CARLEEN TOBIAS
There’s something quietly powerful about being in a space that knows exactly who it’s for.
On 5 February, I attended the launch of Emeris in Gqeberha, a newly unified higher education brand introduced by ADvTECH. From the moment the ribbon was cut, it felt less like a routine campus opening and more like the start of something considered.
Positioned next to Walmer Park Shopping Centre, the campus feels intentional. Modern, yes, but more importantly, thoughtful. Every space seems shaped by a simple question: how do students actually live, learn, and move through their day?
Walking through the campus, what stood out most was not only the design, but the atmosphere. The openness. The ease. The way the space invites students to stay, rather than rush in and out.
The classrooms reflect this same forward-looking approach. Technology is integrated in a way that feels practical rather than performative, with smart boards positioned on either side of the room so that every student can engage clearly, no matter where they are seated. It is a subtle detail, but a meaningful one. A reminder that inclusivity can be built into the very walls we learn within.
Beyond the lecture halls, the campus acknowledges that education does not happen in isolation. A contemporary library creates room for both quiet focus and collaboration. An indoor sports centre adds movement and energy to campus life, set to host netball and basketball games alongside cheerleading practices that bring the space alive.
Then there are the in between moments, the ones that often shape the student experience most. A welcoming cafeteria and games area offer space to pause, connect, refuel and reset between classes. These do not feel like afterthoughts. They reflect an understanding that wellbeing and academic performance are closely linked.
Emeris brings together institutions previously known as Varsity College under a single higher education brand. In 2026, it educates more than 30 000 students across South Africa, a scale that speaks to growth, but also to sustained confidence in its offering.
What stayed with me most after the launch was not the size of the campus or the polish of its spaces. It was the intention behind it all.
This feels like a university designed for the world students are stepping into, not the one many of us studied in years ago.
Perhaps that is what the future of education looks like. Spaces that do not simply deliver lectures, but genuinely support the people inside them.
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