16/03/2026
Maintaining Specialised University Infrastructure in South Africa: Why Facilities Management Skills Matter
South African universities rely on highly specialised infrastructure such as biosafety laboratories, pre-clinical laboratories and research clean rooms to support teaching, research and innovation. These facilities are essential for producing scientific knowledge, training future professionals, and contributing to national development.
However, maintaining such complex infrastructure remains a major challenge.
A recent study by Matholi Hlophe, conducted at the University of Cape Town within the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, examined the challenges of maintaining highly specialised infrastructure facilities at a South African higher education institution. The research highlights several systemic issues affecting facilities managers.
The study found that maintenance of specialised facilities is often hindered by:
• Budget constraints and ageing infrastructure
• Administrative bottlenecks and weak governance frameworks
• Fragmented communication between academics, maintenance teams and contractors
• A reactive maintenance culture where repairs only happen after breakdowns
• Reluctance by academic users to allow routine maintenance due to fear of disrupting research or teaching activities
These challenges ultimately disrupt research programmes, delay experiments, and can even halt academic activities.
Imagine a university biosafety laboratory used by postgraduate students researching infectious diseases. The facility relies on specialised ventilation systems, controlled air pressure, and safety monitoring equipment. If routine maintenance of the ventilation system is delayed, the laboratory may need to shut down temporarily. This could interrupt research projects, delay student graduations, and slow down critical public health research.
This example shows that infrastructure maintenance is not just a technical issue, it directly affects education, research, and innovation.
The role of professional Facilities Management
Modern institutions require facilities managers who can coordinate complex infrastructure systems, plan preventative maintenance, manage budgets, and ensure compliance with safety standards. Without these competencies, universities risk infrastructure failure and escalating maintenance costs.
Our contribution: MT Foundation Classroom
The MT Foundation Classroom, a skills development division of the MT Foundation, believes that strengthening facilities management capacity is part of the solution.
Through our QCTO-accredited Occupational Certificate: Facilities Manager qualification, we aim to develop professionals who can:
• Implement proactive maintenance strategies
• Manage complex institutional infrastructure systems
• Improve governance and asset lifecycle management
• Strengthen coordination between technical teams and institutional leadership
• Support sustainable infrastructure management in universities and public institutions
South Africa’s knowledge economy depends on functional, well-maintained infrastructure in its universities and research institutions. Addressing maintenance challenges requires not only funding, but also skilled facilities management professionals who can plan, coordinate and sustain complex infrastructure systems.
The MT Foundation Classroom is committed to contributing to this national priority through skills development, training and professionalisation of facilities management.
📚 We acknowledge the valuable research conducted by Matholi Hlophe at the University of Cape Town, which provides important insights into infrastructure maintenance challenges in South African higher education institutions.
MT Foundation Virtual Research Institute QCTO Page
Facilities management (FM) plays a crucial role in the success of higher education institutions. This study explores the challenges that facilities managers encounter in performing routine maintenance work and the impact of inadequate maintenance on highly specialised facilities at a South African h...
