At Nelson Mandela University, tertiary education, employability and entrepreneurship go hand in hand to prepare all students with the self-starter mindset that defines entrepreneurialism.
The Mandela University Africa Hub was established in 2024 to drive youth entrepreneurship and social innovation, starting with our Entrepreneurship and Incubation in Action students and young township entrepreneurs in Gqeberha and expanding this to the Eastern Cape, South Africa and ultimately to other countries in Africa. In the past year, the Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI) at Nelson Mandela University has incubated 42 small businesses over the past year, creating 96 jobs.
Responding to its drive to be an entrepreneurial university, the University launched the Student Employability and Entrepreneurship Development (SEED) programme in 2021 and offers it to all students.
Funded by the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP), it is now in its fifth year and has attracted hundreds of students, several of whom have become entrepreneurs.