Celebrating the new graduates and enhancing the postgraduate social life on campus through what organisers hope will become an annual fixture.  

The postgraduate association (PGA) at Wits university have an upcoming festival on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Sturrock Park West Campus from 14:00 till 02:00 called ‘No degree, no entry’ as a way of celebrating with newly graduates.  

The Chairperson of the PGA, Okuhle Mafrika, said while Wits University’s vision for 2022/23 is postgraduate friendly and research intensive, postgraduate students do not feel that sense of inclusivity.  

Mafrika claimed that Wits focuses on undergraduate students, for instance hosting a Freshers party to welcome them but nothing for postgraduate students.  

The PGA has taken it upon themselves to instil a sense of belonging and celebrate postgraduate students.  

‘No degree, no entry’ is a festival aimed at attracting more postgraduates to the PGA community and motivate undergraduate students.  

“The No degree, no entry festival will hopefully be an annual event depending on its success,” he said.

There have been challenges such as securing sponsors and getting approval from the university since this is a new concept.  

Mafrika said “there are about 12 000 postgraduates and 24 000 undergraduates” so as the PGA they had to “sell the idea to students and to funders” first.  They have chosen to do this with a star studded line-up students will find difficult to resist.

The money generated is for fundraising purposes to assist postgraduate students with accommodation fees, as they hardly qualify for the hardship fund, said Mafrika. The hardship fund is mainly allocated for indebted undergraduate students.  

Tickets are on sale for R150 for Wits graduates and R200 for graduates from other universities and Wits undergraduates. Performances by Master KG, Mòrda, Elaine, Langa Mavuso, Kelvin Momo, Shakes and Les, Leemkrazy and many more are to be expected. 

The dean of students, Jerome September, said, “There have been initiatives that sought to cater for postgraduate students such as the postgraduate orientation programme and the book club run by the division of student affairs.” Wits is constantly reviewing these and looking at new and further ways to support and create a positive postgraduate student experience.