Cape Peninsula University of Technology

CPUT Libraries play a crucial role in supporting students - providing access to a vast collection of resources to assist students with assignments or research.

Our libraries are pivotal in fostering an academic environment that thrives on research and innovation. We are more than just a place to borrow books – we are a hub of learning, where students, faculty, and researchers access the resources, support, and expertise they need to succeed.

Supporting Student Learning and Success

• Access to Resources: The library provides students and faculty with essential resources such as books, journals, databases, and other materials that support coursework, assignments, and research.
• Information Literacy: The library plays a key role in teaching students how to effectively search for, evaluate, and use information, an essential skill for academic success and lifelong learning.
• Study and Collaborative Spaces: Offering a quiet environment for individual study, as well as group study spaces, the library fosters an environment conducive to both learning and collaboration.

A Hub for Research and Innovation

• Research Support: we offer specialised services that support research activities, such as literature reviews, citation management, and access to research databases like JSTOR, PubMed, or Scopus.
• Assistance with Scholarly Publishing: Libraries help researchers navigate publishing processes, including open access publishing and institutional repositories where they can share their findings with the broader academic community.
• Data Management: Libraries assist with research data management, ensuring that data is stored, organised, and shared according to best practices and university policies.

If you ever need to print, scan, photocopy, laminate or bind something… the library is you to go place.

We have six branches – Bellville, District Six, Wellington, Mowbray, Granger Bay and Newlands – ensuring students have a wealth of information at their fingertips.

The two big libraries, Bellville and District Six have a 24-hour study area, for those who want study through the night.

More information on the opening times can be found here

Following their outstanding success at the national round of the Student Cluster Competition, held at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the BEng Tech Computer Engineering students from the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering (DEECE) are set to make their mark on an international stage in Germany!

The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC), a division of the CSIR, hosts an annual Human Capital Development (HCD) programme. This programme is designed for undergraduate students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields at South African universities. During this rigorous programme, students immerse themselves in CHPC, honing their skills and advancing their knowledge. They gain access to state-of-the-art computing resources hosted at the CHPC Laboratory in Cape Town.

In the preliminary round of this highly competitive event, ten qualifying teams—each comprised of four students (Tebogo Diraditsile, Abdullah Jaffer, Allen Van Dieman and Thina Nikita Calana) and one mentor, Dr Marco Adonis in CPUT case —compete at the National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure Systems (NICIS) CHPC’s Annual National Conference. The high-performance computer equipment, sponsored and provided by various vendors and sponsors, showcases the best in technology. The winning team from this round earns the opportunity to represent South Africa at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC) in Hamburg, Germany, competing in the International Student Cluster Competition against teams from around the globe.

Adonis, the head of DEECE and mentor to this group, declared that they have made the DEECE “very proud.” He emphasised their impressive achievement of outperforming senior students from all other South African universities, a testament to their hard work, dedication, and exceptional talent!

“It is recognition that students in our department can compete and excel against any counterparts,” he enthused.

The team poured their heart and soul into designing and building a high-performance computer. It was essential for them to execute complex mathematics and physics applications on the supercomputer to understand its capabilities. With a strong sense of purpose, they took on the challenge of building and running six benchmarks, and they were proud to be the only team in the competition able to compile and execute all of them. Their dedication and hard work reflected their commitment to excellence, and it was inspiring to see their efforts come to fruition. “The main reason the team won was that they always submitted milestones on time. The team's big secret was their preparation. They were well prepared for different scenarios.” Adonis observes.

He continues: “The team possess a steadfast determination to succeed no matter the challenges. They possess an innovative spirit that allows them to tackle problems with fresh insight and vigour. The team is cohesive and supportive. Each team member contributes valuable skills and positive energy.”

Adonis believes it is a significant achievement for DEECE and CPUT to have these students representing South Africa on the international stage. “The department wishes the team all the best as they prepare for the competition. We are certain that the team will continue to make us proud. We ask the team to remember that regarding the competitors ‘Hulle wietie wat ons wietie’ (they don't know what we know).”

Team leader Allen Van Diemen acknowledges that the competition was an amazing learning experience and that it allowed the students to work with hardware that we would never have been exposed to otherwise.

“It was a steep learning curve that required a lot of time and dedication, we would have never been able to win without the support we received from our mentor, department and department head. We hope that our victory in the [national]competition will establish CPUT as a formidable player in the HPC and computing arena,” Allen remarks.

He adds: “We are grateful for what we have learned and achieved thus far and look forward to the Germany challenge and we are committed to making CPUT, Cape Town and South Africa as a whole very proud.”

The team will be in Germany from 9 June to 13 June 2025, ready to embrace new opportunities and forge unforgettable memories.

CPUT prioritises students’ well-being! Our Campus Health Clinics are dedicated to providing essential primary health care services exclusively to registered students, with limited services available for CPUT staff.

The Campus Health Clinics’ mission is to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent illness, ensuring students have access to a professional and discreet health care service that adheres to the highest World Health Organisation standards. Remember, CPUT clinics operate on an appointment-based system for your convenience.

The Campus Health Clinics are proud to offer a wide range of vital services for CPUT registered students:

• General medical consultations plus the issue of basic medication
• Attending to minor ailments: colds, sore throats, diarrhoea
• Reproductive health methods (prevention) including the morning after pill
• HIV counselling and testing (VCT)
• Nutritional and counselling support for HIV positive students
• Treatment of sexually transmitted infections
• TB-DOTS supervision
• Wound dressings and assistance with minor injuries
• Wealth education programmes.

For further information, don’t hesitate to contact the Campus Health Clinic at any CPUT campus:

Bellville*

Tel: +27 21 959 6403
Fax: +27 21 959 6123
Location: New Library Extension, Ground Floor
Consultation Hours: 08:00 – 16:30

District 6

Tel: +27 21 460 3405
Fax: +27 21 460 3638
Location: Administration Building, Level 2, Room 2.900
Consultation Hours: 08:00 – 16:30

Mowbray

Tel: +27 21 680 1555
Location: Administration Building, Ground Floor
Consultation Hours: 08:00 – 16:00

Wellington

Tel: +27 21 864 5522
Location: Administration Building, Ground Floor, Room A29
Consultation Hours: 07:30 – 15:30

Your health is our top priority—don’t wait to take advantage of these important services!

The Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Hanlie Dippenaar, was amongst the speakers at the 2025 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla.

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the event, which was recently held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg and the theme was: Strengthening foundations for learning for a resilient future-fit education system.

Deliberations at this year’s Lekgotla were directed towards strengthening early childhood development for improved learning in later years; improving foundational skills of numeracy and literacy, especially reading and the use of Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education and providing support and development programmes to equip educators with skills, pedagogy, and methodology that will help them nurture young and growing minds.

Dippenaar participated in a panel discussion on the development of teachers’ knowledge, skills, and mindsets needed to prepare learners for the future of work. Her presentation focused on the motivation and support of teachers from recruitment to professional practice.

She reported on a transdisciplinary, international research project that includes colleagues from the CPUT Alumni Office, the Quality Department and the Faculty of Education, who are collaborating with Dr Jonas Scharfenberg from Passau University, Germany.

Scharfenberg visited the Faculty in February 2025 and leads the project. In her talk Dippenaar highlighted that student teachers in South Africa are inspired and motivated to help learners and be relevant in society, more so than student teachers in Germany, Sweden and Romania.

One reason for this could be the South African historical context and focus on Ubuntu. She emphasised the importance of collaborating with the Western Cape Education Department in preparing resilient teachers and gave examples of joint projects currently running. Furthermore, Dippenaar pointed out the importance of collaborating with CPUT alumni and learning from their experiences.

The three-day Lekgotla brought together political and administrative heads in education, representatives of related organisations; local and international academics; experts from the post-school education sectors and industry leaders.

CPUT boasts five campuses located in prime locations – ranging from the District Six Campus in the Cape Town CBD to the Wellington Campus in the heart of the Boland.

The Bellville Campus is the administrative hub of the institution and its face brick façade, designed by architect Revel Fox, is well-known. Some of the landmark buildings include the Dome of Remembrance and the Major Sports Hall, where thousands of students celebrate their graduation every year.

Table Mountain serves as a backdrop to the picturesque District Six Campus. Formerly known as the Cape Town Campus, it was renamed to District Six Campus in 2018 – in memory of the rich heritage of District Six and to acknowledge the pain that was caused when the then Cape Technikon was built on the site. The campus boasts state-of-the-art academic facilities, and the piazza is a popular gathering place for students.

The Wellington Campus is dotted with beautiful historic buildings. The campus offers a range of courses in the Faculties of Applied Sciences, Business as well as Education.

Mowbray Campus plays a crucial role in shaping the next generation of teachers, contributing significantly to the Western Cape’s education sector. Located on Highbury Road, just a stone’s throw from Mowbray’s bustling Main Road, the campus boasts modern lecture halls and dedicated study areas with computer access

Granger Bay

With its prime seafront location, the Granger Bay Campus is home to the renowned Cape Town Hotel School, the oldest in the city, as well as to the Maritime Engineering Department and the cutting-edge Survival Centre. The main attraction of the campus is the stylish Hotel School Restaurant, which features uninterrupted sea views, a Show Kitchen and sophisticated Alumni Cocktail Bar and Coffee Lounge.

As the Faculty of Education prepares for the Culture Walk on 12 March, Prof Anna Dippenaar, Assistant Dean shares the Faculty’s commitment to deepening the relationship between CPUT and the Breytenbach Kultuursentrum in Wellington.

This partnership gained momentum following the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Prof Andile Mji, the Faculty Dean, and Louis Duvenage, Chairperson of the Breytenbach Kultuursentrum. The centre’s presence in Wellington not only creates valuable employment opportunities but also generates revenue that can be reinvested back into the community. By nurturing art and culture, they can uplift Wellington’s reputation as a vibrant hub of creativity and artistic expression.

Dippenaar expressed her belief that this MOU represents a significant commitment from both parties to work hand in hand. Together, they aim to initiate meaningful projects and facilitate discussions on vital topics such as education, leadership, and the cultural landscape, in which they are particularly focused on:

• Developing programmes that tackle pressing issues like climate change and unemployment.
• Exploring the shared use of sports training facilities, lecture halls, and venues to enrich the lives of everyone in the Wellington community.

This MOU will remain in effect until December 30, 2029, with the possibility of renewal, as the two parties strive to build a stronger bond with the Wellington community. Dippenaar says the CPUT holds a special place within this community and is dedicated to nurturing that connection. “We will plan projects together, enhance student interaction and more innovation…I am very excited as this is the next step to closer collaboration and creating opportunities for students to interact on different platforms outside the CPUT context. This is part of our strive to improve our relationship and collaboration with the Wellington community at large,” enthuses Dippenaar.

Duvenage, too, emphasises the importance of the cultural environment, noting that it allows for a range of projects that can truly benefit both CPUT students and the wider Wellington community. He expressed excitement about the possibilities that arise from collaborating with the talented lecturers of CPUT's Art Department—together, they can generate innovative ideas that are both contemporary and attainable. This partnership is not just about ideas; it’s about creating opportunities that resonate with the two parties’ shared values and aspirations.

“It is not only a privilege but also an opportunity for the Breytenbach Kultuursentrum to work alongside CPUT Wellington. The first collaboration is called ‘Stoepstories’ to take place late afternoon on Wednesday 12 March 2025. A walkabout will occur between the campus of CPUT Wellington, the Andrew Murray Centre of Spirituality and the Breytenbach Kultuursentrum. Everyone is welcome to come and listen to storytelling and music on this route,” Duvenage remarks.

The Culture Walk will follow an exciting Sports Day event, taking place from 9 AM to 3 PM. This highly anticipated event is being organised by enthusiastic fourth-year Human Movement Studies students and their dedicated lecturers. All teams from the three faculties, as well as Hugenote College, will come together and showcase their skills!

The action-packed event will be filled with a variety of exhilarating sports, including netball, 5-a-side soccer, a fun run, 7s contact rugby, and a spirited sack race relay between classes.

Culture Walk Event is a Wellington Campus interdisciplinary event across faculties and community· The event includes:

• Storytelling event in the library.
• Cultural group performances with music in the student activity area in front of the cafeteria from 16:00 to 20:00.

For more information contact Dr Kobie Meiring: meiringj@cput.ac.za or Sandra Swanepoel: swanepoelsa@cput.ac.za