Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University is located in Pretoria North, a suburb on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa.
The university was formed in its current state in 2014, but it has a long history before that. It was first established in 1976 when it was known as Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA), before becoming a campus of the University of Limpopo. At the time, it was established to provide medical education to black students, who were largely unable to attend other universities.
It was named in honour of the South African ANC leader Sefako Makgatho.
The university has five schools including the school of medicine, oral health, pharmacy, health care sciences and science and technology. Around 6,300 students attend and study a range of programmes including undergraduate, postgraduate and research.
As members of national and community sports leagues, SMU’s students have the opportunity to take part in competitive sporting activities. There’s also a multi-purpose gym, karate hall, dance hall, and football stadium on campus for students to take full advantage of.
Outside of sporting activities, students are encouraged to participate in a range of extracurricular activities from the Student Representative Council to societies and events. SMU’s social clubs include debate, DJ, poetry, and wrap-it up. An important part of social life at SMU is the flagship events held throughout the year by the university, such as motivational talks, orphanage visits, pageants, and industry visits.
