Events Across the Globe | Development & Alumni

UCT-UK Annual Alumni Reception

Two events took place recently in the UK, bringing UCT alumni based in the UK together to create new connections and to update the community on all things UCT.

At the annual UCT-UK alumni reception, there were 90 alumni in attendance, including several younger alumni attending their first UCT-UK event. The Vice-Chancellor gave an update from UCT, and four UCT alumni who are now Rhodes Scholars, each spoke about their areas of research – ranging from decarbonising pharmaceuticals, the politics of international electricity trade, the link between brain inflammation and seizures and how to monitor muscle activity non-invasively.

At this event, we said goodbye to Angela Edwards, who has managed the UCT-UK Trust for 23 years. Angela developed an extraordinary understanding of UCT, its context, and the South African environment which enabled her to represent UCT as an African university to donors and supporters in the United Kingdom in a manner that aligns with the institution’s values, priorities, and ethos. Her insight and integrity have been instrumental in the Trust’s success in raising philanthropic income for the University.

UCT-UK Trust Opera Evening

The UCT UK Trust hosted an opera evening at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London. This was the sixth Opera UCT event in the UK and the audience of alumni, supporters and other guests were treated to performances from talented alumni from the UCT Opera School: Moloko Letsoalo - a Soprano currently based at the National Opera Studio in London; Luvo Maranti - a Tenor currently based at the National Opera Theatre in London and Siphe Kwani - a Baritone at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. Director of UCT Opera, Professor Jeremy Silver, accompanied the artists on the piano. At the end of the evening, the audience was treated to a surprise when three UCT alumni: Thando Zwane, Vuyisa Xipu and Yonwaba Mbo, currently part of Garsington Opera’s Emerging Artists Programme, performed.

The 2025 Opera UCT concert was held in remembrance of the late Kenneth Jones, a long-standing supporter of opera at UCT. Thanks to Kenneth’s generosity, all donations made on the evening of the concert were matched and just under £30,000 was raised on the night, which will be directed to Opera UCT.

UCT Canada

From April 24–26, we had the honour of welcoming Professor Mosa Moshabela, Vice-Chancellor of UCT, and Professor Quinton Johnson, Director of the International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO), to Toronto.

An intimate reception brought together some of UCT’s major Canadian donors, partners, and supporters. The carefully curated space fostered meaningful connections around shared values, strengthening relationships and celebrating our collective commitment to UCT’s future. Together, we reflected on what it takes to sustain a thriving African university, and how each of us—wherever we are in the world—can contribute in ways that are personal, impactful, and aligned with UCT’s mission.

In his keynote, the Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed the importance of relationship and collaboration—sentiments that resonated throughout the evening and served as a reminder of just how strong and resilient the UCT community is.

Samantha Mandigora, Regional Director of International Office, Canada.

Launch of Access4ALL programme

Participants at Access4ALL with FirstRand Foundation’s Konehali Gugushe and UCT VC Prof Mosa Moshabela (centre, front row).

UCT recently hosted the official launch of the Access4ALL project—an ambitious initiative aimed at disability inclusion and capacity-building, led by UCT in partnership with the FirstRand Foundation and the Higher Education Disability Services Association (HEDSA). The event brought together leaders from four participating institutions—Rhodes University, Sol Plaatje University, Mangosuthu University of Technology, and the University of Zululand—to celebrate the programme’s progress in transforming higher education into a more accessible and inclusive space for students with disabilities. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mosa Moshabela hailed the project as a powerful example of collaborative transformation in action.