https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/

And watch our latest webinar, packed with info about our programmes: https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/webinars/



Stellenbosch University

23/10/2026

It’s that time of the year when people start discussing year-end functions and holiday plans… Yip, we’re in the last stretch of 2026! This means it’s time to put your plans in place for 2027.

If you’ve been considering furthering your studies while making a positive impact in your workplace and community, have a look at our Postgraduate Diploma and MPhil in HIV/Aids Management:
https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/programmes/

The programmes will equip you with a wide range of skills for managing pandemics or epidemics such as HIV/Aids effectively in the world of work. What’s more, it offers the convenience of blended learning, with our team ready to support you whenever you need help.

Check out the details today!
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Stellenbosch University

Academic programmes. Be equipped and empowered by some of the most comprehensive inclusive health and HIV/Aids management training programmes in the world.

20/10/2026

Zeenat Yassin-Burns is an educator and supervisor who teaches across the PgDip and MPhil programmes. Her PgDip modules focus on fear, stigma and isolation as well as ethical leadership, while her MPhil module is on corporate social responsibility. She also supervises students at both master’s and PhD level.

Zeenat's academic interests include health-related stigma, the social determinants of health, as well as health and wellbeing. These areas shape her teaching and supervision, where she encourages students to think critically and connect academic knowledge with the social and real-world contexts in which health and wellbeing are experienced.

Her goal as an educator is to make learning engaging and relevant, while helping students develop their knowledge, skills and confidence. She takes a student-centred approach and values creating an environment where students feel comfortable engaging, questioning and sharing their perspectives.

Through her teaching and supervision, Zeenat aims to contribute to social justice and greater equity through education, while supporting students to apply their learning to real-world challenges and make a meaningful contribution in their respective fields.

Enrol for 2027 and experience great teaching!
https://student.sun.ac.za/signup/



Stellenbosch University

19/10/2026

Will 2027 be the year you take that BIG postgraduate step and tackle your PhD? We offer a full research doctoral programme with non-credit-bearing coursework. The topic must make an original subject contribution in the HIV/Aids management field.

Some of our current students are focusing on the effectiveness of telemedicine, transformational leadership in public health, community health education, frontline workers and counterfeit medication, health system processes and new TB guidelines, and interprofessional education for universal health coverage.

The Africa Centre's PhD supervisors are experienced academics with their own specialised research interests - watch this space for info about our research clusters.

Our selection process is aimed at attracting quality students who'll be dedicated to this journey. Ready?

More info here: https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/programmes/doctoral-programme-in-hiv-aids-management/



Stellenbosch University

16/10/2026

Have you heard of the Living Dharma conference? It's organised by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands and this year's theme is A Pathway to Global Citizenship. It's taking place on 19 and 20 October.

Living Dharma is designed to create accessible knowledge, continued reflection and new connections between spirituality, higher education and responsible citizenship. How can we, from our different backgrounds and beliefs, take responsibility for one another and for the world we share?

Our director, Prof Munya Saruchera, and colleagues from the recently established MSA Africa will feature in Monday afternoon's session from 12:00 to 14:00 CAT (the same as SA time). There are also many other interesting sessions in the parallel programmes - see the details on the visuals and here: https://livingdharma2026.omrise.net/index.html

Click here to register: https://livingdharma2026.omrise.net/



Stellenbosch University
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

14/10/2026

We're evolving our strong research foundation into a broader, more integrated approach that connects disciplines through inclusive health management. At the heart of this evolution are emerging research clusters, bringing together complementary expertise, shared interests and different ways of thinking to build a collective Africa Centre research identity. The expanding research agenda opens up opportunities across diverse areas of health, management, communities and society.

This approach is about defining potential research clusters that can give clearer shape to the Africa Centre’s work. It is about attracting quality students. It is about strengthening research outputs under the supervision of quality staff. It is about supporting collaboration among staff and making ACIHM’s research focus more visible to internal and external audiences. It is about working with communities, responding to real-world challenges, developing people and using knowledge to make a tangible difference – and in the end, contributing to healthier, more inclusive African communities.

Check out the details on https://www.healthmanagement.sun.ac.za/research-clusters/



Stellenbosch University