17 Aug SAHPRA inspires TUT students to pursue careers in health regulation

Pretoria, 17 August 2026 – Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Faculty of Science students at the Arcadia Campus filled the Science Hall to welcome the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) as part of its ongoing programme to engage university students and raise awareness of career and professional opportunities within the health products regulatory environment.

The programme is part of SAHPRA’s stakeholder engagement initiative to work closely with various universities in South Africa to inspire interest among would–be health science professionals.

Welcoming SAHPRA to the campus, Professor Ntebogeng Mokgalaka-Fleischmann, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Science at TUT, urged students to embrace the SAHPRA visit and make the most of the opportunity by engaging meaningfully with the organisation and its representatives.

“Opportunities like this are important because they empower students to make informed decisions about their future. I therefore encourage all of you in this hall to SAHPRA and learn more about its role and ask questions that are relevant to the career direction you want to pursue,” said Professor Mokgalaka-Fleischmann.

For the students, the presence of Reitumetse Kgatlhane made the opportunities within health products regulation more tangible. A former TUT student and now a Technical Officer at SAHPRA, Kgatlhane shared her career journey and encouraged students to remain hopeful while preparing themselves for opportunities in the job market.

Her journey demonstrated to students that a career in health products regulation is a real and attainable pathway for graduates with an interest in the health sciences.

Speaking on the importance of the engagement, Tshepo Khunou, Human Resources Business Partner at SAHPRA, said the visit demonstrated the regulator’s commitment to meaningful stakeholder engagement and to bringing students closer to the health products regulatory environment through information-sharing.

“Our visit to TUT once again demonstrates SAHPRA’s commitment to stakeholder engagement and the importance of bringing students closer to the health products regulatory environment through information-sharing sessions like this one. It gives students hope and inspiration. We are excited to be part of this initiative and believe that this experience makes students feel their future is now tangible and attainable,” he said.

SAHPRA will be taking this initiative to other universities throughout the 2026/2027 financial year.