Blog
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Best Reference Managers for Postgraduate Students in South Africa (2026)
Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote 21 and RefWorks compared for South African postgraduates — with the licensing facts checked against UCT and Stellenbosch library guides, rand and data costs counted, and one clear recommendation.
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How to Get South African Data for Your Dissertation: Stats SA, SuperWEB2 and DataFirst (2026)
Stats SA releases are free, SuperWEB2 builds custom tables, and DataFirst distributes survey microdata to registered users at no cost. The full access procedure, step by step, with the weighting warning that saves your analysis chapter.
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Is Using AI for a Dissertation Allowed at South African Universities? (2026)
There is no national rule on AI in dissertations. UCT, Wits, Stellenbosch and Unisa each publish their own policy — and they genuinely disagree. What each document actually says, and how to use AI safely.
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Your Supervisor Is Not Returning Your Chapter: What to Do, in Order (South Africa, 2026)
A chapter sent six weeks ago and still no reply. The escalation ladder that works at South African universities, the national standard that says a written supervision policy must exist, and what to do while you wait.
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Writing a Dissertation While Working Full-Time in South Africa: A System That Survives a Real Job (2026)
55.3% of South African master’s students are 30 or older, and most are employed. Here is the weekly system that gets a dissertation finished around a full-time job — and what another year of registration actually costs you.
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Unisa vs a Contact University for a Master’s Dissertation: Which Should You Register At? (2026)
A frank comparison of open distance e-learning and contact study for a South African master’s dissertation — enrolment realities, the application window that closes in November, and the one question that should actually decide it.
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South African Postgraduate Enrolment Statistics: The Latest National Figures (2026 Update)
85 770 students were enrolled for a master’s or doctoral degree at a South African public university, and 17 439 postgraduate qualifications were awarded in the same year. The national figures, with sources, years and the caveats that matter.
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How to Apply for NRF Postgraduate Funding, Step by Step (2026)
The eligibility marks, the full versus partial cost of study split, and the institutional review step most applicants misunderstand — from the NRF’s own 2026 funding framework.
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Harvard vs APA Referencing at South African Universities: Which Should You Use? (2026)
Harvard is not one style and APA is. That single difference explains most South African referencing confusion — and decides which one you should actually follow.
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What Is Ethics Clearance, and How Long Does It Take at a South African University?
Ethics clearance is formal committee approval to start collecting data. What it covers, why POPIA raised the stakes, and how to avoid the delays that cost a semester.