A Term That Transformed SAACHS

Reflections on the Achievements of the Outgoing NEC

As the South African Association of Campus Health Services (SAACHS) transitions to a newly elected National Executive Committee, it is appropriate to reflect on the substantial achievements of the outgoing NEC, whose tenure represents a consequential period in the Association’s history.

During the past NEC's term, the NEC focused deliberately on strengthening SAACHS’s governance, sustainability, national relevance, professional credibility, and operational maturity.

Establishing a compliant and credible organisation

The most significant milestone of the outgoing NEC was the successful formalisation of SAACHS as a Registered Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) in 2023. This was a complex and demanding process that required:

• Constitutional amendments to align the Association with statutory NPO requirements
• Registration with SARS to ensure tax compliance
• The production of financial statements and reporting aligned with applicable financial regulations

These steps fundamentally repositioned SAACHS as a legally compliant, accountable organisation with enhanced standing within universities, government bodies, and partner institutions.

Strengthening financial governance and sustainability

Alongside regulatory compliance, the NEC implemented improved fiscal structures to support long-term sustainability. This included reviewing annual member subscriptions and conference fees to ensure the Association could responsibly fund its activities, meet statutory obligations, and plan strategically. Procedures to improved financial discipline and oversight were implemented in order to reduce organisational risk and enable more effective programme delivery.

Sector advocacy and national leadership

The outgoing NEC positioned SAACHS as a credible and important national voice through its active involvement in submissions to the CCMA Essential Services Committee, advocating for the designation of campus clinics as essential services in terms of the Labour Relations Act. The SAACHS submission was central to the outcome and materially shaped the ESC’s reasoning and determination (Download the CCMA Determination).

This intervention underscored the essential role of campus health services in protecting community health and wellbeing, elevated SAACHS’s profile, and reinforced its contribution to public health within higher education institutions.

Building a professional brand and digital presence

An important focus of the outgoing NEC was the development of a coherent, professional SAACHS brand presence. This included the launch of a new professional website and the introduction of consistent branding elements such as branded wall banners, X-frame banners, and professionally branded email communications. Together, these initiatives enhance the Association’s visibility, credibility, and presentation at conferences, meetings, and other engagements.

At the centre of this work was the implementation of a new, fully integrated website platform, purpose-built to support the operational needs of a national professional association. The platform includes:

• A professional public-facing site that enables the NEC to easily add, amend, and update new content
• An integrated CRM system to manage contact records and enable structured communication with members, suppliers, and stakeholders
• A member management system supporting membership administration and engagement
• A professional online event management system enabling members and suppliers to book conference participation online
• Automated generation of event invoices, confirmation emails, and real-time management reports
• An integrated payments system to track invoices and payments accurately and transparently

This digital transformation has professionalised SAACHS’s presence and operations, reduced administrative burden, improved data integrity, and significantly enhanced the member and exhibitor experience.

Revitalising regional structures

Recognising that SAACHS’s strength lies in its regional footprint, the NEC prioritised the resuscitation and revitalisation of regional SAACHS committees. Through improved communication, collaboration, and leadership engagement, regional structures were reinvigorated and repositioned as active contributors to the Association’s mission.

This renewal encouraged stronger regional engagement, the sharing of best practices across institutions, and improved access to critical resources—particularly during periods of operational pressure within campus health services.

Expanding education, training and professional development

Responding to post-COVID shifts in professional learning, the NEC led the development of a hybrid education platform, integrating online training with in-person learning. A series of well-attended webinars demonstrated SAACHS’s willingness to innovate and broaden access to professional development for campus health practitioners nationwide.

These initiatives strengthened SAACHS’s role as a credible platform for continuous learning within the student health and wellness sector.

Professionalising the Annual Conference

Conference hosting was strategically aligned under the leadership of the NEC while emphasising the role of the Regional hosts. The NEC:

• Appointed professional event organisers
• Standardised member and exhibitor pricing, benefits, and experiences
• Strengthened exhibitor relationships
• Improved consistency, quality, and stakeholder value across conferences

These reforms enhanced the prestige of the SAACHS Annual Conference and significantly enriched delegate, exhibitor, and institutional engagement.

Unlocking strategic partnerships

The cumulative impact of governance reform, compliance, professionalisation, and digital maturity culminated in closer collaboration with Higher Health, including funding support for SAACHS activities during the NEC's term, and promises by Higher Health of increased support in the future. This may mark a critical turning point in the Association’s capacity to scale its impact and deepen its contribution to student health and wellness nationally.

Leadership reflection and legacy

The outgoing National Chairperson Molimi (Miemie) Geya acknowledged the commitment of the NEC, regional leadership, and SAACHS membership, noting that accountability, robust engagement, and collaboration were central to the Association’s progress. She expressed confidence that the foundations laid would enable sustained growth and relevance. The outgoing NEC leaves behind a stronger, compliant, professionally presented, digitally enabled, and nationally respected Association.