PPM News

14 April 2025

This Testimonial was written by Tertuis Cloete as a personal reflection and testimony on completing the Programme in Project Management (PPM) at Enterprises University of Pretoria and achieved the best student award.

I am Tertuis Cloete from Steinkopf, Northern Cape, working at the Department of Water and Sanitation on the Clanwilliam Dam project in the Western Cape.

Starting the online PPM course, I was already a project manager, but I needed a clearer grasp of comprehensive project management despite following the PMBOK approach. The course clarified how to effectively coordinate all aspects to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to high quality standards.

The course dramatically improved my understanding of project fundamentals: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. It taught me to integrate various knowledge areas and craft a cohesive Project Management Plan. I learned to break down the project scope into manageable work packages and connect time and cost factors for a strong project base.
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09 April 2025

This LinkedIn post was written by Mpolokeng Rammutloa as a personal reflection and testimony on completing the Programme in Project Management (PPM) at Enterprises University of Pretoria.

28 March 2025, was not just an ordinary day at the office, it was a celebration of resilience and achievement!

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the unsung heroes, the faceless champions who work tirelessly behind the scenes. You are the educational doulas who make every event possible. Your dedication truly impacts lives and I applaud you all! Well done team Enterprises University of Pretoria.

A special shoutout to our incredible alumni, who persevered through challenges and successfully completed their programmes. Congratulations to each and every one of you, this accomplishment is well-deserved!

As if the day could not get any better, I found myself on the receiving end. A huge thank you to Prof Herman Steyn and the entire academic team for delivering such an insightful programme Programme in Project Management - Enterprises.
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02 April 2025

On Friday, 28th March 2025, Enterprises University of Pretoria hosted a successful certificate ceremony to celebrate the achievements of participants in various professional programs presented by the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM). We were honored to have Dr Brighton Tshuma, Founder and Principal Consultant of PROJECTNEERS Consulting Engineers & Project Managers, and Director: Seleka Hydro Resources and Seleka Infra Eng. Ltd. as our esteemed guest speaker. Prof. Elma Van Der Lingen, Course Leader for the Programme in Innovation Management, welcomed attendees, while Prof. Herman Steyn, Krige Visser and Rudolph Oosthuizen presented respectively certificates for the Programmes in Project Management, Asset and Maintenance Management, Maintenance Management, Engineering Management, and Innovation Management. A heartfelt thank you to all faculty members, including Prof. Wynand Steyn, Dean of EBIT, and Mr. Henry Karow and Ms. Elna Venter from Enterprises University of Pretoria for their contributions to the event.

We congratulate all graduates and wish them success in applying their newfound skills in their careers!
Please refer to the original article on LinkedIn

27 January 2025

Congratulations to Prof Herman Steyn on receiving the College of Performance Management Professor of the Year Award.

This esteemed award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate excellence in teaching, produce significant research outputs, and has published academic papers or books in performance management.

Prof Herman Steyn is widely acclaimed as the co-author (with J. Nicholas) of the renowned textbook Project Management for Engineering, Technology & Business, with its 7th edition set to be published in 2025. This textbook is used by universities worldwide and has been translated into multiple languages, including Polish, Mandarin, and Ukrainian.
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22 January 2025

PPM proudly congratulates Dr Schalk Grobbelaar, our esteemed lecturer for the Project Risk Management module, on his well-deserved promotion to Associate Professor.

Driven by a passion for envisioning opportunities, experimenting with ideas, analyzing scenarios, and crafting innovative solutions, he continues to make a profound impact in his field. His dedication, expertise, and contributions to the academic community are truly inspiring.

We wish him continued success as he embarks on this exciting new chapter of his career.

20 August 2024

Earlier today, PMI South Africa Chapter and the University of Pretoria took a significant step forward by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their ongoing collaboration. The MoU is designed to offer students enhanced opportunities to develop their projectmanagement skills and knowledge. Under the initiative, aspiring project managers will have access to workshops, seminars, networking events, and direct support from industry professionals—all aimed at preparing students for successful careers in project management.

Additionally, the enduring mentorship relationship between PMI South Africa Chapter and the University of Pretoria remains a cornerstone of this partnership. Experienced project management professionals will continue to offer students valuable insights and practical guidance, fostering their growth and development in the field.
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01 August 2024

We are thrilled to congratulate Dr Suzaan Pretorius, one of our esteemed delegates who completed the Programme in Project Management in 2007, on her recent appointment as a Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM), University of Pretoria.

Dr Pretorius' journey is a testament to her unwavering determination and commitment to excellence. Her academic career began in 2015 when she joined GSTM as a part-time lecturer, driven by a passion for research. In 2016, she was appointed as a researcher at the same institution.

After completing her doctoral degree in 2019, Dr Pretorius was appointed as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Graduate School of Technology Management, a role she held from 2020 to 2022. Her research has taken an intriguing turn as she now investigates the influence of Artificial Intelligence on Project Management Maturity and its potential impact on the Project Management Office.
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19 April 2024

Enterprises University of Pretoria annually hosts a formal ceremony to award University of Pretoria certificates to people who have successfully completed comprehensive skills development programmes of the GSTM (Graduate School of Technology Management). The awards included the much acclaimed and industry relevant Project Management, Engineering Management, Asset and Maintenance Management certificates. In 2024, the ceremony took place on 19 April, and 102 certificates were awarded to people who have successfully completed the Programme in Project Management (PPM). Of the 102 certificates, 44 were awarded for the Online PPM, 30 for the Weekend PPM, and 28 for the Midweek PPM.
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26 February 2024

Monday 26 February 2024 marked the 200th time that a comprehensive programme in project management (PPM) kicked off, this time with 60 enrolled course participants. The first intake of the PPM (Programme in Project Management) was presented in 1997 in collaboration with what is now called EUP (Enterprises University of Pretoria). Ever since, the content has been revised to keep abreast of new developments.

The GSTM believes that the approximately 10’000 people who have done the PPM, continues to contribute to improved management of Southern African projects. The project management careers of these individuals also benefit from having completed the PPM. An additional benefit for the participants is that the PPM has – has been presented more than 26 years – become well known in industry.
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07 February 2022

Johannesburg- Legendary DJ Oscar Sibonginkosi Mdlongwa, better known by his stage name Oskido, has announced that he has gone back to school.

Oskido, who has not only been spinning the decks for over 26 years, but also owns a record label company, Kalawa Jazzmee, took to social media to let his fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry know of his latest project.

He stated proudly that he enrolled at the University of Pretoria for a five-month Project Management Programme that will see him attend classes from 8am to 5pm, one week per month.
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20 July 2019

Prof Herman Steyn is known for advising people that, if they can find a better course to develop project management skills than the PPM (Programme in Project Management) of the University of Pretoria, they should enrol on it.

The PPM was established in 1997 and is revised regularly to keep up with the latest developments in the field. It is the project management course of choice of several organizations and has been presented in-house at several companies. It has, for example, been presented 9 times in-house at Group Five Ltd. In total, more than 8000 people have done this course since 1997. The PPM is therefore well known by employers and adds value on the CVs of professionals.

The PPM is a product of the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) of the University of Pretoria – the leading institution in Project Management in the country. The GSTM also offers the only master’s degree course in Project Management on the African Continent that is accredited by the Global Accreditation Center of the PMI (Project Management Institute).
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18 July 2019

The Programme in Project Management (PPM) has been registered with ECSA (The Engineering Council of South Africa) for quite a while and is now (since April 2019) also registered with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

Upon successful completion of the PPM, both ECSA members and SACNASP members can claim 5 CPD points.

The Online Short course on Project Management Principles and Practices is now also registered with both ECSA and SACNASP and members can claim CPD points upon completion of the short course. This online (distance education via the Internet) short course provides a convenient way for people who need ECSA or SACNASP CPD points. The course is recognized and earns credit as the first module of the Programme in Project Management (PPM).