Sol Plaatje University is set to host landmark investiture of Thebe Ikalafeng rooted in African tradition, heritage and the values of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje in Kimberley on 24 March 2026.
Far from a conventional academic ceremony, the investiture has been reimagined as a national cultural moment that places African identity, heritage, and community at its centre — in honour of the university’s namesake, Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje in the 150th year of his birth.
Under the theme “Light from Africa: Building on Legacy, Advancing Knowledge and Securing the Future,” the programme will unfold across landmark Kimberley sites with historical ties to the Chanceller, Solomon Plaatje and the University.
Highlights of the Program
A 480km Legacy Journey
In a striking tribute to Solomon Plaatje, Soweto-born cyclist Tebogo Galagala will complete a symbolic 480km solo ride retracing a historic route linked to Plaatje’s final journey to Kimberley. The journey began on Friday, 20 March 2026, when Galagala and the incoming Chancellor Thebe Ikalafeng met the archival team at Wits University’s McCullen Library to receive Plaatje’s historic passport — issued by the Canadian government in 1921 to enable his travel after the colonial-era South African government refused to do so. The journey will culminate in the symbolic transfer of the passport at the investiture, representing the enduring reach of Plaatje’s intellectual legace – and a return to his home.
A Thebe Magugu Ceremonial Academic Gown
The Chancellor’s ceremonial robe, to be unveiled at the investiture, has been specially reimagined by Thebe Magugu — the Kimberley-born designer and Africa’s first LVMH Prize winner — making it both a tribute to global African brilliance and a celebration of tradition.
Solomon Plaatje Portrait Unveiled
A newly commissioned portrait of Solomon Plaatje by the Chancellor — created in collaboration with celebrated Kimberley-born photographer Trevor Stuurman, Solomon Plaatje scholar Dr Lesley Mofokeng of Wits University, and visual artist Mark Modimola — will be unveiled during the ceremony, bringing together art, scholarship, and heritage in a single powerful moment.
A Procession Through the Streets of Kimberley
In arguably a first for South African higher education, the formal academic procession will not begin on campus. It will depart from the Chancellor’s childhood home in Galeshewe township, moving through key sites tied to his life and Plaatje’s legacy, before culminating in a 500-metre public procession from the Solomon Plaatje Museum — Plaatje’s final home until his death in 1935 — to the university’s Great Hall.
A Pan-African Convergence of Leadership
The investiture will bring together an exceptional gathering of public figures, business, civil society, public sector and higher education leaders, including:
Chancellors
• Dr Judy Dlamini — Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand
• Prof Bonang Mohale — Chancellor, University of the Free State
• Prof Brian Figaji — Chancellor, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Dr Thabane Vincent Maphai — Chancellor, Central University of Technology
• Dr Penny Moumakwa — Chancellor, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
• Mr Vincent Zwelibanzi Mntambo — Chancellor, Vaal University of Technology
• Prof Sheila Tlou — Chancellor, Botswana Open University
• Ambassador Tebello Seretse — Chancellor, University of Botswana
• Dr Crispus Kiyonga — Chancellor, Makerere University, Uganda
Vice-Chancellors
• Prof Puleng LenkaBula — Vice-Chancellor, University of South Africa (UNISA)
• Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi — Vice-Chancellor, University of Johannesburg
• Prof Norris Bekele — Vice-Chancellor, University of Botswana
• Prof Tinyiko Maluleke — Vice-Chancellor, Tshwane University of Technology
• Prof Norris Bekele — Vice-Chancellor, University of Botswana
• Prof Kenneth Matengu — Vice-Chancellor, University of Namibia (UNAM)
• Prof Y Ballim — Inaugural Vice-Chancellor, Sol Plaatje University
Guest of Honour
• Dr Zamani Saul — Premier of the Northern Cape
The programme will conclude with Chancellor Ikalafeng’s inaugural address, in which he will outline his vision for his tenure and SPU’s role in shaping Africa’s intellectual and cultural future.