The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) was established in 2004. It first originated as a College of Advanced Technical Education (1966-1979) and was later known as the Vaal Triangle Technikon (1979-2003). In 2016 VUT celebrated 50 years of technical education which was a special milestone for the university. Based in southern Gauteng, the university draws students from all regions of South Africa, as well as from 25 other countries around the world. VUT is one of the largest universities of technology in the country and has an enrolment of about 21 000 students annually.