The University of Pretoria (UP) recently hosted its 75^th annual 1nSync competition, a talent contest that serves to ease the transition to university life for first-year students and integrate them into the campus environment. The singing and dancing competition, which was hosted by Student Culture (STUKU) on Hatfield campus on 8 February, commenced with a welcome speech by UP Vice-Principal Professor Themba Mosia. 

“1nSync is an important tradition because it gives first-year students a sense of belonging and helps them see how things are done at the University,” he said. “It also helps them excel academically, and nurtures personal growth and social integration.” 

Faculty houses, student societies, day houses and residences participated in the event, with some joining forces to improve their chances of winning. Collaborations included the Faculty of Humanities joining up with Faculty of the Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology to form the team HuBit. Faculty houses NatHouse, Commercii and Law House formed a group called NatComLaw. Each group had to come up with a theme for their performance; however, they all had to incorporate a prescribed song – ‘Man in the Mirror’ by Michael Jackson – into their routine.

The Onderstepoort Veterinary Sciences blended South African flair with the romance of Paris with a performance that included various languages such as isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana and French. Dressed in gumboots and overalls, the participants showcased how diverse South African heritage is. 

Inspired by the TV show So You Think You Can Dance, TuksVillage residence delivered a performance under the theme ‘So You Think You Can be My Husband’. The performance revolved around Kiara, a young woman who was faced with the amusing task of choosing between three potential suitors: Kanye East, Noah Trevor and Renaldo.

EduHouse brought a sense of nostalgia to the competition with a retro theme but with a 2000s touch. They said their aim was to bring back iconic dance moves but make them modern and fun. Their dialogue highlighted the role of music as a universal escape that brings about hope during challenging times. Songs included hits like ‘Chokeslem’ by Kharishma and ‘Morwa’ by Jonas Gwangwa. 

Keeping the month of love in mind, day house Luminous celebrated love in all its forms as they portrayed two girls from different worlds falling in love. They incorporated the prescribed song using themes of philanthropy and unity.

Dr Kgadi Mathabathe, Head of Residence, said she was excited to see the faculty houses collaborating. What stood out for her was the variety of languages used in the performances and how the groups turned the event into something educational and informative. 

“I would describe the event as being very transformative,” she said. 

1nSync 2025 was a phenomenal event that succeeded in bringing together students and celebrating their creativity and community.

“1nSync means a lot, not only for myself but for my team as well, as it is our first big event,” said external culture officer of STUKU Mokgethwa Charline Makhado. “The success of this event has helped give us a road map of how the rest of our term will go.” 

The night ended with an awards ceremony, which included various categories such as the Shining Star Award, Brilliant Beginner’s Award, People’s Choice Award, Multicultural Award, Overall Best Theme and Overall Best Choreography. The overall top three winners were Blossoms Delight society, Curelitzia residence and Vividous day house respectively. A new award category called the Principal’s Award was also introduced, which Vividous won.

The rest of the winning categories are as follows:

Shining Star (4^th place overall):

House Mopane

Brilliant Beginners (5^th place overall):

House Erica 

People’s Choice Award:

House Tau

Group placements:

First place in each group:

1. EduHouse: Faculty house
2. Vividous: Day house
3. Curelitzia: Residence
4. Blossoms Delight: External residences and societies

Second place in each group:

1. Onderstepoort Veterinary Sciences: Faculty house
2. Dregeana: Day house
3. House Mopane: Residence

Third place in each group:

1. HuBit: Faculty house
2. Luminous: Day house
3. House Erica: Residence

Most Multicultural (overall):

1. Curelitzia
2. Vividous
3. The Tower

Overall Band Accompaniment:

1. Blossoms Delight
2. Vividous
3. House Mopane

Overall Best Theme:

1. Curelitzia
2. Blossoms Delight
3. House Mags

Overall Best Choreography:

1. Blossoms Delight
2. Curelitzia
3. House Mopane

Special Award:

House Tau