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Dr Petrus de Kock in conversation with Siegie Brownlee, CEO of Eduvos. The article below is extracted from Volume 36, Issue 5 of the PMR.africa magazine.
The word, ‘education’, can be problematic. Like many other words, not only in the English language, but most likely all languages spoken by humans, its meaning may be defined in a dictionary. However, what is conjured in one person’s mind upon hearing the word, may be something completely different to what it means for a neighbour across the street. This is especially true in the 21st century where the increasing pace of social, economic, political and technological change, challenge the educational sector as a whole, and higher education in particular.
With the above ‘problem’ of trying to figure out what education means in mind, an opportunity presented itself to interview three executives from the Eduvos team. The first conversation, as relayed in this article, was with Siegie Brownlee, CEO of Eduvos.
Siegie relates how the institution can trace its history back to 1979. Since launching under the Eduvos brand, the institution has experienced not only significant growth but has strategically positioned itself to positively contribute to the transformation of higher education in South Africa.
To this end, Siegie argues that it’s a well-known fact that there is a major demand for quality, accessible, and relevant higher education in South Africa. The proverbial ‘battle for space’ in public higher education institutions in South Africa, is most certainly a reality.
According to Siegie, Eduvos set out, consciously, to position itself as contributing to finding a solution to this national challenge and higher education accessibility.
The institution has clearly made progress on the latter front of providing more students with opportunities to access higher education opportunities, if one goes by the significant growth in enrolments.
Evidence of strategic success with growing enrolments, and ultimately creating opportunities to access quality higher education, is shown through publications like Insight Success Magazine and CIO World, recognising Eduvos as one of South Africa’s Top 10 fastest growing companies.
Having positioned itself as aiming to contribute to the solution and the ‘public good’, in this way, the journey of adaptive growth Eduvos has been undertaking in recent years becomes even more interesting. This is due to the fact that when the conversation turns to the factors that contributed to such success, it quickly becomes evident that Siegie believes it is necessary to understand and strategically respond to social and societal, economic, technological, and the ever-changing needs of business. This also forms the crux of what is called ‘adaptive growth’ in this article.
In this context, Siegie highlights the fact that Eduvos has been on a journey of constantly adapting teaching methodologies, modes of assessment, and delivery of academic programmes. The adaptive growth theme is further supported by the way in which the institution interacts with its students to meet their needs, as well as the needs of the industries in which the Eduvos qualifications seek to be relevant and serve.
Siegie emphasises the importance of staying relevant to the needs of its stakeholders. This is because Eduvos strives, on an ongoing basis, to match industry needs and therefore, to deliver relevant programmes and qualifications. Siegie also shares how each faculty is guided by its own academic advisory board, comprised of industry and academic experts who work to maintain high standards of academic quality, rigour, and industry relevance. Through this ongoing collaboration, Eduvos ensures its students are connected to the world of work and prepared for the future.
It’s inevitable that the conversation will turn to the digital technology domains and how developments such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) either challenge or enhance education. In terms of Siegie’s thinking, it becomes clear quite quickly that new technologies, whichever form they may take, or whatever function they may fulfil in industry, or the broader economy and society, come with their own implications. That is why she stresses that Eduvos cannot shy away from, or ignore, new technologies embraced by or impacting on their stakeholders – be these students, industry, or society.
To this end, Eduvos has done extensive work to embrace the emergence of AI. Additionally, the institution is leveraging the benefits of the digital universe by offering hybrid learning opportunities to students.
In this regard, Siegie indicates Eduvos understands that in a hybrid on-campus/online or fully online learning environment, the goal may be to develop ‘hard skills,’ but Eduvos also focuses on developing ‘soft skills.’ At the most basic level, the latter relates to empowering students with the necessary skills to effectively communicate in and navigate a digital environment. It also emerges that the institution most certainly does not see AI as a threat; instead, it has, where relevant, embedded its use in teaching and learning processes.
In terms of what Eduvos aims to prepare students for, Siegie has an interesting point of view. She observed that while history plays a role in shaping our reality, the future cannot be predicted by looking backwards. Here, she observes that Eduvos strives to inculcate an ethos of ‘anticipatory leadership’ through its offerings. An anticipatory leader is a strategist, a futurist, someone who engages in conscious efforts and actions to, in her words, ‘make a new future.’
With the concept of anticipatory leadership in mind, Siegie indicates that significant benefits can accrue from collaboration between public and private higher education institutions. In this context, she believes an ecosystem incorporating industry, public, and private institutions will contribute positively to society and the economy. This is in line with the ethos of anticipatory leadership, implying that Eduvos sees broader social value in collaboration and collective problem-solving aimed at benefiting South Africa.
In terms of expanding the Eduvos contribution to academic research that is relevant to the needs of industry and society, Siegie indicates that future Master’s and PhD-degree programmes are currently in the approval process with the Council of Higher Education.
Through the expansion of its postgraduate degree offerings, Eduvos aims to provide a platform for advanced research. The latter, of course, aligns with the goal Eduvos aims to achieve, according to Siegie, which is to provide quality higher education that contributes to transformation and ultimately enhances the prosperity of South Africa and Africa.
Not only has Eduvos taken the private higher education landscape by storm in recent years, but its qualifications are registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and quality assured by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The qualifications are also registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), ensuring credibility and recognition. Significantly, Eduvos also received international accreditation from the British Accreditation Council (BAC). Having increased enrolments to 21,000+ in 2025, by being attuned to the needs of students and industry stakeholders, it’s safe to say that Eduvos is indeed a unique case study in deliberate adaptive growth.
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