African Rainbow Minerals founder, Dr Patrice Motsepe has donated R20 million($1 million) to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of the Witwatersrand, to address critical challenges facing South Africa, including energy shortages, water scarcity, and a digital skills gap.
In a groundbreaking initiative, ARM and Wits University aim to develop high-level skills to navigate these issues.
According to a statement by the University, Motsepe who became Africa’s first billionaire to be featured on Forbes was a Wits University alumnus and recipient of an honorary doctorate degree.
- He said “ARM is proud to partner with Wits University which is a globally respected academic institution. Partnering with South African institutions of higher learning is paramount in our pursuit of knowledge, innovation, skills, and sustainable development.
- “Public-private partnerships are crucial in addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges confronting our communities and country.
- ARM works with several top universities across South Africa, supporting young people from undergraduate to post-graduate studies, helping them to realize their dreams.
- “Some of these students come from communities neighbouring our mining operations.
- We also contribute to the development and upliftment of poor rural and urban communities in South Africa by educating students from these communities.”
What you should know
The ARM Postgraduate Fellowship Programme at Wits University focuses on cultivating skills in South Africa, supporting postdoctoral fellows specializing in water resource management, digitalization, and the just energy transition.
As part of this collaboration, the Chamber of Mines Building on the Braamfontein West Campus will be renamed the Wits ARM Building.
This building, integral to Wits University’s academic and research infrastructure, houses the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment’s administration, the School of Mining Engineering, the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, and various research entities.
Prof. Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, highlighted the investment’s significance in the Wits University Mining Precinct and its alignment with broader initiatives in quantum computing, fintech, and innovation.
Prof. Thokozani Majozi, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, emphasized research priorities, including accessible, affordable, and socio-economically just renewable energy solutions.
More about Patrice Motsepe
Motsepe has consistently demonstrated a philanthropic spirit. In 2018, he pledged a substantial $250 million towards advancing South Africa’s land reform program, a commitment he announced during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
Four years earlier, in 2014, Motsepe contributed approximately $1 million to combat the Ebola virus, which claimed nearly 4,900 lives in Guinea.
According to Forbes, Motsepe achieved billionaire status in 2008, marking the first time a black African appeared on the prestigious Forbes list.
Following this success, in 2016, he founded the private equity firm African Rainbow Capital, with a strategic focus on investments within the African continent.
Beyond his financial ventures, Motsepe holds a stake in Sanlam, a listed financial services firm. Notably, he also serves as the president and owner of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.
In a significant move in March 2021, Motsepe was elected as the president of the Confederation of African Football, the governing body for the sport on the continent.
Motsepe’s journey began in 1994 when he became the first black partner at the Johannesburg law firm Bowman Gilfillan.
Subsequently, he ventured into entrepreneurship by establishing a mining services contracting business. In 1997, Motsepe acquired low-producing gold mine shafts, successfully transforming them into profitable ventures.