NWU’s International students explore their new hometown

Sixty first-year international students went on a bus tour to introduce them to Potchefstroom and give them the opportunity to meet new people.

The tour that took place on 11 March 2023 was the first of its kind and was arranged by the Student Campus Council (SCC). 

The tour would not have been complete without Eagi and Pukki showing some campus spirit along the way, and the students could not wait to get a picture with the North-West University (NWU) mascots.

Students from different parts of the world like the Netherlands, Germany, and Namibia looked forward to this tour in the hope of meeting other international students.

Emma Nghilokwa from Namibia said, “I find the Potchefstroom campus to be interesting regarding international diversity, different races, languages, and cultures all coming together.” He said he is looking forward to experiencing the new cultures and exploring a new environment. He is starting a PhD in pharmacy this year.

Ashlin Bekeer from Windhoek, Namibia, is a BA student in human behavioural sciences with psychology and labor relations management. She said that the NWU was the perfect choice for her and it is one of the best and safest universities in South Africa. “I would like to see the place [Potchefstroom] for what it is because I only know the campus. I would like to see how beautiful it really is,” she said.

During the first stop of the trip they explored the NWU High Performance Institute of Sport (HPI), where they got a glimpse of the facilities athletes use. They saw the indoor rehabilitation swimming pools, high-performance gym, and saw the cricket, and rugby fields nearby. 

The second destination was the Potchefstroom Country Club where the international students got a chance to witness the golf course. They were introduced to Faith Mhlongo, the SCC acting transformation and diversity officer with current affairs and acting secretary on the NWU Potchefstroom campus. She talked about the SOS app, where students can tap the button on the app whenever they feel unsafe and emergency services will respond. 

The international students also had the opportunity to experience paintball at the Close Contact Paintball field. They got to hold one of the paintball guns and shoot at targets. Many students were eager to try it for the first time. Adriaan Kruger, an employee at Close Contact Paintball, explained how the paintball gun works and how dangerous it is when the shooter is not wearing protective gear. The students were impressed and they wanted to know more about prices and discounts. 

Kananelo Mlangeni, SCC societies liaison and international students officer, said: “International students are very far [from home], and integration is a mission. So, to see them coming together from different countries and parts of the world and exchanging contact details was very satisfying.”

Mlangeni said the tour’s purpose was to introduce the newcomers to life in Potchefstroom. “It was good for them, as first-years, to experience what the town has to offer. I am very proud of my portfolio committee and sub-committee. Most importantly I am proud of the students who showed up.”