Background

The Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Programme proudly presents the third annual national EDHE Lekgotla – an action-packed four-day gathering of leaders in entrepreneurship at universities.

This flagship event is scheduled to take place from 25 to 28 June 2019 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC). This year’s lekgotla takes place within the unifying theme of entrepreneurship through the arts and will be curated by Durban University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design, with the support of the South African Humanities Deans’ Association (SAHUDA).

The EDHE Lekgotla 2019 is hosted by the Department Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Universities South Africa (USAf), and is co-hosted by the Durban University of Technology (DUT). For the second year, the British Council is also partnering with EDHE in the Lekgotla, while the University of KwaZulu Natal is supporting the event. This year, student entrepreneurs and TVET colleges are officially included in the programme.

The EDHE Lekgotla is held in a different city and province every year, with previous successful events having taken place in Johannesburg and Cape Town, in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Purpose

The purpose of the EDHE Lekgotla 2019 is to share best practice, learn of latest trends and developments, and foster collaboration with regard to entrepreneurship in Higher Education – all to the benefit of the South African universities, students and economy. Stakeholders in the EDHE ecosystem gather to share their learning and experience, while working on identifying and addressing challenges in the space of entrepreneurship development.

Further objectives include:
1. Providing an engagement platform for leaders of entrepreneurship in Higher Education;
2. Providing a learning platform and voice for student entrepreneurs (AKA studentpreneurs);
3. Facilitating and supporting the work of the EDHE Communities of Practice for Student Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship in Academia and Entrepreneurial Universities;
4. Showcasing student businesses in a bespoke, locally-focused marketplace;
5. Showcasing support businesses and organisations for entrepreneurship in Higher Education in an exhibition; and
6. Showcasing the collaborative commitment of local government and universities in support of entrepreneurship development in the province of KwaZulu-Natal