The Purchasing Consortium of Southern Africa (PURCO SA) has presented a cheque to Unisa to the value of R897 537. This is part of PURCO SA’s commitment to give back to its university business partners a rebate amount based on the procurement actions they facilitated for and on behalf of the institution.
Pictured at the cheque handover: Chris Liebenberg (Chairman: PURCO SA), Willem du Plessis (Executive Director: Finance, Unisa), Prof Mandla Makhanya (Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Unisa) and Selvan Govender (CEO: PURCO SA).
This value is the back-end savings given back in cash, in addition to the front-end savings at the time of purchasing through the PURCO SA negotiated contracts. “The cheque could not come at a better time, as there is a big drive within Unisa to strengthen our partnerships with our stakeholders to enable our efforts in assisting us to deliver a quality and cost-effective education to all our students,” said an appreciative Prof Mandla Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa.
“Unisa is amongst the top three university participants in the PURCO SA contracts and is committed to be part of such collaborations to aid the higher education sector as a whole. Of note is that whatever savings are generated will eventually benefit our students in some way. Therefore, especially in this critical time in our sector, Unisa’s increase in its participation and support to PURCO SA, may assist in contributing towards a third stream income,” explained Eschèll Boshoff, Acting Director of Expenditure Management at Unisa.
PURCO SA is a Section 21 Company (company without financial gain) and its profits and assets belong to its member institutions. The surplus which is distributed to its members is as a result of the income derived through the international best practice model of collaborative purchasing, i.e. aggregate purchasing and volume rebates.
The aim of the consortium since the beginning has been to focus its efforts on cooperative purchasing, to identify items and services that are used by all of its members, and to negotiate better prices. Their achievements are not only to make products and services more affordable to its members, but it has a major benefit and spin off by making education more affordable to students.
Continuous collaboration between PURCO SA and its members ensures financial benefits, exchanging of ideas, procurement methods and principles, technology advancements, best practices and strengthening partnerships of good cooperation and good governance. “PURCO SA has evolved over the years since 1978, and in doing so added the ISO 9001:2008 quality accreditation, technology studies and recommendations to the membership on e-procurement and e-travel, training and development for member procurement personnel, supplier development and training and SCM consultancy,” added Selvan Govender, CEO of PURCO SA.
*Compiled by Kirosha Naicker
Save
Did You Know : Top 15 Free Online Learning Platforms
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Coursera:
Coursera partners with universities and organizations worldwide to offer a wide range of courses. While many courses are free, a fee is often required for certification.
-
Free Online Education Degrees: edX:
Founded by MIT and Harvard, edX offers high-quality courses from top universities and institutions around the world. Certificates are available for a fee.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Khan Academy:
Khan Academy provides free educational content in various subjects, especially mathematics and science, using instructional videos and practice exercises.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Udacity:
Udacity focuses on tech-related courses and nanodegree programs, offering free content as well as more in-depth paid programs.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW):
MIT OCW provides a vast array of MIT's course content for free, covering a wide range of disciplines.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Harvard Extension School:
Harvard Extension School offers a selection of free online courses. While some courses are free, others may require payment for a certificate.
-
Free Online Education Degrees: Stanford Online:
Stanford Online offers a variety of free courses in different disciplines, including computer science, engineering, and business.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (OLI):
OLI offers free online courses and resources designed to improve learning outcomes through research-based methodologies.
-
Best Free Online Courses : FutureLearn:
FutureLearn partners with universities and institutions to offer a diverse range of free online courses. Certificates are available for a fee.
-
Best Free Online Courses: Alison:
Alison offers a wide range of free online courses, including diploma and certificate programs, covering various subjects.
-
Best Free Online Courses: Open Yale Courses:
Yale University provides free access to a selection of introductory courses through Open Yale Courses.
-
Best Free Online Courses : UC Berkeley Online:
UC Berkeley offers free online courses on a variety of subjects, ranging from computer science to humanities.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Google Digital Garage:
Google Digital Garage provides free courses on digital skills, including online marketing, data analysis, and more.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Codecademy:
Codecademy offers free coding courses, interactive exercises, and coding projects to help individuals learn programming languages.
-
Best Free Online Courses : LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com):
LinkedIn Learning provides a variety of video courses on professional development, technology, and creative skills. It offers a free trial period.
Did you know : International Scholarships 2024
There are several international scholarships available for South Africans to study abroad. Here are a few examples:
- Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program: This program provides fully funded scholarships to study at selected universities in Africa, Europe, and North America. It is open to African students, including South Africans, who are committed to giving back to their communities.
- Commonwealth Scholarships: The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission offers scholarships for postgraduate study in the UK for citizens of Commonwealth countries, including South Africa. The scholarships cover tuition fees, travel costs, and a living allowance.
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program: The Fulbright program offers scholarships for South Africans to study at U.S. universities for a Master’s or PhD degree. The scholarship covers tuition, travel, living expenses, and health insurance.
- Erasmus+ Programme: The Erasmus+ programme offers scholarships for South Africans to study in Europe for a Master’s or PhD degree. The scholarship covers tuition fees, travel, and living expenses.
- Australia Awards Scholarships: The Australian government offers scholarships for South Africans to study at Australian universities. The scholarship covers tuition fees, travel costs, and a living allowance.
These are just a few examples of the many international scholarships available to South Africans. It is important to research the eligibility requirements and application deadlines for each scholarship program.