Professor Mpho Ngoepe appointed as UNISA’s New Vice-Principal

Pretoria – The University of South Africa (Unisa) has announced that C2 NRFrated Professor Mpho Ngoepe will take on the role of Vice-Principal: Teaching, Learning, Community Engagement and Student Support, starting 1 October 2026.

In a statement released on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, UNISA remarked: “The appointment was confirmed and ratified by the University Council after reviewing the reports and recommendations from the Selection Committee, along with guidance from the Executive Committees of the Senate and the Institutional Forum.”

Professor Ngoepe brings over 28 years of varied academic, professional, and leadership experience in library and information services, higher education, research, archives and records management, corporate governance, and community engagement, both in South Africa and internationally.

He joined Unisa on 1 August 2012 and has since occupied various senior academic and leadership positions, including Director of the School of Arts, Acting Deputy Executive Dean, Head of the Department of Information Science, and Head of the Centre for Applied Information and Communication.

Currently, Professor Ngoepe is serving as Acting Vice-Principal: Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation, and Commercialisation.

“His new role in Teaching, Learning, Community Engagement, and Student Support merges a vast wealth of experience in academic leadership, research, postgraduate supervision, professional development, and knowledge advancement for societal benefit,” stated UNISA in the announcement provided to The Bulrushes.

“A distinguished scholar whose influence extends beyond South Africa, Professor Ngoepe is a noted academic leader whose contributions have significantly fostered the development of the library and information science field across Africa.”

Professor Ngoepe’s scholarship emphasizes archives and records management, digital records, corporate governance, indigenous knowledge and languages, literacy, and freedom of information.

His global standing was highlighted in 2023 when he was listed among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for career impact in a ranking announced by Elsevier and Stanford University, based on authors published in Scopus-indexed journals.

From 2013 to 2018, he was the Director of Team Africa for the International Project on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES) Trust, coordinated by the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Under his direction, the Africa team conducted research on digital records and archival education, which included creating a directory of higher education institutions offering archival studies across 38 African countries, as well as research that helped develop archival curricula continent-wide.

In 2016, the International Council on Archives appointed Professor Ngoepe to convene a meeting of archival educators from all corners of Africa, contributing to the execution of the Council’s strategy for the continent, especially in education.

Professor Ngoepe’s academic contributions comprise over 100 journal articles, seven conference proceedings, 11 book chapters, and three academic books published by Routledge and AOSIS.

His work has gained international recognition, with two of his peer-reviewed articles translated into Spanish and Portuguese.

As a leader dedicated to fostering individual and community development, Professor Ngoepe’s impact transcends scholarly publication.  

He has successfully supervised 28 master’s and 34 doctoral students to graduation, contributing significantly to nurturing the next generation of scholars and professionals. His passion for African languages and literature is equally commendable.

Professor Ngoepe has published two award-winning anthologies of Northern Sotho short stories, endorsed for Grade 8 learners by the Limpopo Department of Education, along with a biography of the 2012 Comrades Marathon champion Ludwick Mamabolo.

He has also played a vital role in the professional development of the LIS and archival sectors, holding leadership positions in various national, continental, and international organizations.

These include the South African Society of Archivists, the Eastern and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives, the National Archives Advisory Council, the Gauteng Provincial Archives Advisory Council, and the Archival Education Research Institute.

Professor Ngoepe has been a member of the Advisory Board of the Information Studies Department at Queens College, City University of New York, and has served on editorial boards of prominent international journals, such as Information Development, Education for Information, and Archival Science.

His leadership has garnered multiple accolades, including the IVAISLIP/SABINET Information Officer of the Year Award (2004), recognition from the South African Human Rights Commission and Open Democracy Advice Centre in 2007 for his efforts in implementing the Promotion of Access to Information Act, the Unisa Chancellor’s Prize for Excellence in Research (2020), and the South African Society of Archivists Lifetime Achievement Award (2022).

In response to the appointment, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, stated: “Unisa extends its best wishes to Professor Ngoepe as he embarks on this significant new role, which carries the crucial responsibility of enhancing the pace of cultivating the Catalytic Niche Areas.

“His extensive experience in academic leadership, scholarship, and professionalism, alongside his commitment to students and communities, will be essential as we further Unisa’s strategic goals.”

Professor Ngoepe will assume his new position at a pivotal time in Unisa’s advancement, where a commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, meaningful community involvement, and effective student support remain core to the University’s mission.

“His appointment enhances Unisa’s leadership capabilities and positions the University to leverage his considerable expertise to foster an inclusive, student-centered, and impactful approach to teaching, learning, and community engagement,” the statement asserted.

“Unisa congratulates Professor Ngoepe on his appointment and wishes him every success as he undertakes this significant leadership role.”

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