Traditionalists must move with the times, says Turfloop

The Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership has shown “dynamism and resilience” in the face of challenges during the pandemic, says acting director Prof Sipho Mokoena.

The Polokwane-based school, part of the University of Limpopo, has moved all its MBA programmes online without any loss of academic rigour or quality, he says. “Our academics have demonstrated ability and skill to deliver the same content with practical, simulated demonstrations, while our students have all adapted to the online system.”

Mokoena looks forward to returning to face-to-face teaching “when the university instructs us to do so”, but says the digital transition is unstoppable. “The world is moving forward to acclimatise with the fourth industrial revolution, so traditionalists might be left behind or even grow extinct,” he says. “Covid is a lesson to jettison so-called tradition and move with the digital flow.”

There is a downside, however. Not all potential MBA students have access to the technology required to study online. Some would have been unable to complete the online application process, says Mokoena.

Turfloop has applied for accreditation by the Association of African Business Schools, which aims to raise the general level of business education on the continent. The association looks upon SA, with its depth of schools and experience, as a key driver of the process.