Stellenbosch University ( af, Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Saharan Africa, together with the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...

- which received full university status on the same day in 1918. Stellenbosch University (abbreviated as SU) designed and manufactured Africa's first microsatellite,

SUNSAT The Stellenbosch UNiversity SATellite or SUNSAT (COSPAR 1999-008C) was the first miniaturized satellite designed and manufactured in South Africa. It was launched aboard a Delta II rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on 23 February 1999 to ...

, launched in 1999. Stellenbosch University was the first African university to sign the

Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities is an international statement on open access and access to knowledge. It emerged from a conference on open access hosted in the Harnack House in Berlin by the Max ...

. The students of Stellenbosch University are nicknamed "Maties". The term probably arises from the Afrikaans word "tamatie" (meaning tomato, and referring to the maroon sports uniforms and blazer colour). An alternative theory is that the term comes from the Afrikaans colloquialism ''maat'' (meaning "buddy" or "mate"), originally used diminutively ("maatjie") by the students of the

's precursor, the

South African College The South African College was an educational institution in Cape Town, South Africa, which developed into the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the South African College Schools (SACS). History The process that would lead to the formation of t ...

History

The origin of the university can be traced back to the Stellenbosch Gymnasium, which was founded in 1864 and opened on 1 March 1866. The first five students matriculated in 1870, but capacity did not initially exist for any tertiary education. However, in the 1870s, the Cape Colony's first locally elected government took office and prioritised education. In 1873, four of the five 1870 matriculates became the institution's first graduates by attaining the "Second Class Certificate" through distance learning, and the gymnasium's student numbers rose to over a hundred. In 1874, a series of government acts provided for colleges and universities, with generous subsidies and staff. A personal intervention by the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

in the same year ensured that Stellenbosch qualified, after initially being allocated to be purely a secondary school. Later in 1874, the institution acquired its first Professor and, in the coming few years, its capacity and staff grew rapidly. Its first academic senate was constituted at the beginning of 1876, when several new premises were also acquired. The first MA degree (in Stellenbosch and in South Africa) was completed in 1878, and also in that year, the Gymnasium's first four female students were enrolled. The institution became the Stellenbosch College in 1881, and was located at the current Arts Department. In 1887, this college was renamed Victoria College; when it acquired university status on 2 April 1918 it was renamed once again, to Stellenbosch University. Initially only one university was planned for the Cape but after the government was visited by a delegation from the ''Victoria College'', it was decided to allow the college to be a university if it could raise £100,000. Jannie Marais, a wealthy Stellenbosch farmer, bequeathed the money required before his death in 1915. There were certain conditions to his gift which included Dutch/Afrikaans having equal status to English and that the lecturers teach at least half their lectures in Dutch/Afrikaans. By 1930, very little, if any, tuition was in English. In December 2014, specialists at the university performed the first successful

penis transplantation Penis transplantation is a surgical transplant procedure in which a penis is transplanted to a patient. The penis may be an allograft from a human donor, or it may be grown artificially, though the latter has not yet been transplanted onto a hu ...

on a 21-year-old man.

Name

Although the university was originally named the University of Stellenbosch (Afrikaans: Universiteit van Stellenbosch), it nowadays uses two forms: the English version ''Stellenbosch University'' (abbreviated SU) and the Afrikaans version ''Universiteit Stellenbosch'' (abbreviated US). In all its official documents, such as degree certificates, as well as the university coat of arms, both the English "Stellenbosch University" and the

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

"Universiteit Stellenbosch" are used.

Rankings

The university is one of only three public universities in the Western Cape and one of about 20 universities in the country. In the latest edition of the

Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'' (often referred to as the THE Rankings) is an annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' (THE) magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli ...

, Stellenbosch University was ranked in the 251-275 category in the world and third in Africa. Another reputable ranking system,

QS World University Rankings ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...

recently ranked the university at 390 in the world and also third in Africa. The

Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...

ranked Stellenbosch 395th out of the top 500 universities worldwide on its CWTS Leiden Ranking list of 2013. This list also ranked the university second in both South Africa and Africa, behind only the

. Stellenbosch University consistently ranks in the top 200 worldwide in law,

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

and

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

. Stellenbosch University is ranked in the top 100 worldwide in development studies,

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

. In 2012,

Webometrics The science of webometrics (also cybermetrics) tries to measure the World Wide Web to get knowledge about the number and types of hyperlinks, structure of the World Wide Web and using patterns. According to Björneborn and Ingwersen, the definiti ...

ranked Stellenbosch's web footprint 2nd largest in Africa, again behind the

. The

University of Stellenbosch Business School University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is the business school of the University of Stellenbosch in Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa. History The University of Stellenbosch Business School was founded in 1964, enrolling 14 MBA s ...

's MBA program was ranked 65th out of 100 MBA programmes of the leading business schools in the world the Aspen Institute's 2011-12 edition of its Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey. The USB is also the only business school in South Africa, as well as the rest of the continent, to be included in the Top 100 list. The University of Stellenbosch Business School has

triple accreditation Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * In ...

(

AMBA Amba or AMBA may refer to: Title * Amba Hor, alternative name for Abhor and Mehraela, Christian martyrs * Amba Sada, also known as Psote, Christian bishop and martyr in Upper Egypt Given name * Amba, the traditional first name given to the first ...

, EQUIS and AACSB accreditation) and is ranked second in Africa by

Eduniversal Eduniversal is a university ranking business by the French consulting company and rating agency ''SMBG'' specialized in Higher Education. Founded in 1994, one of the main goals of Eduniversal is to provide a tool, for students all around the world, ...

. The University of Stellenbosch Business School is ranked in the top 100 worldwide in executive education by

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

Location

Stellenbosch is located about 50 kilometres from Cape Town and is situated on the banks of the ''Eersterivier'' ("First River") in the famous wine-growing region and is encircled by picturesque mountains. Teaching at Stellenbosch University is divided between the main campus in Stellenbosch, the Tygerberg campus (where the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is situated), the Bellville Park campus (where the

(USB) is situated), and the

Saldanha Saldanha may refer to: Places South Africa * Saldanha Bay, a bay in Western Cape * Saldanha, Western Cape, a town on the bay * Saldanha Bay Local Municipality, the unit of government that administers the Saldanha Bay region Other countries * Sal ...

campus (housing the Faculty of Military Science at the Military Academy of the South African National Defence Force).

Language

Stellenbosch University used to be a predominantly

-medium university. However, as the student body became more diversified, pressure mounted for more classes in English. Today, the university's language policy promotes multilingualism as a means to increase equitable access for all students and staff. Afrikaans, English and Xhosa are used in academic, administrative, professional and social contexts, and classes are offered in Afrikaans and English. Students are allowed to write their assignments, tests and examinations in English or Afrikaans. The language of tuition also varies depending on the faculty. The Faculty of Arts for example, is 40% English, so courses are lectured bilingually and the language of most handouts or prescribed material is determined by the student. At postgraduate level the language of tuition is determined by the composition of the class. Most advanced postgraduate courses are conducted in English. According to the 2016 language profile of the university, 40.7% of its students stated Afrikaans as their home language, 46.1% stated English, 0.9% stated English and Afrikaans, and 3.1% of students stated isiXhosa as their home language. The language policy is still an ongoing issue for the university, since it is one of the very few tertiary institutions left in South Africa still offering tuition in Afrikaans. It is situated in the Western Cape province, where 67% of the population have Afrikaans as home language, and the only one of four universities in the province to offer degree courses in Afrikaans. Due to this, it is held in high regard by the Afrikaner community. The university annually hosts the SU ''Woordfees'', a predominantly Afrikaans-language festival of the written and spoken word.

Student profile

Stellenbosch University's student racial profile is as follows:

Faculties and schools

Stellenbosch University consists of about 150 departments divided amongst 10 faculties. It also has more than 40 research (and other) institutions. The faculties that are situated on the main campus are: * Arts and

Social Sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

* AgriSciences * Law *

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

* Economic and Management Sciences *

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

The faculties and schools that are not situated on the main campus are: *

Military Science Military science is the study of military processes, institutions, and behavior, along with the study of warfare, and the theory and application of organized coercive force. It is mainly focused on theory, method, and practice of producing mil ...

— situated in Saldanha Bay * Medicine and

Health Sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple acad ...

— situated in

Tygerberg Tygerberg is a district in the northern suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa. It is also the name of the range of hills in the area. The main Tygerberg farms were Pampoenkraal (became Durbanville), Stellenburgh (became part of Bellville), Eve ...

— situated in Bellville The Southern African node of the Pan-African University is based in South Africa and will concentrate on

space science Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

s. This decision was connected with South Africa's bid to host the

Square Kilometre Array The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is an intergovernmental international radio telescope project being built in Australia (low-frequency) and South Africa (mid-frequency). The combining infrastructure, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKA ...

of radio telescopes. In September 2009 Jean-Pierre Ezin, African Union commissioner for science, said the node at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa was hoped to open in February 2010. According to ''University World News'', however, ''The PAU project continues in other regions although Southern Africa has been lagging behind''.

Facilities and services

The Stellenbosch University Library has collections scattered around the campus outside of the main facility, and all of which are catalogued on a computerised database, using the university's original mainframe, a UNIVAC. There are several other satellite libraries servicing the different faculties, including the

Library, Law Library and

Medical Library. Stellenbosch University also has a Conservatory, with two concert halls. The Conservatory is the home of the internationally acclaimed

Stellenbosch University Choir The Stellenbosch University Choir ( af, Stellenbosch Universiteitskoor) is a Choir affiliated with Stellenbosch University. Founded in 1936, it is the oldest choir in South Africa. The choir is viewed as a leading South African choral ensemble ...

, who, along with being the oldest South African choir have received numerous awards overseas. The university also has a 430-seat theatre, known as the HB Thom Theatre and an open-air amphitheatre. Accompanying these facilities is the university's own Drama Department, under the guidance of the Faculty of Arts and

. The department regularly puts on plays, dramas, productions, cabarets and musicals.

Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden - Bonsai

The

Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden The Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden located in the historical center of Stellenbosch is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa. The Garden is relatively small and houses an enormous diversity of plants, both indigenous to ...

is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa. The

Langenhoven Langenhoven is an Afrikaans surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Bradley Langenhoven (born 1983), South African rugby union player *Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven (1873–1932), South African poet *Hilton Langenhoven Hilton Langenho ...

Students' Centre (''Neelsie'') houses the

Student Representative Council {{Unreferenced, date=July 2014A students' representative council, also known as a students' administrative council, represents student interests in the government of a university, school or other educational institution. Generally the SRC forms par ...

, a food court, a cinema, a post office, a shopping centre, an advice office and all the student societies' offices. Student bands and various entertainment and activity promotions usually appear in the main food court during lunch hour. The university has its own radio station known as MFM (Matie FM), situated in the Neelsie. It broadcasts a mix of music, news, entertainment and campus news over the entire Stellenbosch area at 92.6 FM. The university also distributes regular publications, '' Die Matie'' (appearing every fortnight) for its students and ''Kampusnuus'' (appearing monthly) for its staff. An official yearbook, ''Stellenbosch Student'', is published annually and presented to all graduating students. ''Matieland'' is the name of the official alumni magazine. It is published twice a year and distributed to some 100 000 alumni and friends of the university.

Sport

Sports facilities for the more than 30 competitive and recreational sports that are supported by the university include

Danie Craven Stadium The Danie Craven Stadium is a rugby union stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Built in 1979, it is part of the Stellenbosch University's sport facilities. The stadium was named after rugby doyen and Springbok scrum half Danie Craven. The stad ...

, two large swimming pools (one under roof), the Coetzenburg Centre, a multi-purpose center for ceremonies and indoor sports, playing fields, including two artificial hockey fields, a gymnasium, and a new football complex. The university offers several sports to its students. Some of them are

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

, bouldering,

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

, rowing,

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

, squash,

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

, swimming, taekwondo,

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

underwater hockey Underwater hockey (UWH), (also known as Octopush in the United Kingdom) is a globally played limited-contact sport in which two teams compete to manoeuvre a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team's goal by propelling ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

water polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...

, and yachting. Stellenbosch has served as a test site in 2006 for a set of proposed modifications to the rules of rugby union, commonly referred to as the

Stellenbosch Laws The experimental law variations (ELVs) were a proposed set of amendments to the laws of rugby union. They were proposed by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), and trialled games at Stellenbosch University in 2006. In ...

Student housing

Stellenbosch has 34

residence halls A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

in configurations for women only, men only and mixed gender. Each residence is supervised by a resident head assisted by a House Committee of senior students. The House Committee assists students with security, maintenance, and social programs.} Each first year student on campus gets access to a be-well mentor who assist them with their social-emotional transition from school to university. Each residence for undergrads incorporates a laundry room, a common living room and a dining hall where meals are provided for which students book beforehand on their student account. The number of available rooms in university residences is limited, which requires some students to find private boarding. Students in private lodgings are assigned to one of 6 Private Student Organisations (PSO), also known as Private Wards. These PSOs give private students exposure to the same campus experience as students residing in residences. The oldest residence is Wilgenhof men's residence, established in 1903. The PSO wards are grouped into six clusters with nearby residences to form student communities (a seventh cluster is on the Tygerberg campus). For each of these clusters, a hub facility is being built, of which two have already been completed, namely amaMaties and Wimbledon. In this way, day students can enjoy the same benefits as residence students, such as mentor support, meals and a well-appointed place to go to between classes.

Controversies

There have been several incidences of racism at the university since 1994, with the latest being of a white student urinating into study material of a black student.

Leaders

Notable alumni

James L Barnard James L. Barnard is a South African born engineer living in the United States who is known globally as the pioneer of biological nutrient remover, a non-chemical means of water treatment to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from used water. Barna ...

, civil engineer and pioneer of biological nutrient removal in wastewater treatment * Johannes Christiaan de Wet, legal scholar, professor, recognized as South Africa's most influential

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

. * Friedel Sellschop, physicist and pioneer in the field of

Nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...

. * Baron Steyn, British

Law Lord Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the British House of Lords, as a committee of the House, effectively to exercise the judicial functions of the House of ...

Lord of Appeal in Ordinary Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the British House of Lords, as a committee of the House, effectively to exercise the judicial functions of the House of ...

. * John Dugard, professor of international law at

former member of the International Law Commission ad hoc judge of the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

. * Lourens Ackermann, former justice of the

Constitutional Court of South Africa The Constitutional Court of South Africa is a supreme court, supreme constitutional court established by the Constitution of South Africa, and is the apex court in the South African judicial system, with general jurisdiction. The Court was fi ...

. * Edwin Cameron,

Rhodes scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

and justice of the

. *

Johan Froneman Johan Coenraad Froneman, SC (born 10 February 1953) is a South African former judge who served as a Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Early life Froneman grew up in Cathcart and was educated at Grey College, Bloemfontein, ...

, lawyer and justice of the

. * Koos Bekker, businessman, billionaire chairman of Naspers. * James Leonard Brierley Smith,

ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish ( Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 33,400 species of fish had been described as of Octobe ...

, organic chemist and university professor. First to identify a taxidermied fish as a coelacanth, at the time thought long extinct. * Jacob de Villiers, judge,

Chief Justice of South Africa The Chief Justice of South Africa is the most senior judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Constitutional Court and head of the judiciary of South Africa, who exercises final authority over the functioning and management of all the c ...

from 1929 to 1932. * Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet, politician, lawyer, and judge.

and acting

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

from 1943 to 1945. *

Henry Allan Fagan Henry Allan Fagan, KC (4 April 1889 – 6 December 1963) was the Chief Justice of South Africa from 1957 to 1959 and previously a Member of Parliament and the Minister of Native Affairs in J. B. M. Hertzog's government. Fagan had been an early ...

, judge,

from 1957 to 1959. *

Lucas Cornelius Steyn Lucas Cornelius Steyn, PC, QC (21 December 1903 – 28 July 1976) was Chief Justice of South Africa and, as such, acted as Governor-General on two occasions. Early life Steyn was born in 1903 on a farm in the Orange River Colony, shortly af ...

, judge,

from 1959 to 1971. *

Pieter Jacobus Rabie Pieter Jacobus "Pierre" Rabie (1917–1997) was a senior South African judge during the apartheid era, and its Chief Justice from 1982 to 1989. Early life and education Born in the Free State in 1917, Rabie matriculated at Koffiefontein in 193 ...

, judge,

from 1982 to 1989. * Barend van Niekerk, lawyer and academic. * Naledi Pandor, South African

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (South Africa) The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation is the foreign minister of the South African government, with political responsibility for South Africa's foreign relations and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Th ...

. *

Christo Wiese Christoffel F. Hendrik Wiese (born 10 September 1941) is a South African businessman and former billionaire. His source of wealth is consumer retail.

, businessman, former billionaire, chairman of

Shoprite (South Africa) Shoprite Holdings Ltd (), is Africa’s largest supermarket retailer, operating more than 2,989 stores across Africa. The company's headquarters are in Brackenfell in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Shoprite Holdings Limited is a ...

. *

Jan Steyn Jan Hendrik Steyn (known as Jan) (4 March 1928 – 30 December 2013) was a South African judge, a development leader and campaigner for social justice. He was an advocate for justice and equality in The Republic of South Africa and served South ...

, judge and development leader. * Beyers Naudé,

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and anti-apartheid activist. *

Fritz Brand Frederik Daniël Jacobus "Fritz" Brand SC (born 16 February 1949) is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa."Judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal"SCA website. Early life and education Brand was born in Paarl and matri ...

, judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa. * Jannie Mouton, businessman, founder and chairman of PSG Group. *

Monique Nsanzabaganwa Monique Nsanzabaganwa is a Rwandan economist, politician and diplomat, who has served as the vice-chairperson of the African Union Commission, effective 6 February 2021. Before that, between 2011 and 2021, she served as the deputy governor of the ...

, economist, politician and Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda. * Sir David de Villiers Graaff, 3rd Baronet businessman. *

Etienne Leroux Etienne Leroux (13 June 1922 – 30 December 1989) was an Afrikaans writer and a member of the South African Sestigers literary movement. Early life and career Etienne Leroux was born in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape on 13 June 1922 as Stepha ...

, writer and member of the South African

Sestigers The Sestigers (Sixtiers), also known as the Beweging van Sestig (the movement of sixty), were a group of influential resistant Afrikaans-language writers in the 1960s started by André Brink and Breyten Breytenbach, which also included Reza de W ...

literary movement. *

Stuart Abbott Stuart Richard Abbott MBE (born 3 June 1978) is a South African born rugby union footballer who played centre for London Wasps and England. Abbott was born in Cape Town, South Africa. His mother was English. He was educated at Western Province ...

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

player and former economics student. *

Sandra Botha Celia-Sandra Botha (born 25 February 1945) is a South African politician, who served as South Africa's Ambassador to the Czech Republic. She is the former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance an ...

, former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly for the

Democratic Alliance (South Africa) The Democratic Alliance (, DA) is a South African list of political parties in South Africa, political party and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The party is broadly centrism, centrist, and has been attribute ...

. * Paul Cilliers, philosopher and complexity theorist. * Markus Jooste, South African businessman and the former CEO of Steinhoff International. * Ruann Coleman, artist and sculptor. *

Pierre de Vos Pierre Francois de Vos (born 29 June 1963) is a South African constitutional law scholar. Early life De Vos was born in Messina, Transvaal, (now Musina, Limpopo) and matriculated from Pietersburg High School in Pietersburg (now known as Polok ...

, constitutional law scholar. *

Abraham H. de Vries Abraham Hermanus de Vries (born 9 February 1937) is an Afrikaans short story writer, considered one of the most respected and beloved in Afrikaans language literature in the Sestigers. Early life and career De Vries was born in Ladismith in the ...

, writer. *

Mark Nigrini Mark J. Nigrini, born in Cape Town, South Africa, is an Associate Professor of Accounting at the College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. Nigrini is best known for his work on using Benford's ...

, academic, accounting professor. *

Mari Rabie Mari Rabie (born 10 September 1986) is a South African triathlete A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastes ...

, Rhodes scholar, triathlete. *

Leopoldt van Huyssteen Leopoldt van Huyssteen was the acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, South Africa, following the unexpected death of the previous office bearer Prof Russel Botman on 28 June 2014. Prof Wim de Villiers was appointed to the po ...

, soil scientist. * Danie Craven, prominent Rugby player and sport administrator. *

Riaan Cruywagen Riaan Cruywagen (born 5 October 1945) is a South African television news reader and voice artist who has been associated with the South African Broadcasting Corporation since its first television broadcasts in 1975. Cruywagen continued to presen ...

, prominent news reader and voice artist. *

Willim Welsyn Willim Welsyn aka William Welfare (born William Barnard, 17 September 1984), is a South African rock singer-songwriter, filmmaker and an award-winning podcaster originally from Ladismith in the Western Cape. He is better known as the lead sing ...

, singer, songwriter, guitarist and podcaster. *

Brian Currin Brian Currin (born 20 September 1950) is a South African lawyer who was instrumental in the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Currin practiced law in Pretoria from 1977 to 1987, specializing in labour law and civil an ...

, leading Human Rights lawyer. *

Casper de Vries Casper Johannes De Vries (; born 1 June 1964) is a South African actor, comedian, entertainer, painter, composer, director and producer. He has gained a significant following among South Africa's liberal Afrikaner and Afrikaans speaking popula ...

, actor and comedian. *

Johan Degenaar Johannes Jacobus (Johan) Degenaar (7 March 1926 – 22 July 2015) was a South African philosopher, and Emertitus Professor at the Stellenbosch University, who is considered "one of the most respected and influential philosophers in South Africa." ...

, philosopher. * Estian Calitz, economics professor. * Billy Downer, public prosecutor. * Cromwell Everson, composer of the first

opera. * Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari, political scientist. * James Barry Munnik Hertzog, former Prime Minister of the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Trans ...

. * Mike Horn, South African adventurer. * Liza Grobler, artist. * Elsa Joubert, novelist. *

Uys Krige Mattheus Uys Krige (4 February 1910 – 10 August 1987) was a South African writer of novels, short stories, poems and plays in Afrikaans and English. In Afrikaans literature, Krige is counted among the '' Dertigers'' ("Writers of the Thirties"). ...

, playwright, poet and translator. *

Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven (13 August 1873 – 15 July 1932), who published under his initials C.J. Langenhoven, was a South African poet who played a major role in the development of Afrikaans literature and cultural history. His poetry was ...

, poet who composed words of Afrikaner anthem ''Die Stem''. * John Laredo, anti-apartheid campaigner. * Lulu Latsky, first woman to earn a PhD at Stellenbosch (1930); zoologist and writer. * Magnus André De Merindol Malan, last Minister of defence during the

Apartheid era Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

. *

D. C. S. Oosthuizen Daniel Charl Stephanus Oosthuizen (also known as Daantjie Oosthuizen; 15 January 1926 – 4 April 1969) was a South African philosopher, and an early Afrikaner voice against Apartheid. The main direction of his philosophical work lay in the f ...

, (Daantjie Oosthuizen), philosopher, Christian, critic of Apartheid. * Mark Patterson,

private equity In the field of finance, the term private equity (PE) refers to investment funds, usually limited partnerships (LP), which buy and restructure financially weak companies that produce goods and provide services. A private-equity fund is both a ty ...

investor and founder of MatlinPatterson Global Advisors *

Peet Pienaar Peet Pienaar (born 29 August 1971 near Potchefstroom, South Africa) is a South African performance artist, most famous for having himself videotaped while undergoing circumcision in 2000. The discarded foreskin, displayed in a small perspex case ...

, controversial performance artist. * André du Pisani, political scientist and professor at

University of Namibia The University of Namibia (UNAM) is a multi-campus public research university in Namibia, as well as the largest university in the country. It was established by an act of Parliament on 31 August 1992. Background UNAM comprises the follow ...

. * Vern Poythress,

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

philosopher and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

scholar. * Johann Rupert, businessman and founding trustee of the

Nelson Mandela Children's Fund The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) is a charitable organisation founded by Nelson Mandela, based in South Africa. Its mission is to help individuals from birth to age 22.Rona Rupert Rona Rupert née Davel (7 February 1934 – 25 August 1995) was a South African author. In 1976, she received the C.P. Hoogenhout Award. Biography Born in Calvinia, South Africa. Her father was a lecturer of Afrikaans and Dutch, before the fami ...

, musician and author of 33

books. *

Johannes du Plessis Scholtz Johannes du Plessis Scholtz (14 May 1900 – 26 January 1990) was a South African philologist, art historian, and art collector. Scholarly life Scholtz studied first at the University of Stellenbosch, completing an M.A. in 1920. He then too ...

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

, art historian and art collector. *

Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Frederik van Zyl Slabbert (2 March 1940 – 14 May 2010) was a South African political analyst, businessman and politician. He is best known for having been the leader of the official opposition – the Progressive Federal Party (PFP) – i ...

, former opposition politician who became chancellor of Stellenbosch University. * Jan Smuts, former South African

. *

Zanne Stapelberg Zanne Stapelberg (12 August 1977) is a South African musician. Biography Zanne Stapelberg was born in Bellville, in 1977, and grew up in the suburb of Durbanville. She matriculated on Durbanville High School. Education Stapelberg began her ...

, opera singer. *

Tom Dreyer Tom Dreyer (born 17 November 1972) is a South African novelist and poet writing in both English and Afrikaans. He went to school in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch, and studied at the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town. He ...

, novelist and poet writing in both English and

. *

Sampie Terreblanche Solomon Johannes "Sampie" Terreblanche (17 April 1933 – 17 February 2018) was a South African academic economist and writer, author of numerous economics books and was most famous for his ''History of Inequality in South Africa, 1652–2002'' ...

, former professor of Economics at Stellenbosch and founder member of the Democratic Party. *

Craig Tiley Craig Tiley (born 1962) is a South African tennis executive and retired U.S. college tennis coach. Tiley is the current CEO of Tennis Australia, which is the governing body that oversees tennis in Australia. He is also the Director of the Aust ...

, CEO of

Tennis Australia Tennis Australia Limited is the governing body for Tennis in Australia. It is owned by Australian states and territories. The association organises national and international Tennis tournaments including the Australian Open, the Australian Open ...

and Director of the

Australian Open The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Th ...

. *

Gerhard Tötemeyer Gerhard Karl Hans Tötemeyer (born 21 May 1935) is a professor emeritus and retired Namibian politician who served as minister of local government between 2000 and 2004. He was born in Gibeon, and spent the first four years of his life in Keetma ...

, former

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

n Deputy Minister of Local and Regional Government and Housing. * Jonathan Trott, England Cricketer. *

Hendrik W. (H.W.) van der Merwe Professor Hendrik W. (H.W.) van der Merwe (24 June 19295 March 2001) was a South African academic, a Quaker, and a pioneer of conflict resolution. He founded the Abe Bailey Institute for Inter-Racial Studies (now the Centre for Intergroup Studi ...

(BA 1956, MA 1957), founder of the Centre for Intergroup Studies,

. * Deon van der Walt, internationally renowned opera singer. * Japie van Zyl, deputy director of the

Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States. Founded in the 1930s by Caltech researchers, JPL is owned by NASA an ...

. *

Ntsiki Biyela Ntsiki Biyela (born 1978) is a South African winemaker and businesswoman who runs Aslina wines. Previously, she was head winemaker at Stellekaya Wines, where Biyela became the first black female winemaker in South Africa. Biography Biyela grew u ...

, winemaker and businesswomen. *

Attie van Heerden Adriaan "Attie" Jacobus van Heerden (10 March 1898 – 14 October 1965) was a South African Olympian 400-metre hurdler, rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s. He played representative level rugby union (R ...

, Olympian, rugby union, and rugby league footballer. *

Ernst van Heerden Ernst van Heerden (20 March 1916 – 30 September 1997) was a leading Afrikaans poet. Born in Pearston, Eastern Cape, South Africa, he was an openly gay academic famous for his poems on sport. He matriculated at Grey High School, Port El ...

, leading Afrikaans poet. * Johannes Frederik Janse Van Rensburg, former leader of the Ossewabrandwag. *

Eben Dönges Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges (8 March 1898 – 10 January 1968) was a South African politician who was elected the state president of South Africa, but died before he could take office, aged 69. Early life Eben Donges was born on 8 March 189 ...

, South African politician who was elected

State President of South Africa The State President of the Republic of South Africa ( af, Staatspresident) was the head of state of South Africa from 1961 to 1994. The office was established when the country became a republic on 31 May 1961, albeit, outside the Commonweal ...

, but died before he could take office. * Andries Treurnicht, politician, Minister of Education during the Soweto Riots, founded and led the

Conservative Party of South Africa The Conservative Party of South Africa ( af, Konserwatiewe Party van Suid-Afrika) was a far-right South African political party that sought to preserve many aspects of apartheid in the system's final decade, and formed the official opposition ...

. *

Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (; 8 September 1901 – 6 September 1966) was a South African politician, a scholar of applied psychology and sociology, and chief editor of ''Die Transvaler'' newspaper. He is commonly regarded as the architect ...

, former apartheid-era

of South Africa. *

Balthazar Johannes Vorster Balthazar Johannes "B. J." Vorster (; also known as John Vorster; 13 December 1915 – 10 September 1983) was a South African apartheid politician who served as the prime minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and the fourth state presiden ...

, former apartheid-era

of South Africa. * Daniel François Malan, former apartheid-era

Prime Minister of South Africa The prime minister of South Africa ( af, Eerste Minister van Suid-Afrika) was the head of government in South Africa between 1910 and 1984. History of the office The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910, when the Union of Sout ...

. *

Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom (also spelled Strydom in accordance with Afrikaans spelling; 14 July 1893 – 24 August 1958), also known as Hans Strijdom and nicknamed the Lion of the North or the Lion of Waterberg, was the fifth prime minister of ...

, former apartheid-era

. *

Taryn Young Taryn Young is the Director of the Centre for Evidence-based Health Care and Head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Stellenbosch University. She is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. Professor Young has co-aut ...

, physician and epidemiologist. *

Martin Welz Martin Welz is a South African journalist and the editor of Noseweek magazine. He is best known for his investigative work on controversial issues including government and corporate corruption. Early life Martin Sylvester Welz was born on 19 ...

, investigative journalist and editor of South African investigative magazine

Noseweek ''Noseweek'' is a South African tabloid published by Chaucer Publications that has appeared monthly since June 1993. It is best known for regular legal action against it, such as a failed bid at interdiction by banking group FirstRand (where editor ...

. *

Claudette Schreuders Claudette Schreuders (born February 6, 1973) is a South African sculptor and painter operating out of Cape Town, South Africa. She is known mainly for her carved and painted wooden figures, which have been exhibited independently and internation ...

, South African sculptor and painter *

Lydia Baumbach Lydia Baumbach (1924 – 9 February 1991) was a South African classical scholar, known particularly for her work in the field of Mycenaean studies. Early life Lydia Baumbach was born in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 1924, to a German missiona ...

, classical scholar *

Henda Swart Hendrika Cornelia Scott (Henda) Swart FRSSAf (born 1939, died February 2016 ge 77-78 was a South African mathematician, a professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a professor at the University of Cape Town

, South African mathematician * Vuyokazi Mahlati, social entrepreneur, gender activist and global director of the International Women's Forum *

Marina Joubert Marina Joubert is a senior science communication researcher at The Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University. Previously, she was the communication manager for the National Research Foundation ...

, senior science communication researcher at Stellenbosch University * Ashley Burdett, Zimbabwean cricketer *

Stefanus Gie Stefanus François Naudé Gie (13 July 1884 – 10 April 1945) was a South African historian, politician, and diplomat. Educator Gie was born in Worcester, South Africa, Worcester, Cape Colony (now the Western Cape province) to an Afrikaners, ...

, diplomat. * Professor Novel Njweipi Chegou, molecular biologist and winner of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

Africa Prize in 2022.

References

External links

Stellenbosch University official site
{{Authority control Universities in the Western Cape Educational institutions established in 1866 Public universities in South Africa Stellenbosch Forestry education Forestry in South Africa 1866 establishments in the Cape Colony

History

Name

Rankings

Location

Language

Student profile

Faculties and schools

Facilities and services

Sport

Student housing

Controversies

Leaders

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links