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Tongue twister not reason for NMMU rebranding

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Nelson Mandela University
Nelson Mandela University

Nelson Mandela University launched its new name this week.

Formerly known as Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, or NMMU for short, the university’s tongue twisting name is not the main reason for the rebranding.

The university has dropped 'Metropolitan' from its name and has gone through a process of rebranding to be directly named after South Africa’s late former president, Nelson Mandela.

“The new name will offer us national, continental and international standing since Nelson Mandela is renowned and revered around the globe,” said university spokesperson, Zandile Mbabela.

“In many ways, our current name restricts us. It binds us to a city and particular geographical area.”

This is the university’s second rebranding.

The first occurred in 2005 with the merger of Port Elizabeth Technikon and Vista University’s Port Elizabeth campus to form NMMU.

Dispatch Live reported that it cost the University of Johannesburg about R50 million to change its name from Rand Afrikaans University, and would cost Rhodes University more than that to rebrand both locally and internationally.

“The cost of renaming a university involves a number of factors that are not only limited to the actual branding of buildings, stationery, etc. It also includes the cost of brand development,” said communications manager, Veliswa Mhlope.

The call for Rhodes University to change its name gained momentum in 2015 when the Cecil John Rhodes statue was removed during the #RhodesMustFall campaign, and two years later the university is still working on it.

“A consultative process is currently underway with the Grahamstown and Rhodes Community represented by alumni, funders, students and staff,” said Mhlope.

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande gazetted Nelson Mandela University’s new name in 2016.

“The budget devoted to the new name project was carefully thought through,” said Mbabela. “Costs involved, such as new signage for example, will be absorbed by normal annual operational budgets.”

Aside from having the rebranding worked in already existing budgets, the university’s name change is also an income-generating strategy.

“The rebranding forms part of the greater strategy of investing in revenue-generating projects and programmes,” said Mbabela.

These projects and programmes are part of the university’s 2020 vision which includes establishing South Africa’s 10th medical school and an ocean sciences campus.

“Such projects carry a valuable opportunity to enhance the university’s ability to generate new revenues, attract increased amounts of third stream funding and form mutually beneficial strategic partnerships” said Mbabela.

“The only direct cost involved [is] with the actual launch event,” she added.

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