Lifelong learning is key to relevance in today’s marketplace says Wits Plus CEO

“If you thought 2025 piled on the pressure to keep up with the astonishing pace of technological, business, and social change, 2026 will be tougher,” says Wits Plus CEO Natalie Zimmelman.

Wits Plus gives professionals and organisations access to learning through University of the Witwatersrand-backed research and innovation. It offers hundreds of short courses designed to keep professionals and organisations abreast of rapid change in their fields, enabling the niche specialisation that is often required in the modern marketplace.

Rapid technological progress, including in artificial intelligence (AI), changing employer needs and expectations, and uncertain economic times all call for lifelong learning, which is indispensable for individual empowerment and professional and organisational relevance. 

“We all witness it every day: a skill that is essential one day is obsolete the next. It’s no longer possible to earn one post-school qualification and stop there – if it ever was,” says Zimmelman.

She asks, “Are you ready for what 2026 expects of you?”

Wits Plus houses all the University’s short courses under one professional entity, offering a diverse portfolio of Wits-certified, multidisciplinary courses, covering law, engineering, mining, health sciences, business management, and language, among others. This diverse range of courses supports professionals and lifelong learners at all stages of their careers. By providing faster, more affordable access to Wits’s trusted academic environment, Wits Plus helps promote socio-economic stability and opportunity for a wide audience.

Courses are delivered in different formats (face-to-face, blended, and online) to help individuals advance in their careers and for organisations to become more agile and responsive. Wits Plus also provides bespoke training for corporate and public sector teams.

“Lifelong learning is critical for professionals to learn about the latest research and how to use new technologies so that they remain competitive. More than that, the University views providing access to its long history of research excellence as inherently linked to its civic responsibility,” says Zimmelman.

Escalating higher-education and living costs, which mean many students need to work part-time or even full-time, are part of the rationale for increased learning flexibility through Wits Plus. A qualified lawyer might, for example, not have time to return to university to complete a master’s degree. Still, a short course in environmental law and sustainability through Wits Plus could provide the extra knowledge they need. Likewise, a qualified engineer might benefit from a short course in construction and engineering law or even critical raw materials.

“Lifelong learning is a critical mechanism for providing access to higher education for working professionals or those with geographic constraints. Through flexible study options, Wits Plus ensures that knowledge and skills remain accessible, transforming lifelong learning into a bridge for marginalised or working students who can’t access a traditional qualification route,” Zimmelman says.

“Through Wits Plus, South Africans and anyone, anywhere, have access to ongoing skills development. It is the University’s contribution towards building the economy and the country.” 

All Wits’s world-class research and innovation is brought into the short course offerings. This excellence is underpinned by the University’s highly rated research staff, including 29 of whom are A-rated by the National Research Foundation – in other words, researchers recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their respective fields.

Wits is jointly ranked with Stellenbosch University as the second-best university in South Africa in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, released on 9 October 2025. This further acknowledges Wits’s academic excellence – all of which is evident in the short courses offered through Wits Plus.

At Wits Plus, we believe learning is a journey of continued growth. Every course we offer is designed to take professionals one step further. As the working world continues to evolve, Wits Plus remains committed to empowering professionals through learning that drives real-world impact.

Add to your professional development with Wits Plus.