WSU STUDENTS COMPETE FOR BEST BUSINESS IDEA

Universities South Africa in partnership with Walter Sisulu University held its third annual Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Entrepreneurship Intervarsity in June.

The purpose of the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity is to identify the top student entrepreneurs at the South African public universities, recognise and showcase their businesses, and invite investment into this cohort of student businesses. The competition is funded through the University Capacity Development Programme of the Department Higher Education and Training (DHET).

This was WSU’s second Entrepreneurship Intervarsity hosted by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator, the first one took place last year and was hosted under the Office of Technology Transfer.

Technical Producer at EDHE, Linda Lindani, said, “This competition provides opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs in the ideation phase to pitch their innovative business ideas. In the process, universities have the opportunity to showcase their entrepreneurial talent and demonstrate the ways in which they support and grow the next generation of business leaders.”

This competition saw 16 students from across all four WSU campuses presenting their business ideas under the four categories namely, new business idea, existing business tech, existing business general and existing business social impact.

Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator Manager and Researcher, Dr Thobekani Lose, said, “All our courses in the university must include entrepreneurship modules. Students need to profit from their skills not qualifications.”

Lose further said that students need to start their own businesses and that today’s economy requires practicality more than just theory.

Technology Transfer Manager at WSU, Dr Ncebakazi Galada, said, “The majority of the ideas were more focused on addressing social challenges such as youth unemployment and poverty. A limited number of Technology and Innovation based ideas were pitched.”

Galada further said that she encourages future applicants to make use of the support services from CfERI and the OTT in 2022 in order to ensure that they are equipped early enough to compete up to the national levels.

Students whose business ideas won in the university internal round will go compete at the regional rounds then qualifiers will proceed to the national finals which will take place in October. Winners from the competition will get cash prizes that they can use to fund their business ideas.

- Anita Roji