In a keynote address that challenged traditional notions of corporate support, Ms. Nonhlanhla Magagula, Head of Absa’s Corporate Citizenship Programmes, outlined a transformative vision where her institution has become a catalyst for systemic change rather than a mere funding source.
At the EDHE-Absa Innovation Challenge launch hosted at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, Magagula (right) demonstrated how the banking sector is reshaping its role in supporting youth entrepreneurship across South Africa. The event also marked the formalisation of a Universities South Africa (USAf) partnership with Absa in support of developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem across South Africa’s 26 public universities. This partnership is being implemented through USAf’s Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme.