Stellenbosch University (SU) awarded an honorary doctorate to philanthropist and entrepreneur Wendy Ackerman at its December graduation.
She received the degree Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, at the graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences on Monday 9 December. Ackerman was honoured for her consistent philanthropic support that has benefited men, women, children and the arts for more than 40 years.
In her acceptance speech she expressed her deep gratitude and fulfilment for receiving the honorary degree, highlighting the significance of the university in her family’s history.
She shared a personal anecdote about her late husband, the prominent businessman Raymond Ackerman, attending SU 100 years ago and her two younger grandchildren graduating at the institution this year. These two occasions created a generational connection in her family, she said.
As someone who has dedicated her life to helping others, Ackerman said she “fought for non-discrimination and getting rid of prejudice, accepting people for who they were, not for their race, their religion. I made education a goal.”
Her philanthropy spans several decades. As one of the founders and honorary life president of Pick n Pay, her work to empower and promote women has been a hallmark of her efforts at the leading retailer.
Ackerman was instrumental in having women recognised as senior, career-oriented employees in the 1970s, a move some companies at the time regarded as too progressive.
Now devoting much of her time to her family’s philanthropic endeavours and work for the underprivileged and vulnerable, she continues to fight for women’s rights.
She is involved in several education initiatives, but her greatest passion is to support promising students, particularly in the field of music and medicine. She has run several bursary schemes since 1973, and her graduates have achieved outstanding success, some performing as part of the finest orchestras and at the most esteemed opera houses in the world.
Ackerman is also a trustee of the Pick n Pay bursary fund, which assists the children of employees. In addition, she is also deeply committed to preserving the environment and advocating for the wellbeing of animals.
Ackerman is a lifelong supporter of the arts in the Cape metropole and has put enormous effort into creating an endowment trust for the arts in Cape Town, specifically for the city’s opera and philharmonic orchestra.
