Karen Bruns, Senior Director of Development & Alumni Relations, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
In Africa, alumni can play a pivotal role in higher education, addressing challenges like financial sustainability, student support, and diminishing government aid. The evolution of alumni relations across the continent reveals key trends and challenges that must be addressed to build robust alumni engagement.
Let’s start with a reality check on the rates of alumni participation in Africa versus that of higher education institutions in the northern hemisphere. Alumni participation rates measure the proportion of contactable alumni who contribute philanthropically to their institution.
With no Africa-wide figures available, I refer here to the 2021 ASPIHE advancement benchmarking study of South African universities (Thaver & Abrahams, 2023), which showed a median alumni participation rate of 0.21 percent among South African universities in 2020, with Stellenbosch University achieving 0.96 percent for the same year, a significant increase from 0.42 percent in 2017.
This figure, though modest, aligns with the UK mean of 1 percent reported by CASE-Ross for 2019-20 (Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 2021), but it is some way from the national average alumni giving rate in the United States, which was nearly 8% in the 2021-2022 academic year based on data from the U.S. News annual survey (Wood, 2023).
In Africa, there’s often a strong focus by university fundraisers on diaspora support due to the prevalent remittance culture in most countries on the continent. While the diaspora is crucial, local alumni are equally important. In my view, the issue of low local alumni giving isn’t due to a lack of generosity. South Africans from all walks of life, for example, consistently demonstrate their philanthropic spirit during publicized crises, but universities have traditionally failed to engage alumni in ways that resonate with them.
Stellenbosch University has shifted from a transactional approach based on assumed alumni loyalty to building genuine, value-driven relationships driven by alumni-centric communications. Emphasizing a culture of shared purpose, we engage alumni through meaningful communication and celebrate their achievements.
While we recognize the importance of local connections, with 76 percent of our donors being in South Africa, we also demonstrate our commitment to connecting with alumni worldwide between 2018 and 2024 by establishing 48 alumni chapters across five continents, each managed by alumni volunteers together with the alumni participation team at the university.
Stellenbosch University’s Alumni Relations Strategy, finalized in 2017, serves as a potential model for African universities across the continent. This strategy focuses on internal capacity building, university-wide collaboration, and cultivating a diverse alumni community. It emphasizes that alumni engagement should extend beyond financial contributions to include career support, networking, and professional growth.
Our complementary alumni engagement model integrates alumni into the institution’s broader mission through special interest groups, digital platforms, and career services. We highlight underserved groups such as women and young alumni with programmes focused on their interests and needs.
We also uniquely offer programmes that reflect alumni narratives of and interests in sports, winemaking (we are the only university on the continent that teaches oenology and viticulture), leadership and entrepreneurship to enhance engagement.
Additionally, we measure our engagement and alumni responses to engagement opportunities. Measurement and analysis are key to any learning organisation, after all.
At Stellenbosch University, our data-driven approach to alumni engagement informs our chapter development, programming, and initiatives. By understanding alumni preferences and interests, we tailor our efforts to foster meaningful connections and enhance the alumni experience.
At Stellenbosch University, several peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns have been launched in recent years to engage alumni and supporters in philanthropic efforts. These initiatives encourage individuals to leverage their networks to raise funds for causes they are passionate about. For example, the iconic Cape Town Cycle Tour and Comrades Marathon involved alumni raising funds for student bursaries and university projects. During the COVID-19 pandemic, alumni-initiated challenges to support students in need demonstrated the power of personal networks and collective effort.
Pre-alumni engagement is a vital part of our strategy of building a philanthropic culture. We host work-readiness workshops, career seminars, and networking events, connecting students with alumni to explore career paths. We encourage a culture of giving among students by promoting small-scale fundraising efforts. Initiatives like #Move4Food,¹ which addresses food insecurity among students on our campuses, have been successful in promoting philanthropy among students and staff, while involving alumni in university advancement efforts, fostering long-term engagement.
Many African universities lack structured alumni relations strategies, skilled advancement professionals, and dedicated resources. These gaps limit our ability to mobilize alumni for support, mentorship, and networking. However, investments in professionalizing advancement teams have shown significant potential. For instance, the Kresge Foundation’s partnership with Inyathelo has dramatically increased fundraising capabilities at South African universities through targeted staff training and strategic planning.
For African universities aiming to enhance their advancement teams, building internal capacity is crucial. This involves structuring departments with defined roles in alumni engagement, fundraising, communications, and data management.
In addition, executive management’s active involvement is essential for driving these efforts forward. University leadership not only reinforces the importance of advancement but also strengthens relationships with key donors and alumni, helping to secure the resources needed for long-term growth and institutional success.
Additionally, partnerships with other university departments, including student affairs, faculties, and career services, can help to embed alumni engagement into the fabric of university life. Over time, these relationships create the foundations for a thriving culture of alumni support that strengthens the institution’s future.
In alumni relations, it is crucial to remember that donors are not ATMs. Building lasting relationships, rather than focusing solely on immediate transactions, is key. African universities often misread alumni relations in the United States as being “easy” and “easier” and assume that alumni in the northern hemisphere just give. In many instances they do not realize or acknowledge that relationship-building remains at the core of all alumni relations work globally. By fostering meaningful, lifelong partnerships with alumni and donors, African universities can ensure long-term support that goes way beyond financial contributions. This relationship-building approach, as seen in successful practices at Stellenbosch University in increasing alumni participation rates, can create a sustainable and engaged alumni community.
¹ For more information, visit https://matiesalumni.com/move4food/
To read more about philanthropy and higher education in sub-Saharan Africa, visit https://globalindices.indianapolis.iu.edu/index.html.
Bruns, K. (2024). Strengthening alumni participation in African higher education. Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Council for Advancement and Support of Education. (2021). CASE-Ross Support of Education: United Kingdom and Ireland 2021.
https://www.case.org/system/files/media/file/CASE-Ross_2021_Report.pdf
Thaver, B. & Abrahams, M. (2023). Annual Survey of Philanthropy in Higher Education 2021 Main Report. Cape Town: Inyathelo – The South African Institute for Advancement.
https://inyathelo.org.za/images/researchreports/ASPIHEReport2021.pdf
Wood, S. (2023, December 29). 15 Colleges Where the Most Alumni Donate. U.S. News.
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/colleges-where-the-most-alumni-donate
