Unisa Press celebrates 67 of Unisa’s 150 years

The university’s world-class publishing house is 67 years young, and the milestone was recently celebrated at a gathering of various stakeholders as the Press looked back on its proud history.

Celebrating the milestone are Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa, Vice-Principal: Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation, and Dr Meiya Nthoesane, Unisa Press Director

This celebration, held on 6 December 2023, at Unisa’s e-garden, not only provided a joyful end to the year but also indicated a promising future for the publishing house as it moves closer to its own 150^th year milestone. Back in 1956, the Press began its modest journey by printing research, study materials and guides, which were then stored in the library. This information was confirmed by searching old articles and looking at the date of the first paper published by Unisa Press in the Unisa Library.

Proud member of an elite group

Until very recently there were only four university presses in the country, including Unisa Press. Interestingly, many universities are now recognising the significance of having their own press, which caters to the research output of academics, researchers, postgraduate students, lecturers and authors. Unisa's leadership had the foresight to support the research, academic and scholarly community in distributing their research work.

Consequently, over the years Unisa Press has expanded its services, now including the sale and dissemination of books, e-books and journals in various formats. These publications are made available through trade and scholarly bookshops, subscription-based journals, and hybrid or open access platforms, all of which are rapidly growing. In addition, the Press has fostered new partnerships with platforms such as ScienceOpen in the creation of a new preprint server, and UnisaRxiv, which is a forum to facilitate open peer-reviewed preprint manuscripts and allows for rapid dissemination of the latest findings on diverse topics.

Pieter Rall, Managing Editor for Journals at Unisa Press, opened the ceremony by extending heartfelt appreciation to all those in attendance. He mentioned that the anniversary celebration presents an opportunity for stakeholders, particularly the current staff, to come together and celebrate their contributions thus far. Notably, the highlight of the event was the relaunching of the Press's banner at Unisa’s main campus, serving as a significant reminder to all Unisa Press stakeholders of its services. This symbolic banner showcases the range of services offered by Unisa Press and emphasises its commitment to maintaining the highest quality through peer-reviewed publishing processes.

Unisa Press Staff with support staff and stakeholders at the unveiling of the new Unisa Press banner at the main campus.

Profound impact celebrated

The Vice-Principal: Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation, Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa, gave a message of support: “As we applaud this momentous occasion, we pay tribute to the profound impact and invaluable contributions of Unisa Press in shaping and disseminating African histories to a global audience. Unisa Press stands tall as a beacon of African scholarship, tirelessly dedicating itself to amplifying the diverse voices, rich cultures and multifaceted histories of the African continent. For over six decades, it has been instrumental in bridging gaps, dispelling misconceptions and championing a more comprehensive understanding of Africa's complexities.”

Programme director Shela Maluleka, Unisa Press Store Manager, addressing guests at the Unisa e-garden.

Unisa Press Director, Dr Meiya Nthoesane, expressed his delight and further echoed the leadership role of Unisa Press in scholarly publishing, advancing academic excellence and being at the forefront of promoting African scholarship. “Unisa Press is one of the oldest and largest scholarly publishing bodies on the African continent,” he said. “With such a grand reputation, we will continue to be a driving force in shaping the future of publishing. As Unisa Press looks forward to reaching 150 years, we aim to offer a more customer-centric publishing service, using technology and an aggressive distribution plan to access markets globally.”

In closing, Khanya Mahlare, Executive Director of the Department of Institutional Advancement, the driver and champion of Unisa’s 150-year celebrations, encouraged Unisans to value their own contributions while commemorating 150 years of Unisa. She mentioned that Unisa Press should remain committed to serving and championing groundbreaking research.

#Unisa150

* By Emmanuel Munano and Innocential Swanepoel, Unisa Press