The Full Story
About Us
Smuts Hall was the first residence, along with Fuller Hall, to be built on UCT Upper Campus. The building, along with many other central buildings on Upper Campus, was designed by the architect Joseph M. Solomon and modelled after the architectural style of the Oxbridge Universities in England. Smuts Hall was oficially opened in March 1928, where the first residents were transplanted from College House.
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The official title of Smuts Hall was Men’s Residence, however there was a call to rename it, the original suggestions of “New College”, “Entabeni”, “Riebeeck” and “Ellisona” were not in favoured by the university council. In 1950 the council decided that Men’s Residence should be named after the Chancellor and Prime Minister, Field Marshall Smuts. This name was quickly accepted by the residents after Jan Smut’s death later that year.
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The unrelated house crest was adopted in 1942 and since then the building has been declared a national monument. Many famous people have passed through these halls before you. Former members include Mark Shuttleworth, the first South African in space, and Neville Isdell, the former CEO of Coca-Cola International.
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Smuts Hall is a phenomenal residence, based on the foundations of academic excellence, sporting achievement, respect and siblinghood. The residence serves as a platform to develop us into the leaders of tomorrow. As residents of Smuts Hall, our interests, talents and even languages may vary, but we are bound together by our shared experience of one of the greatest residences in Africa.
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The House Crest Est. 1942
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The rampant Lion, is a tribute to the crest of Randall’s Hotel on Main Road, which in itself represnts the same Lion from SAB’s Lion Larger. Ranall’s, affectionately known as “Alf’s” and the “Pig and Whistle” was a favourite and proximate watering hole for generations of students before being turned into Spur Steakhouse. The Lion is set on a field of green - the rugby fiels below the residence - with a straight path directing the jovial, sober path to Randall’s, whilst simultaneously, illustrating the decidedly less sober and exerting climb back up to Residence.
Our Leadership Structure
Kelly Chibale - PhD, FRSSAf, FRSC is professor of organic chemistry at the University of Cape Town
I work together with sub wardens, who themselves are senior students, to contribute to building a holistic, vibrant, high quality living and learning environment for residence students in Smuts Hall. I wish you the best time of your life in Smuts Hall. I am looking forward to knowing and interacting with you.
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WARDEN
Alumi
Siya Ntuntwana
Discipline, Alumni & Warden’s Sundowners 4th year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Hons)
I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone - this is where you will find your true self but grow as an individual. I do not expect you to have everything under control or have your life together, indeed you are an adult now but this journey of yours starts with YOU and I working towards being successful together.
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SUB-WARDEN
Kealeboga Keretetse
Room Allocations, Parking & Fire, Health and Safety 4th year BSc (Eng) Mechatronics
My First-year experience especially the O-week experience at Smuts Hall is one of the most memorable experiences I will always treasure. It is through those experiences that I was able to form new networks, form new friendships and furthermore make a name for myself in Smuts Hall.
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SUB-WARDEN
Tafara M’kombe
Keynotes, Internships 3rd year BBusSci Finance with Accounting
The path ahead of you may seem too long to walk at first, but I would like to urge you to take that first step knowing that I will be walking alongside you, helping you where I can and encouraging you when you feel ready to run. Again, I must reiterate: YOU CAN CHOOSE FOR YOURSELF!!
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SUB-WARDEN
The House Committee
Yolanda Tshilio - Student Front Desk Assistant for the mid-year vacation
The role of Student Front Desk Assistant involves general admin, assessing student applications, booking in guests and handling their queries. Yolanda Tshililo was Student Front Desk Assistant during the January to February vac period in 2017.
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SFDA
Latest News
Smuts Hall sub-wardens (from left) Jorich Loubser, Choongo Chibawe, Tafadzwa Ndlovu and Jayson George model the tops available to commemorate the residence’s 90th anniversary.
11 October 2018 | Story: Helen Swingler
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The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) iconic Smuts Hall men’s residence will hold a weekend reunion from 19-21 October to celebrate its 90th anniversary. The residence is named after Jan Smuts, UCT Chancellor from 1936 to 1950 and a former prime minister of South Africa.
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Both Smuts Hall and its sister residence, Fuller Hall, celebrate their 90th birthdays this year. Founded on 1 January 1928 as Men’s Residence, it took Smuts’s name after his death in 1950. The residence’s anniversary weekend will connect Smutsmen from across the world.
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Earlier this year Smuts alumni in the UK held an anniversary reunion in London, hosted by current warden Professor Kelly Chibale.
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The keynote speaker at the Cape Town event will be Smuts alumnus Neville Isdell, former chairman and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola. Isdell has maintained close ties with his alma mater; he is the sponsor of the Neville Isdell Rugby Centre at UCT and Smuts Hall’s annual Neville Isdell Leadership Camp for Smuts Hall freshers to foster integration.
The valiant team that contained the fires at Smuts Hall, the historical men’s residence, on 18 April (from left) Kealeboga Keretetse, Prof Kelly Chibale, Kalaba Chibale, Brandon Badenhorst, Dean Gibson, Siyabulela Ntuntwana, Tafara Mkombe and Kyle Jira.
06 May 2021 | Story: Helen Swingler
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“Suddenly the sun was darkened by smoke and we were all engulfed.” It was noon on Sunday, 18 April, when Professor Kelly Chibale, the warden of Smuts Hall men’s residence, knew the historical building was in danger. Smoke had thrown an orange pall over the region as the fire that had started in the Table Mountain National Park quickly spread on the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) upper campus.
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Professor Chibale watched flames ignite the vegetation and grass just outside his warden’s house, attached to Smuts Hall. By this time, all the students had been evacuated, along with Chibale’s family. The Jagger Reading Room and HW Pearson Building had not yet begun to burn. But at Smuts Hall, flames were spreading up and along the creeper-clad walls, the autumn-dry leaves providing ready fuel. The heat and wind were intense.
