Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Varsities received R2.31bn funding
THE latest edition of the Annual Survey of Philanthropy in Higher Education (ASPIHE) reveals that 10 South African universities received R2.31 billion in philanthropic funding in 2020.
A study commissioned by Inyathelo, the South African Institute for Advancement, has revealed a significant increase in philanthropic funding for South African universities.
However, the research also exposes deep-seated disparities in funding distribution that continue to plague the higher education sector.
South African universities saw a remarkable increase in philanthropic income in 2020, valued at R2.31bn, nearly double 2019 funding.
When Sector Education and Training Authority income is also included (funding from skills development and training organisations), the total reached R2.66bn.
Now in its eighth edition since it was launched in 2013, the ASPIHE provides comprehensive data and analysis on philanthropic support to South African universities.
The 10 universities that participated in the latest research were the Durban University of Technology; Tshwane University of Technology; UCT; University of the Free State; University of Johannesburg; University of KwaZulu-Natal; University of Pretoria; Stellenbosch University; UWC; and University of the Witwatersrand.
To ensure continuity with previous research, the latest study is based on philanthropic funding during 2020, a year marked by the global Covid-19 pandemic. It sheds light on the challenges faced by universities in South Africa at that time, and the resilience they showed in navigating the crisis.
Professor in Higher Education Studies at the UWC and lead ASPIHE researcher, Professor Beverley Thaver, said this upward trend in giving highlights the commitment of donors in addressing pressing pandemic issues such as emergency relief, medical research and digital technology support.
“Some 11 244 donors contributed to 10 institutions in 2020, compared with 4 355 donors in 2013. When looking at the proportion of income from international donors, 50%, was matched by South African sources. This suggests robust levels of civic responsibility by South Africans.
“The numbers suggest that the more an institution spends on attracting philanthropic income, the higher the income amount. That is, the more fund-raising, alumni relations and associated support staff an institution has, the higher its philanthropic income. Nonetheless, the higher the income received, the greater the cost.
“Three institutions had expenditure ratios ranging from 18% to 40%, way above the international benchmark of 8%-12%,” Thaver said.
South African universities are divided into three types: traditional universities, which offer theoreticallyoriented university degrees; universities of technology, which offer vocational-oriented diplomas and degrees; and comprehensive universities, which offer a combination of both.
“The stark inequality in the donor income totals between traditional and non-traditional universities has been persistent and the gap is growing,” said Thaver.