2026 SASFF Conference & AGM
10 & 11 September 2026, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town
Conference Theme
Financial Sustainability: Navigating South Africa’s Student Debt Regulatory Landscape and Sustainable Student Funding and Collection Solutions
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2026 SASFF Annual Conference
The 2026 SASFF Annual Conference brought together higher education finance practitioners, policymakers and industry partners to explore sustainable student funding, responsible debt management and innovative financial solutions for South African universities and TVET colleges.
Key areas of focus included:
- Student Funding Sustainability: Alternative funding models, transformation and improving access to higher education.
- Student Debt Management: Best practices in debt recovery, proactive collection strategies and institutional financial sustainability.
- Regulatory Compliance: Consumer rights, legal recovery processes and responsible student debt collection.
- Innovation and Technology: Digital payment solutions, financial products and smarter revenue management.
- Policy and Sector Engagement: The role of government, institutions and industry in developing sustainable student finance solutions.
- Institutional Collaboration: Sharing expertise, experiences and practical approaches across universities, TVET colleges and industry partners.
- Governance and Leadership: SASFF’s Annual General Meeting and election of a new Board.
- Networking and Recognition: Opportunities for professional engagement, collaboration and recognition.
The conference highlighted the importance of a collaborative approach to building a more accessible, financially sustainable and responsive higher education system.
Our Sponsors & Co-hosts
Our Facilitator
Our Presenters
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Our Panelists
Topic: From Student Debt to Sustainable Recovery: New Approaches to Collecting Debt in
South African Higher Education
Our Elections
SASFF Elects New Board Through Secure Electronic Voting Process
The South African Student Finance Forum (SASFF) successfully conducted its 2026 Board elections on 11 September 2026, during its Annual General Meeting in Cape Town. For the election, SASFF adopted a secure electronic voting system to ensure a transparent, fair and confidential process. Each participating institution was represented by one authorised delegate who received a unique voting credential, ensuring that only one ballot could be submitted per institution. Of the 33 eligible institutions, 30 participated, representing an impressive 91% voter turnout, with a total of 164 candidate selections recorded.
The election was conducted under the supervision of an independent Election Official, supported by a System Administrator, with safeguards to protect ballot secrecy, prevent duplicate voting and maintain an auditable record of the process. Neither the Election Official nor the Administrator had access to voting results while the ballot remained open. Following closure, the results were tallied electronically and the elected Board members determined according to the approved election rules. A tie affecting a TVET representative position was identified for resolution through the prescribed electoral process. The adoption of electronic voting represents an important step in SASFF’s commitment to good governance, accountability, transparency and inclusive institutional representation.
Our Panelists
Topic: From Student Debt to Sustainable Recovery: New Approaches to Collecting Debt in
South African Higher Education
Moderator:
R. Hendricks
