Unisa makes history as the first African university to acquire an airport
UNISA’s aviation students will the chance to get hands-on learning
Unisa has announced the acquisition of a 20-hectare airport to serve as a training and research facility.
Executive Director of the university’s Department of Institutional Advancement, Professor Boitumelo Senokoane, said the airport will allow students to apply their studies in practice and gain skills that are in high demand in the aviation and engineering industries.
“It demonstrates our commitment to innovation and practical education alongside strong governance and institutional integrity,” Senokoane said.
According to The Star, Unisa’s Professor Puleng LenkaBula lauded the institution’s remarkable achievements over the past five years, marking a period of resilience and innovation amid a complex global and national landscape.
LenkaBula stated that Unisa achieved exceptional graduation performance, graduating more than 50 000 students each year.
Notably, in 2025 Unisa graduated over 60 000 students, and produced more than 550 doctoral outputs.
In addition, she highlighted that over 10 800 graduates who could not graduate during the Covid-19 period were honoured at special graduation ceremonies, ensuring that their accomplishments are evident, projected, and recognised.