"In the trenches": South African vice-chancellors leading transformation in times of change

This paper examined the transformational goals and strategies of nine black university vice-chancellors in South Africa order to understand how they direct transformation higher education country. The draws from narrative inquiry underlined by leadership theory, focuses on in-depth interviews with vice-chancellors. study focused key themes that vice-chancellors' strategies. These are devolution power, needs transform institutional culture attain social equity through putting students first, addressing next generation academic scholars. Finally, attention enduring imperative universities a lens significance agendas this regard. local context plays an important role