August 2, 2006
By Melissa Hoffman
WENDY Luhabe, entrepreneur and businesswoman, has been appointed the first chancellor of the University of Johannesburg.
This is one of a series of dramatic changes that have taken place at the university since its inception at the beginning of 2005.
The University of Johannesburg was formed from a merging of the Rand Afrikaans University and the East Rand and Soweto campuses of Vista University and Technikon Witwatersrand.
Luhabe joins the university's first permanent vice-chancellor and principal, Dr Ihron Rensburg.
An inauguration ceremony will be held for the chancellor and vice-chancellor on 1 September.
Luhabe sees her role as providing support and leadership to the institution which is physically located in the Gauteng province but has to position itself in a globalising economy. Education, according to Luhabe, "will provide one of the most critical contributions towards bridging the gap between the 20th and 21st century".
She adds that it underpins the province's vision to become a global city region characterised by a "knowledge economy, innovation and a resilient community that will be able to thrive in an environment that is defined by complexity, change, uncertainty and diversity".
"I accept opportunities that enable me to contribute beyond where [the institution] is. This is the principle that guides me," she says.
The chair of the university's council, Professor Roy Marcus, describes Luhabe as having "exceptional leadership qualities and a demonstrated commitment to values such as equity, diversity and economic development".
"We see her as a leader who will assist this university in moving forward to the next plateau of excellence in teaching, research, community outreach and innovation," he adds.
"She is someone with proven success in bringing about partnerships with government and industry, and someone who can help further our standing as a premier African city university."
One of the largest residential universities in the country, the University of Johannesburg currently has some 40 000 students.
Luhabe, who describes herself as a social entrepreneur, says she has "grown and become more fulfilled" through "contributing towards others".
After a career in the corporate world, Luhabe's first business, Bridging the Gap, set up in 1991, did just that, coaching black university students for entry into the corporate world.
In 1994 she undertook an initiative that revolutionised the participation of women in the South African economy, founding Women Investment Portfolio Holdings Limited.
She has also been honoured as one of the 50 leading women entrepreneurs in the world, and has also received international recognition from the World Economic Forum as a Global Leader for Tomorrow, from the Osaka Junior Chamber in Japan as an Outstanding Young Person and by the Unisa Business School for Leadership in Practise.
Currently Luhabe is chairperson of Vendome SA, the Industrial Development Corporation and International Marketing Council.
Her first book, Defining Moments, was published in 2002. It is a reflection of the experiences of black professionals in the South African workplace over the last three decades. Profits from the book are used to educate young disadvantaged women, especially from rural areas.
Luhabe sits on the board of the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. In 2003 she was invited to be an International Trustee of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Foundation for young people.
She is married to Mbhazima Shilowa, the premier of Gauteng.
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