Delegates from 13 institutions attended the MACE National Workshop hosted by Stellenbosch University on 5 May 2017.

Aimed at operational level practitioners and middle management, the one-day workshop focused on marketing, advancement, and communication challenges in the South African higher-education sector. The day consisted of three panel discussions and two specialist presentations.

The first panel discussion focused on fundraising challenges at higher-education institutions, and saw Annamia van den Heever from the UFS share her insights on developing skills within an institution to promote fundraising efforts. During the student recruitment discussion, Ilze Bakkes shared the UFS’s multi-faceted approach, which includes an Open Day, teacher and principal functions, competitions, and targeted recruitment. Marick Hornsveld shared CPUT’s successes in using Facebook advertising as a recruitment tool. In light of the FeesMustFall movement, UCT’s Aloy Gowne and TUT’s Willa de Ruyter shared their experiences of stakeholder engagement, crisis communication, and dealing with the media.

After the panel discussions, Suzan Hlahane gave an inspiring talk on UJ’s young alumni programmes, followed by Christine Bombal, who reminded the audience about the importance of doing social media the right way. Danél Gillespie ended off the day by giving an evaluator’s perspective on the Excellence Awards. The workshop was a huge success, and many delegates indicated that they are looking forward to attend next year’s MACE National Workshop.

Contribution by Candes Keating and Marick Hornsveld