Lesedi Kegomoditswe Mahuse, a Local Government Finance student at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and a proud product of the Midlands Region, is building a growing role in student engagement and higher education quality assurance.

Her journey began in 2025 when she joined the Student Voice Forum, a student-led initiative established in KwaZulu-Natal to create a platform for students to share their experiences and perspectives on higher education.

She subsequently became involved in quality assurance and student engagement activities through Unisa’s Student Engagement in Quality Assurance Systems (SEQASS) Project, which promotes students as active partners in quality assurance rather than simply recipients of institutional services.

Lesedi Kegomoditswe Mahuse, a Local Government Finance student at Unisa

Through these platforms, Mahuse has moved from sharing her own experiences as a student to engaging in broader discussions about how institutions can listen to students and use their experiences to improve the quality of higher education.

The SEQASS Project has provided Mahuse and other students with opportunities to participate in quality assurance discussions and develop their experiences into scholarly contributions.

Under the mentorship of Project co-owner Prof Itumeleng Setlhodi and SEQASS Project Leader Refiloe Tsephe, students have been supported in developing their perspectives and engaging more confidently in academic and quality assurance spaces.

Prof Lumkile Luvuyo Lalendle is the SEQASS Project Owner.

Since its establishment in 2024, SEQASS has facilitated student participation in the Higher Education Quality Assurance Forum (HEQAF), supporting efforts to strengthen student voice and partnership within quality assurance.

The approach seeks to move quality assurance beyond compliance by recognising students as important contributors to conversations about institutional performance, teaching and learning and the student experience.

For Mahuse, the opportunity has meant developing the confidence to move between different spaces, from student forums to wider discussions about higher education quality.

Mahuse’s journey also highlights the contribution students from Unisa’s regions can make to conversations that extend beyond their immediate campuses and communities.

Her progression from student participant to an emerging contributor in quality assurance demonstrates the potential of providing students with meaningful opportunities to engage, reflect on their experiences and participate in institutional conversations.

For the Midlands Region, her journey is a reminder that student engagement is not simply about giving students a platform to speak. It is also about creating pathways through which their experiences can inform scholarship, quality assurance and institutional improvement.

From the Midlands Region to broader higher education quality assurance platforms, Mahuse is finding her voice and demonstrating the role students can play as partners in shaping the future of higher education.

By Monica Nong, Office of the Regional Director, Unisa Midlands Region