With a new year about to kick off, there’s much to look forward to as we work together to promote excellence in marketing, advancement and communication in the higher education sector.

Before we sign off for the year, we want to remind you of some important dates on the MACE calendar that you can pencil into your diary – and we repeat our regular call for volunteers to lend your expertise to MACE projects.

• The annual MACE Directors’ Symposium for directors, senior directors, and executive directors in marketing, advancement, and communication departments at higher education institutions is set to take place during July 2025. The final dates and venue will be communicated as soon as possible in the new year.
• The MACE National Conference and Excellence Awards are set to be held in November 2025. The dates and venue will be communicated as soon as possible in the new year.
• VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES! 😊 As always, we need volunteers to serve as programme facilitators, hosts, and co-MCs at the Directors’ Symposium and the National Conference. If you would like to volunteer or simply find out more about the various roles you can volunteer for, please email chair@mace.org.za.

Have a festive and safe holiday season, and see you in 2025!

The 2024 MACE Excellence Awards, held in Cape Town on 28 November, celebrated excellence in marketing, advancement and communication in South Africa’s higher education sector, with a total of 158 awards handed out to 19 higher education institutions.

The MACE Excellence Awards ceremony takes place annually during the MACE National Conference, recognising and celebrating excellence and the achievements of specialists and practitioners in marketing, advancement and communication in the higher education sector.

This year, a record 293 entries were received from 19 institutions. The Awards Ceremony saw 74 Bronze Awards, 58 Silver Awards, 23 Gold Awards and 3 Platinum Awards of Excellence handed out.

MACE (Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education) has played a leadership role in the higher education sector within Southern Africa by enhancing the work of practitioners in marketing, advancement and communication since the early 1980s. Since adopting its current name in 2008, MACE has grown in leaps and bounds, now drawing an average of 282 delegates from universities, TVET institutions and private education institutions to its annual conference and awards ceremony.

Stellenbosch University led the pack in 2024, winning 36 MACE Excellence Awards for various marketing, advancement and communication campaigns during the year-long eligibility window. The University of Pretoria and University of Fort Hare came in second and third with 23 and 17 wins respectively.

The University of Cape Town won the Chairperson’s Award – for a single entry that embodies true excellence in marketing, advancement or communication – for its ‘Restoring dignity: Sutherland Reburial’ project.

The University of the Free State won the MACE Award for Outstanding Research for its ‘KovsieX – Digital Student Experience’ campaign and claimed the Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence, which goes to the institution with the highest success ratio.

North-West University and the Universities of Johannesburg and Pretoria each won a Platinum Award for the highest-scoring entries in a division.

“The awards programme goes beyond just giving recognition to excellent work,” said Lacea Loader, MACE Excellence Awards Coordinator. “It has had a significant impact on the career growth of many marketing, advancement and communication professionals in the tertiary education sector. The programme’s entry guidelines are rooted in global best practices for planning and implementing communication projects and initiatives. Through the awards programme, entrants are given the opportunity to evaluate their communication competence against global best practices.”

Entries are evaluated by a panel of expert evaluators comprising senior marketing, advancement and communication professionals hand-picked from tertiary institutions, commerce and industry.

Entries with points above the set thresholds receive Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Awards, with other prizes including the Chairperson’s Award of Excellence, the MACE Award for Outstanding Research, and the Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence.

See the MACE Facebook page for photos from the 2024 MACE National Conference and Excellence Awards.

View the complete list of MACE Excellence Award winners here.

A total of 282 delegates from member higher education institutions attended the 2024 MACE Annual National Conference, held on 27 and 28 November 2024 at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gathering under the theme ‘Maximising impact: Innovative strategies for transformative higher education marketing, communication and advancement’, some of the expert attendees included keynote speaker Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder and Chair, Gift of the Givers; Dr Pepe Marais, Group Integrated Chief Creative Officer, Joe Public; Ms Leanne Koopman, Senior Manager: Group Internal Communications, Shoprite Group of Companies; Ms Buhle Zama, Senior Communications Officer, University of the Witwatersrand; and Ms Doris Viljoen, Director: Institute for Futures Research, Stellenbosch Business School.

“It is always exciting to see the calibre of both speakers and attendees at the MACE National Conference,” said Silvanus Welcome, Chairperson of MACE’s Board of Directors. “The MACE Excellence Awards continues to grow each year, providing much-deserved recognition to some of the skilled professionals working at South Africa’s higher education institutions. We thank all our participants and speakers for an inspiring and invigorating conference marked by a remarkable level of engagement. The Board of Directors congratulates all our outstanding winners and looks forward to another year of fostering excellence in marketing, advancement and communication.”

Some of the topics covered by speakers, panel discussions, and workshops included ‘Making education relevant in building South Africa together’, presented by Dr Sooliman; ‘How to actually use the AI tools’, presented by Mr Simone Zanetti, Founder: Stone in the Shoe; ‘Internal communication as a tool of institutional culture and change management’, a panel discussion; ‘Global trends in higher education institutions: Current and future directions for advancement’, presented by Dr Nell Ledwaba, Senior Manager: Faculty Coordination and Alumni, University of Johannesburg; and ‘The case for commercial: The key considerations for your regional story to pass muster with a national TV station’, presented by Mr John Bailey, Managing Editor: eNCA.

The two-day conference culminated in the 2024 Excellence Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner, held at Eureka Estate in Durbanville.

See the MACE Facebook page for photos from the 2024 MACE National Conference.

See the 2024 MACE National Conference Programme here.

We are pleased to welcome four new members to the MACE Board!

The new members’ tenure starts in January 2025, and their wealth of experience, diverse expertise, and passion for innovation will undoubtedly bring fresh perspectives to the MACE Board team and strengthen MACE’s collective mission.

Buhle Zuma, Sbusiso Gwala, René-Jean van der Berg, and Thuli Hlabahlaba each possess unique skills and a deep commitment to advancing the fields of marketing, communication, and advancement in higher education. Their leadership will be instrumental as we continue to foster collaboration and excellence within the sector.

We look forward to the valuable contributions they will make as part of the MACE Board. Together, we are excited to embrace new opportunities and challenges, driving our vision forward in the years to come.

We encourage you to continue engaging with the MACE Board by sharing your ideas, suggestions, and feedback. Your input plays a vital role in shaping the direction of our initiatives and ensuring the Board’s efforts align with all our members’ needs.

Your support is invaluable. Let’s work together to make the Board’s work as effective and meaningful as possible, thereby ensuring that MACE continues to grow and thrive. Your contributions make all the difference!

Dear MACE member

Happy New Year, we hope 2025 will be a rewarding year for you!

As we kick off a new year, we’d like to share updates on recent MACE happenings, and some exciting plans.

In this issue, you’ll find a recap of the 2024 MACE Conference and Excellence Awards, along with an introduction to our new MACE Board members and a reminder of volunteer opportunities available. Here’s to celebrating a successful 2024 and looking ahead to an even brighter 2025!

We extend our deepest gratitude to our outgoing Chairperson, Mr Silvanus Welcome, and Deputy Chairperson, Ms Thembi Tlale, for their exceptional leadership, dedication, and vision. Their guidance has been instrumental in driving MACE forward over the past five years, spurring growth and fostering innovation across the organisation. We wish them continued success in all their future endeavours!

We also ask you to remember to pay your membership fees for 2025, which remain the same as last year. See the breakdown below:

• Membership fees (annual): Universities and universities of technology: R8 000
• Technical and vocational education and training (formerly FET) colleges: R5 500
• Education role-players and service providers (Associate membership fee): R5 500

To become a member of MACE, contact the National Chairperson at chair@mace.org.za.

Thank you for your support, and please do share your ideas for building an even stronger MACE by contacting us at chair@mace.org.za.

Happy reading!

The MACE National Board of Directors

Dear MACE member

We hope 2024 is being very good to you so far! As we zoom towards March, we want to update you on recent MACE happenings, as well as some important events and dates to look out for later in the year.

In this issue we have a range of stories, including highlights from the 2023 MACE Conference and Excellence Awards, information about the 2024 Directors’ Symposium and 2024 MACE Excellence Awards entries, and articles summarising some of the latest trends and tips related to marketing and fundraising, as provided by expert speakers at the 2023 Conference.

As we communicated at our MACE Conference in November 2023, please remember to nominate colleagues to join the MACE Board – please see the Nomination Form attached to the email sent to all members in February, and please submit your nominations by 29 February 2024. If you have already submitted a nomination form, you do not need to do so again.

Please click here for the Nomination Form and please submit your nominations by 29 February 2024

We also ask you to remember to pay your membership fees for 2024 – the fees will remain the same as last year. See the breakdown below:

Membership fees (annual): Universities and universities of technology: R8 000

Technical and vocational education and training (formerly FET) colleges: R5 500

Education role-players and service providers (Associate membership fee): R5 500

To become a member of MACE, contact the National Chairperson at chair@mace.org.za

Thank you for your support, and please do share your ideas for building an even stronger MACE by contacting us at chair@mace.org.za

Happy reading!

The MACE National Board of Directors

The MACE Excellence Awards – presented annually during a gala dinner at the MACE National Conference in the last quarter of the year – celebrates the best campaigns and other marketing, advancement, and communication achievements among member institutions.

The Excellence Awards are only open to paid-up MACE members, and each member institution nominates as many of their best projects/ campaigns as they want to, after which entries are evaluated by our panel of expert evaluators comprising senior marketing, advancement, and communication professionals hand-picked from tertiary institutions and commerce and industry.

Entries with points above the thresholds receive Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Awards, with other prizes including the Chairperson’s Award of Excellence, MACE Award for Outstanding Research, and the Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence.

Last year’s Excellence Awards Ceremony took place at Pigalle restaurant in Cape Town on the evening of Thursday 16 November 2023, marking the end of the two-day MACE Annual National Conference, hosted in 2023 by the University of the Western Cape.

The date, venue, and deadlines for entries into the 2024 MACE Excellence Awards will be announced soon, but it’s never too early to start thinking about which campaigns/ projects you want to submit – and to start preparing your entries. A well-constructed entry that adheres to the guidelines for entries can make all the difference in grabbing the recognition your project deserves!

Attendees at the November 2023 MACE National Conference were given access to the strategies of peers at other institutions, as well as expert advice from independent consultants. One of the recurring topics was trends in the fundraising, advancement, and donor space, and some of the speakers’ tips are highlighted here.

Peter Maher, Director of Alumni Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, made the following key suggestions:

• Broaden your fundraising constituency (prospect pool): In addition to alumni, maintain a relationship with everyone with an interest in your institution: parents, retired staff, friends, and local and business communities.
• Build and continuously refine your data and a comprehensive up-to-date shared database.
• Plan a regular ‘Giving Day’/Annual Fund as a pipeline to larger gifts.
• Develop and use an engagement grading matrix.
• There will be a greater focus on wealthy, major gift donors and ‘missing middle’ donors.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) will play an increasingly important role in alumni relations, thanks to its ability to process large amounts of data and identify patterns and insights related to alumni behaviour.
• AI can automate key tasks, including the creation of personalised, highly targeted, and more meaningful interactions with individual alumni.
• Trends show increasing global alumni engagement, with alumni engagement applications such as Gravyty/Graduway, AlmaBase, Evertrue, and Ellucian gaining popularity.

Gary Ndlovu, a media solutions architect and Associate Senior Lecturer in Music Technology at the University of Fort Hare, presented on the topic ‘An in-depth look into the potential applications, benefits, challenges, and considerations of using ChatGPT as a tool in marketing, advancement and communication in education’. Some of his key tips included:

• In addition to the ability to create personalised messages and emails for various stakeholder groups (or even individuals), AI such as ChatGPT can also be very helpful in grant proposal-writing, helping to articulate the institution’s needs and goals.
• ChatGPT can also assist in event planning and coordination, by helping to create promotional materials, drafting speeches, and preparing event-related communications.

Shelagh Gastrow, advisor to the higher education, non-profit and philanthropy sectors, presented on the topic ‘University systems and policies to enhance and support advancement’. Some of her key tips included:

• The Advancement/ Development Office should be positioned in the institution’s structure in a way that promotes maximum effectiveness (for example, consider a direct reporting line to the Vice-Chancellor/ Rector).
• Ensure effective communication between faculties, communications, marketing, and alumni relations departments to enable alignment on prioritised projects.
• Collaboration is needed to ensure accurate measuring of all third-stream income.
• Specific policies are required, such as donor recognition, gift acceptance, and fundraising ethics.
• A system for managing prioritisation of projects is key – consider a ‘prioritisation committee’ under VC leadership.
• The Advancement/ Development Office cannot do all the fundraising a higher education institution needs. Universities should consider fundraising training for faculty and staff (possibly at induction).

Access Peter Maher’s full presentation here. 

Access Gary Ndlovu’s full presentation here.

Access Shelagh Gastrow’s full presentation here.

Marketing and communication are always evolving – and keeping an eye on the latest trends enables marketers to select which new and changing communication techniques suit your unit’s focus areas and strategies for the year ahead. Here are some of the tips gleaned from speakers at the November 2023 MACE National Conference:

Ilze Olivier, an independent consultant who specialises in strategic communication, presented on the topic ‘Future-proofing communications: Ensuring your communications strategies remain impactful and relevant’. Some of her key points included:

• “Data is the new oil.” – The real value of data in the new era doesn’t lie in merely gathering data on customers/ target audiences; the value lies in how that data is processed, refined, analysed, and understood – and how it’s used to implement new, winning strategies.
• The world population is set to hit 9.7 billion people by 2050 (from today’s 8.1 billion), and 65% of people will live in urban areas. This has important implications for how higher education institutions do their future-planning and future-proofing, especially in terms of potential student population growth.
• Africa’s population is predicted to double by 2050 (from 1.4 billion in 2023).
• In 2023, over 5.5 million international students travelled abroad to study. By 2030 this number will increase to over 7 million. English-language universities and courses are in demand, which presents an opportunity for South African universities in the increasingly competitive global marketplace for the best students.
• Consumers have shorter attention spans today, which requires concise, visually appealing content.
• User-generated content and influencer partnerships are gaining prominence, blurring the lines between marketing and genuine dialogue. The future belongs to those who can tell compelling stories that resonate with authenticity.
• Chatbots powered by artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important, offering customers instant assistance. Companies must tailor messages to suit different channels, while maintaining a consistent brand voice.

Gary Ndlovu, a media solutions architect and Associate Senior Lecturer in Music Technology at the University of Fort Hare, presented on the topic ‘An in-depth look into the potential applications, benefits, challenges, and considerations of using ChatGPT as a tool in marketing, advancement and communication in education’. Some of his key predictions included:

• ChatGPT will be a key performance area (KPA) in marketing, communications and advancement in the future. Artificial intelligence- (AI-) driven content creation, stakeholder engagement, and data analytics will become so central to these roles that proficiency in managing and interpreting ChatGPT’s outputs will be essential.
• ChatGPT and similar models will revolutionise content creation for marketing, communication, and advancement departments in universities. ChatGPT can analyse vast data sets and generate content that resonates deeply with each of a university’s key stakeholder groups.
• Virtual AI assistants will increasingly enable 24/7 tailored interaction with stakeholders, such as a student enquiring about deadlines, or an alumnus asking about alumni events.
• Data-driven insights gleaned from AI will increasingly create actionable strategies. This could be in the form of the marketing department being able to predict enrolment trends based on real-time data analytics.
• ChatGPT and other AI can help optimise content for search engines and social media by creating a first draft of copy that is most likely to be prioritised by search engines and/or social media platforms, thereby creating higher click-through levels.
• Crisis communications: AI can help generate data-driven and fact-based first drafts of press statements and other communications, especially at times of high pressure when emotions might be running high and/or there are significant time pressures.
• AI can provide multilingual support, which will be increasingly important in light of the increasing numbers of international students seeking English-language tuition.

Access Ilze Olivier’s full presentation here.

Access Gary Ndlovu’s full presentation here.

The 7th MACE Directors’ Symposium will take place in the second quarter of 2024, with the date and venue to be confirmed soon – watch your MACE email, our website, and social media for confirmation.

The symposium is aimed at Executive Directors, Directors, Deputy Directors, and Managers in marketing, advancement, and communication at higher education and TVET institutions in South Africa. It offers a line-up of expert speakers who deliver and convene keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive workshops covering a range of topics relevant to marketing and communication, branding, alumni, and fundraising.

The 2023 Directors’ Symposium, which took place at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Granger Bay Campus from 23 to 24 August under the theme ‘Sustainability in a changing higher education landscape’, debated hot topics and charted various paths forward for MACE professionals.

How artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT is changing the way we work was a particular focus area. Chantal Janneker, Senior Director: Communication and Marketing at Nelson Mandela University, presented on the topic ‘The future of communication and marketing in the digital age’, and told attendees, “The future is digital. Embrace the digital revolution in higher education. Harness its power to reach, engage, and inspire the next generation of graduates… Adaption is key. Higher education institutions must evolve to stay competitive and relevant.”

She advised MACE professionals to use tools including enhanced data analytics, to engage through social media, explore emerging technologies, and unlock potential by seizing opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and social media.

The 2024 symposium will be a valuable opportunity for you to gain insight into the latest trends and best practices in the higher education sector.

Please look out for additional information and details about the symposium and the programme in the next few weeks.

We look forward to your attendance!

Enquiries: chair@mace.org.za

You can watch last year’s Directors’ Symposium discussions by clicking here.