​New Stellenbosch University Business School to be developed on a part of the Oude Libertas site that Distell donated to Stellenbosch University.

·       A thriving and innovative Stellenbosch University to create a truly collaborative learning destination.

Stellenbosch University (SU) will be bringing its world-renowned Business School back to Stellenbosch where it will find a new home within a truly unique and collaborative destination to be developed on a part of the Oude Libertas site.

SU's Council recently (25 September 2019) accepted the donation of a part of the Oude Libertas land from Distell. 

“This donation is a vote of confidence from Distell who are committed to Stellenbosch University and its ongoing success as a centre for education and innovation. The company also shares our vision of becoming Africa's leading research-intensive university, globally recognised as excellent, inclusive and innovative, where we advance knowledge in service of society," says SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers.

In a statement, Distell said the company is very supportive of initiatives that have the potential to bring fundamental change and improved opportunity in Stellenbosch and they are confident to make this transformational donation to an institution that so profoundly impacts both the local and global community. 

“Stellenbosch has emerged as a leading entrepreneurial business town in South Africa where a business school such as the USB can add significant value. Relocating the USB to Stellenbosch will unlock opportunities for academic collaboration with the university's main campus, which also hosts its business incubator, the Nedbank and SU LaunchLab. The move will also allow the USB, the only business school on the continent with full triple accreditation, to unlock further value from the location and brand of the Stellenbosch campus and the town."

Prof De Villiers said recent market analysis, current competitors' trends and SU's vision for the USB made a compelling case for relocating to Stellenbosch. 

“The development of a new campus for the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) close to the town of Stellenbosch and the Western Cape region will have significant and positive economic impacts as both will benefit substantially from this investment," says Prof De Villiers.

The new site, which will accommodate the USB and the executive development company USB-ED as well as the Institute for Futures Research, is strategically located within the planned redevelopment of the Adam Tas Corridor (ATC), an area stretching along the R310 and R44 along the foot of Papegaaiberg, from the disused Cape Sawmills site in the west to Kayamandi and Cloetesville in the north. The ATC is conceived specifically to catalyse and accelerate the Municipality of Stellenbosch's vision for achieving a spatially integrated and transformed Stellenbosch. For Distell this development is the first step in the development of some of their properties which falls within the ATC. 

Says Prof de Villiers: “All top business schools in the world know that their reputation must be reflected in an appropriate location and top-class facilities. We believe that creating a landmark modern business school overlooking vineyards and reflecting the historic Stellenbosch and SU urban design features, will further differentiate Stellenbosch University from all other SA universities and enable it to take its place amongst leading global learning experiences."

“The fact that the USB and USB-ED can conceptualise a new building will allow them to incorporate the latest spatial design and technology-enabled learning spaces. The site and new buildings simultaneously facilitate face-to-face learning in a natural ambience conducive to mindfulness and executive education delivery of the highest order."

According to Prof De Villiers, the SU will mainly fund the development out of fundraising activities which will be the determining factor for this move to take effect. Apart from funding, the relocation will be subject to normal approval and public participation processes, as well as consultation with affected stakeholders.   

The existing campus in Bellville will continue to function with expanded activities from other university departments. Existing and planned upgrades to the current campus are ongoing, and the SU is planning to expand the academic footprint on the Bellville campus even further in the years to come. 

SU and Distell will be working together to facilitate the site's subdivision where after impact studies and rezoning will take place.

Media enquiries

Stellenbosch University: Prof Stan du Plessis, Chief Operating Officer (stan@sun.ac.za; 021 808 2600)

About the USB

The USB is a leading business school in South Africa with a proud history stretching back more than 50 years. It is the only business school in the country with full-term accreditation from three leading international accreditation associations (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS) and one of a few  international business schools to hold all three accreditations amongst the more than 16 000 schools world-wide where business degrees are offered. 

Within Stellenbosch University the USB finds its academic home in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, SU's largest faculty and home to a wide diversity of academic disciplines in the Broad Economic and Management Sciences. Almost half of the faculty's 8000 students are at various postgraduate levels, with the USB as a postgraduate business school accounting for a large share of that portfolio. 

The USB was founded in Stellenbosch and relocated to Bellville in the early 1970s to service the business community in Cape Town's Northern suburbs and as part of the SU's strategy to expand part-time education. In 1986 the USB moved to its current premises at Bellville Park Campus.