UCT is committed to social responsiveness and meaningful community engagement, working in partnership with communities to co-create solutions that expand access to basic services and improve quality of life. Through a range of training programmes and outreach initiatives, the university seeks to address local needs, foster sustainable development, and empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to drive lasting change.
Initiatives in 2024 include:
1 Community Eye Health Internship Programme (Volunteer Internship Programme)
Addressing the need for health, particularly eye-care services, and workforce training. The Community Eye Health Internship Programme provides internships in education, management or research for health workers; supports distribution of trained professionals to underserved/rural areas; builds capacity so services can be delivered more widely.
2. UCT Food Sovereignty Programme
At the University of Cape Town, we understand the multidimensional nature of inequality in our society. We work hard to remove the barriers many talented students face in their journey toward becoming successful graduates who will become economically productive members of society. As is common in low-income settings, students are cutting back on the amount of money they are putting to food and toiletries in a bid to try to cover non-negotiable costs such as tuition and residence fees. This is causing growing student hunger and food insecurity on campus.
The UCT Food Sovereignty programme was established in 2008 as a humanising intervention aimed at assisting food insecure students with a daily meal. The programme was later developed to a broader interaction that sought to provide monthly grocery packs contained non-perishable food items monthly and toiletries every second month. In 2024, more than 1100 registered student applicants participated in the programme every month.
3. Student Wellness Pharmacy
UCT launched an on-campus licensed pharmacy (located in the Ivan Toms Building) to increase access to medication / primary health care for students, expanding what Student Wellness Services (SWS) can offer.
4. Community Based Education (CBE)
Embedded within the framework of a Primary Healthcare approach, the community-based education programme of the Health Sciences Faculty is made possible through partnerships between UCT, Government Health Services (national, provincial and municipal) and communities - partnerships based on mutual respect, co-operation and mutual benefit. Through the Faculty of Health Sciences, students provide service-learning in community health centres, working in primary health care settings, which helps in delivering care in local communities. This initiative enhances the reach of basic health services. Comprehensive sites include Bonteheuwel, Langa, Gugulethu, Hanover Park, Mitchell’s Plain, Retreat, with other community health centres served in Green Point, Heideveld, Khayelitsha, Lotus River and Woodstock.
5. 100UP / Schools Development Unit
100UP is a UCT initiative addressing the problem of demographic under-representation in higher education by targeting school learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and coaching them towards university access. The holistic programme strives to build intellectual, social and cultural capital. Learners are prepared and coached over a period of three years by staff and students across the university, working off the key belief that opportunity needs to be made more equal and inclusive. The 100UP Programme identifies learners from disadvantaged schools, gives them intensive coaching over several years (Grades 10-12) toward university access, and helps fill educational service gaps. The programme operates in Khayelitsha, Philippi, Mitchell’s Plain – all underserved communities.
In addition to 100UP, the UCT Schools Development Unit has launched 100UP+(PLUS), which provides ongoing support to 100UP students who are accepted into UCT. This support is critical for ensuring students succeed at their studies and have a positive learning experience. 100UP+ students at UCT participate actively in mentoring their high school counterparts and have proven to be an invaluable source to the project.
The success of the project can be ascribed to the productive collaboration between the SDU project team, UCT faculties and departmental staff, and UCT student bodies that are committed about redress and transformation.
6. UCT Law Clinic
The Law Clinic is UCT’s legal aid service: it assists those who cannot afford legal representation, provides advice, runs cases, offers legal workshops, as well as well as offering student training and community-oriented workshops. It is connected to the Bachelor of Laws LLB programme (students do community service / legal practice course through it). Additionally, the Legal Practice Course (DOL4500F/S) is offered, which includes hands-on client work under supervision.
7. SHAWCO (Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation)
The Students' Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (SHAWCO) runs various health and education programmes. Approximately 2 000 UCT students are involved annually, as volunteers. Operating in the Western and Eastern Cape, the health programme provides primary healthcare to 5 000 adults and children (annually) close to their homes, with fully equipped mobile clinics. The education programme gives academic support and homework assistance to 1 300 learners weekly with structured education projects that help improve the academic ability of learners.
SHAWCO Law and SHAWCO Education & Law projects
- SHAWCO Law (or “Law Literacy”) is run by UCT law students, teaching/mentoring Grade 8-9 learners in SHAWCO-served high schools on legal and socio-economic matters weekly; this aims to improve citizens’ understanding of rights.
- SHAWCO Education & Law division also runs programmes like digital literacy, career days, violence prevention, after-school tutoring.