Safety and emergencies

Researched by the VarsityStart team from official university sources. Last checked 10 October 2026. How we check

Protection Services runs 24 hours on each campus. Police: 10111.

Potchefstroom (control room, Building F17): 018 299 2211, 018 299 2215 or 018 299 1110. Landline backup: 081 897 5671.
Mahikeng (control room, Building A16): 018 389 2277 and 018 389 2167. Both are listed together on the current Mahikeng page; older pages put the control room in Building A1.
Vanderbijlpark (control room, Building A25): 016 910 3339
WhatsApp: 066 624 1016 was announced as Protection Services' new WhatsApp number at a Vanderbijlpark awareness day in October 2025. We could not confirm whether it covers the other campuses.
Heads-up: do not lend your phone to strangers near the Student Centre; phones have been taken under the pretext of an urgent call.
We found no published NWU escort service, safety app or night transport.