Stellenbosch University (SU) announced the renaming and rebranding of its business school as Stellenbosch Business School, away from USB, this week.
Overall, the new identity for the business school forms part of SU’s monolithic branding strategy, confirming the school’s ties with the leading research-intensive university on the African continent.
The rebranding also coincides with the start of another three-year strategy cycle for the school and the arrival of its new director, Professor Mark Smith.
The school will continue to draw on its achievements and heritage, “while there is excitement about what the future holds,” Smith said.
The new logo portrays clarity about the school’s identity to the local, national and international ecosystems in which the school operates, he added.
“For almost 60 years, we’ve led the way in management education for South Africa and the continent with connections that span the globe. We’ve led by being the first African school to gain the triple accreditation of AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA, and by being the first African school to integrate responsible leadership throughout our portfolio of teaching and research,” Smith explained.
The transformation of the brand reinforces the business school’s purpose, which is that of producing responsible leaders for SA and beyond. “Our vision of creating value for a better world is aligned with that of SU, which speaks to advancing knowledge in service of society,” Smith elaborated.
Stellenbosch Business School is also the first African school to embrace leading technologies in management education to better serve its students.
Owen Mbundu, head of marketing at the business school, explained that the rebranding makes the visual connection between the university and its business school much stronger. The new colour palette adds freshness to the traditional colours associated with the university.
“Overall, the logo sends out a message of transformation and commitment to joint values, excellence and inclusion,” Mbundu concluded.
