University of the Third Age, Pretoria

U3A Pretoria, Interest Groups

Interest Groups

The interest groups offer variety of activities covering many fields of interests. These groups meet in private homes or at suitable venues under the guidance of a group leader. Membership is open to all U3A members and fees are determinded by the group members; they are usually about R30 per session. In some cases there may be a venue-use fee.

During the last two years some interest groups kept their activities going electronically and some have been using social media to keep in contact. At last we are slowly getting back to face-to-face meetings; more information about the many interest groups is given below or download the list U3A Interest Groups 2026/1 as a pdf file.

Any U3A member wishing to start a new interest group is invited to do so. Please contact John Kap, the coordinator, for details and necessary information.

Day	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Monday	Boekwurms / Bookworms Mah-jong	Mah-jong	Mah-jong	Mah-jong Origami
Tuesday	Walking	Afrikaanse Poësie-groep Photography (PIG) U3A Cares Walking	Walking	Film Study U3A Cares Walking
Wednesday	Art Interest Circle Dancing	Music Interest	Armchair Travel Circle Dancing
Thursday	History	Environmental matters (odd months)	Sharing Poetry	Coffee and Conversation (C&C)
Friday				Scrabble Group
New Groups

Interest groups	Co-ordinator	Weekday
Art Interest Group Members offer to read up on a particular artist and then give a talk on their research. Participation and discussion are key. The group meets in the morning on the first Wednesday of the month.	Barbara Gilmour	1st Wednesday of the month
Music Interest Group This group focuses on classical music but could include other genres such as jazz. Professional speakers or performers or members of the group do a presentation at each meeting. Members are kept up to date with concerts and musical events taking place in Pretoria and attend them ad libitum.	Mia Rich	2nd Wednesday of the month
Film Study Group This new group is for anyone who enjoys ‘Nouveau’ type movies and would like to view selected DVDs. Each screening will be followed by a discussion led by members who have interests in different aspects of cinematography. If you are interested in joining the group please contact Gill Udal via WhatsApp, as this is how the group communicates.	Gill Udal	last Tuesday
Sharing Poetry The purpose of this group is to share and enjoy poetry. The meetings are informal and take the form of readings and discussion of selected poems by coordinators and members of the group.	John Kap	3rd Thursday of the month
Afrikaanse Poësie-groep Ons kom een keer per maand, elke tweede Dinsdag, bymekaar. Ons bespreek gedigte wat vir ons interessant is en ontmoet gedurende die verloop van die jaar digters wat in Pretoria woonagtig is. Hulle kom praat met ons oor hul gedigte.	Gus de Villiers	2nd Tuesday of the month
Photography Interest Group (PIG) The group is open to any member with an interest in taking photographs, skills being at any level and with any kind of camera, from DSLR to cell phone camera, digital or film. This is not a camera club, so there will be no competitions, but a general sharing of knowledge and expertise. The group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the Newlands Park Retirement Village (230 Gloxinia Ave, opp. the SPAR in Dely Rd). Activities include: Excursions to destinations such as the Botanical Gardens, the Buddhist Temple, etc.; Workshops/Talks depending on interests such as smart phone, portraits and group photography, camera hardware etc. Monthly creative challenges are posed with constructive criticism of work if wanted.	Annemieke van Middelkoop	2nd Tuesday of the month
Environmental matters The group has an interest in humankind’s interactions with the environment and ecosystems. These ecosystems are essential for human well-being and our survival. The group would like to explore and delve into how we are exploiting these complex systems and what we can do to protect, revitalize and regenerate them.	Gerry Joubert	4th Thursday of odd months (March, May, July, September, November)
The History Interest Group The group meets in the morning on the first Thursday of the month, and one of the group presents a topic.	John Lambert	1st Thursday of the month
Armchair Travel Group Members give presentations to the group describing their own interesting travels, usually accompanied by photos of their trips, on the third Wednesday morning of the month. Anyone with a trip to share is welcome to join the group.	Johan Talma	3rd Wednesday of the month
Coffee & Conversations Coffee and Conversation (C&C) is a social group that meets on the fourth (4th) Thursday of the month. If the Thursday coincides with a Quarterly General Meeting, we get together at the Skuilkrans Church after the talk of the U3A meeting. C&C provides an opportunity for all members, especially new members, to socialise and get to know others in a lovely garden setting. If you are looking for a companion to go to with you to shows, or to play games or share Sunday lunch, join us. At our monthly meetings we often plan for other joint activities.	Shelley Browning	4th Thursday of the month
Mahjong Club Mah-jong is a game of skill, strategy and calculation plus a degree of chance. All are welcome to attend, even if they are just interested to see how it works. Meetings are held every Monday morning of the month.	Anneke Coolen	Mondays
Scrabble Group A number of people have shown an interest in the idea of social Scrabble (informal, not competitive) and meeting for a game once a month. Two such events have already been held. Beginners and more experienced players are welcome. An English Scrabble set is available. If members have additional sets - English (or Afrikaans), it would be very helpful. The venue, as well as the maximum number of participants in a particular session, will depend on how many people are interested in participating. There are two to four players to a board, which allows for flexibility. Numbers, venue, cost, etc. are negotiable.	Gretchen Carpenter Gill Udal	4th Friday of the month
Origami Interest Group Origami, the art of paper folding, can cover a wide spectrum from purely decorative pieces to very practical objects. Anyone with an interest in paper folding can join the group, but it is recommended that they attend the Introductory Origami session first.	Helga Nordhoff	4th Monday of the month
Circle Dancing Group Circle dancing is fun and easy. No prior dancing experience is needed: participants only need the same level of fitness as would be required to walk around the block at a normal pace. Each dance is taught at the time, so it is not a memory test. Circle dancing is for participation and enjoyment. Regular participants notice that it relieves stress and is great fun. We meet at Alkantrant Library, Lynburn Road, Lynnwood Manor twice a month on Wednesday afternoons. Time: from 14:15 to about 15.45.            Dates are always advised in advance.	Jenny Janish	Wednesday afternoons starting at 14:15
Walking Group (Strollers) This group meets once a week on Wednesday mornings. The walks are mild to moderate, in safe local venues. The group has time to enjoy coffee or a meal afterwards.	Gail Victor	Tuesday
New Interest Groups Birding/Voëlkyk, Exploring Creativity and Holistic Wellness The sessions for these groups will be arranged on an ad hoc basis.	Details about each session will be sent to all the interested members on our mailing lists.