We are one of the six universities of technology in the Republic of South Africa. Located at Umlazi Township, we are named after our founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who upon realising that under Apartheid in 1974, there was no technology institution in KwaZulu-Natal. In 1979 Mangosuthu Tecknikon opened its doors to its first fifteen students. We were established against a backdrop of transforming the lives of the disenfranchised, and today that very same thread of ‘transforming’ is still the cornerstone of where we would like to be. This has been added to our vision of ‘transforming, equitable, sustainable, academically excellent and anchored in our communities’.
MUT has three faculties: Engineering, Management Sciences and Natural Sciences. Forty-one years later, MUT has a total population of about 14,500 students with a gender parity of 50/50. We accommodate close to 90% of our student population on campus and across 43 outsourced residences. International students are accommodated in a dedicated residence, named after the acquired Executive Hotel.
The MUT Strategy 2025 has given MUT greater impetus to revitalise Umlazi Township through an anchor strategy. This anchor strategy will strengthen a systematic approach towards empowering Umlazi Township with relevant stakeholders. As a University of Technology, MUT has a competitive advantage of a formalized Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programme which enables students to experience the world of work, which is mandatory for them to complete before they can graduate with a qualification.