Image: Alumni Relations Office

On Mandela Day, 18 July 2025, the city of Gqeberha became the latest stop in the University of the Western Cape’s national alumni roadshow.

An initiative led by Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Balfour, to reconnect graduates with their alma mater and inspire a renewed culture of giving, service and pride.

Hosted at Town Lodge in Summerstrand, the Gqeberha alumni gathering brought together Eastern Cape-based alumni from across generations for an evening of reflection, reconnection and forward vision. For many, it was more than a reunion; it was a call to action.

Meeting with alumni in Gqeberha for the first time, Prof Balfour delivered a powerful keynote address rooted in memory, metaphor, and shared responsibility. Drawing on his experience as a scholarship student at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he reminded attendees that even the most elite institutions had humble beginnings, founded not by royalty, but by communities committed to access and excellence.

“Just like the townsfolk who built Corpus Christi almost 700 years ago,” he said, “UWC was built by the marginalised. Now we must imagine what it could become with your help.”

Image: Alumni Relations Office

To bring that vision to life, Prof Balfour unveiled artist impressions of a proposed Student Centre for UWC; a future hub designed to support student well-being, academic success, and campus belonging.

He reminded the audience that many of them, too, once relied on food support, study materials, and safe accommodation to complete their studies. “Those needs haven’t disappeared,” he said. “What’s changed is that now, we are in a position to give back.”

He encouraged alumni to “pay it forward” by pledging to the UWC Legacy Fund, which supports infrastructure development for generations to come. Several alumni completed pledge forms on the night, with others committing to ongoing support and advocacy.

A major milestone of the evening was the official launch of the Port Elizabeth Chapter Local Organising Committee (LOC), a group of dedicated alumni who stepped forward to lead alumni activity in the region.

UWC proudly acknowledges: Clive Kilian, Gishma Johnson, Akeeda Saleem, Malieka Howard, Nizole Nogqala, Lubabalo Ntlokwana, Denzil Rockman, Lindelwa Ngesi, Nomahlubi Grootboom, Xoliswa Njokweni and Zoleka Nyepha.

Image: Alumni Relations Office

Prof Anesh Singh, Director of the Department of Institutional Advancement, thanked the LOC and challenged the broader alumni audience to join them in building a strong, engaged, and effective chapter.

“This is not a symbolic list of names,” he said. “It’s a call to action. We need all of you to support, to lead and to lift as you rise.”

He called on alumni to use their networks, expertise and influence to grow the chapter, raise funds for critical student needs, and help strengthen UWC’s national footprint. “Let this not be the last time we meet,” he urged. “Let it be the first of many.”

As Prof Balfour’s roadshow continues to Johannesburg and Namibia, the Windy City gathering has left a lasting impression, proof that UWC’s alumni are still driven by the same ideals that brought them to campus in the first place: community, transformation and the belief in a better tomorrow.

Alumni who would like to contribute to the Legacy Fund or become involved in the Eastern Cape chapter can contact Nastasha Crow at ncrow@uwc.ac.za or make a direct deposit using the following details: