Transforming Universities Through Strategic Plans in South Africa and Zimbabwe:Continuities and Discontinuities
Leonard Chitongo 
& Kelvin Zhanda
Issue: Vol.6 No. 8 2025 Article 7 pp.607 -621
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025687 | Published online 27th August, 2025.
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The decade-long strategic planning cycles designed to enhance efficiency in universities have become increasingly significant in higher education. However, their effectiveness has diminished due to evolving educational demands and dynamic contexts. This study analyzed the effectiveness of strategic planning in achieving institutional goals, emphasizing the need for universities to reevaluate their relationships with local communities, businesses, national economies, and other entities. The study employed a multi-case study methodology to analyze the continuities and discontinuities in transformations instigated by the strategic plans of two South African universities, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of South Africa, as well as two Zimbabwean universities, the University of Zimbabwe and Great Zimbabwe University. The research conducted a thematic and content analysis using a desktop examination of examples and evidence related to the execution of strategic plans. To authenticate secondary data, interviews were conducted with important informants, including vice-chancellors, faculty deans, quality assurance directors, and academic and non-academic staff members. The study revealed that although university change necessitates a clearly articulated strategy, the strategic plans of these institutions, primarily project-oriented, serve just as a means to document current activities and projected outcomes. Although Zimbabwean institutions had “effective” strategic plans, their execution was inadequate. To alleviate the challenges now afflicting universities, the research advocates for a shift from strategic plans to the formulation of comprehensive strategic frameworks that correspond to the advancement of national policies. The study offers insights into how strategic plans can serve as proactive instruments of universities’ sustainable transformation in unstable economic and political contexts.
Keywords: Policy, Strategic Plans, Transformation, Universities
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Leonard Chitongo (PhD) is a hardworking and self-motivated individual who is always excited to face new challenges in his academic and professional career. He is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. He is strongly interested in researching issues that affect human and social development. He has published several articles on rural and urban resilience, housing, livelihoods, and public policy to date. He can be contacted on vachitongo@gmail.com
Kelvin Zhanda is a self-motivated and hardworking budding researcher. He holds a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Spatial Planning and Management from the University of Zimbabwe. His research interests include sustainable transformation of human settlements, climate change and governance. Email: kelvinzhanda94@gmail.com
Chitongo, Leonard, and Kelvin Zhanda. “Transforming Universities Through Strategic Plans in South Africa and Zimbabwe: Continuities and Discontinuities.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 6, no. 8 (2025): 607 – 621. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025687.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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