Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) will host its 2026 Founder’s Annual Lecture on Saturday, 3 October 2026, at Durban’s ICC, bringing together leaders from higher education, business, public service and traditional leadership to reflect on the changing world of work and the role universities must play in preparing the next generation.
The lecture will be held under the theme, “Towards 2030: MUT’s Shared Vision for South Africa’s Higher Education Contribution to the Global World of Work.”
The Founder’s Annual Lecture honours the vision and legacy of MUT Founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, whose commitment to education led to the establishment of the Institution in 1979 with just 15 students. Today, MUT is home to more than 13,500 students, with tens of thousands of graduates contributing to South Africa and beyond.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Rushiella Songca, said the lecture comes at an important moment as universities confront profound changes in technology, society and the economy.
“As we reflect on democratic shifts, widening inequalities and rapid technological change, we must also ask what these developments mean for the future of work and, importantly, for the young people we are preparing to enter that world,” said Professor Songca.
“This cannot be a conversation for universities alone. Industry, business, government, young people and our strategic partners must help us shape an education system that remains relevant, responsive and capable of opening opportunities.”
The programme will centre on a keynote address by Mr Zwelakhe Mnguni, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Benguela Global Fund Managers. Mnguni’s personal journey, from working as a security guard while saving for university to becoming an investment executive and co-founding an asset management company. He will speak directly to the transformative potential of education.
His address will explore what higher education, technology, leadership and strategic partnerships must contribute to preparing South Africa for the global world of work.
The keynote will be followed by critical reflections facilitated by Professor Bhekisipho Twala, MUT’s Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Resources and Planning. Respondents will include former Statistician-General of South Africa Dr Pali Lehohla; Professor Ntebogeng Mokgalaka-Fleischmann, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching, Learning and Technology at Tshwane University of Technology; and Professor Brian Itumeleng Nakedi, Commissioner on the Public Service Commission in the Free State.
MUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Professor Mncedisi Maphalala, will position the University’s growing research and innovation agenda within the conversation about South Africa’s future.
The programme will also include reflections on the Founder’s legacy by his eldest son, Prince Zuzifa Buthelezi, Inkosi of the Buthelezi clan.
Professor Songca said the lecture should ultimately become more than an annual commemorative event. “We want the Founder’s Annual Lecture to become a platform where ideas meet action, where academia, industry, government and society collectively consider the challenges facing our country and identify opportunities for partnership.
She added that “Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s vision gave thousands of young people access to education. Our responsibility now is to ensure that this legacy remains relevant to a new generation confronting a very different world.”
The lecture is closely aligned with IGNITE 2030, MUT’s strategy which positions the University for the future. The strategy emphasises future-fit teaching and learning, research and innovation, digital transformation, partnerships, entrepreneurship, and preparing graduates for rapidly evolving skills demands.
Through its research agenda, MUT is also focusing on some of the most pressing challenges confronting society, including sustainable energy and the just energy transition; climate resilience and water sustainability; food security and the bioeconomy; health and indigenous knowledge; advanced manufacturing; and artificial intelligence and smart technologies.
The University intends the Founder’s Annual Lecture to become a permanent flagship intellectual and public-engagement platform, bringing together voices from academia, research, government, business and industry, traditional leadership and civil society.