Empowering Student Women Entrepreneurs in South African Public Universities

South Africa’s 16 Days of Activism Against Women and Children this year embraces the theme “30 Years of Advancing Collective Action to End Violence Against Women and Children”. Central to this theme is promoting gender equity and creating economic opportunities for women, objectives that align closely with the goals of the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP).

Launched in 2021 under the umbrella of Universities South Africa’s (USAf) Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme, SWEEP aims to foster entrepreneurship among student women at South Africa’s public universities. The programme directly addresses gender inequalities in the entrepreneurial space by equipping student women with the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to succeed. Today, SWEEP operates at 17 universities and continues to grow its impact.

Despite South Africa’s strong entrepreneurial culture, disparities persist. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), men are still more likely to start businesses than women (12.7% vs 9.7%). Recognising this imbalance, SWEEP was created to empower student women entrepreneurs by providing practical tools and targeted support to close this gap.

Ms Zana Boshoff, Project Manager at Universities South Africa, highlights the importance of hands-on training and mentorship; “We focus on real skills development through workshops featuring industry experts who share their journeys. This helps students understand the challenges of entrepreneurship and inspires them to overcome these obstacles,” she explains.

Complementing SWEEP’s efforts is the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity, an annual initiative designed to identify and celebrate the top student entrepreneurs at South Africa’s public universities. This competition not only provides a platform for showcasing innovative student businesses but also connects contestants with investors and industry leaders.

This year’s competition attracted an impressive 599 entries, with 212 submissions from student women and 37 from students with disabilities. According to Mr Sandile Shabalala, Senior Student Engagement Officer at Universities South Africa, the 2024 Intervarsity was a milestone event; “This year, five out of the seven winners were student women entrepreneurs, a testament to the growing impact of initiatives like SWEEP,” he shares.

He further went on to share that; “Twelve of the finalists were student women entrepreneurs, reflecting an increase from nine in 2023, while two student women winners from the KwaZulu-Natal region became the first from the province to win in the competition’s six-year history.”

Mr Shabalala also reflected on the fact that; “Universities achieving victories for the first time in six years of the competition include the University of South Africa, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of Zululand, Rhodes University, and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. For the first time in six years, all 23 finalists were awarded R2,500. EDHE awarded R257,500 total funding to the student businesses.”

This is a strong testament to the continued growth and reach of not just the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity but of programmes such as SWEEP to these otherwise previously underrepresented institutions.

Category 2: Existing Business – Social Impact

• Winner: Ms Anga Mzozo and Ms Lehlogonolo Mogashoa, Co-founders (right) of AI Winery from the University of Zululand, use ripe bananas to produce wine (R20,000.00).
• 1st Runner-Up: Ms Bridget Mtetwa, Founder of Bridget’s Learning Hub from Rhodes University, provides tutoring and mentoring for school students (R10,000.00).
• 2nd Runner-Up: Ms Hope Mapheto, Founder of Greatfuel from the University of South Africa, produces biodiesel from cooking oil (R10,000.00).

Category 3: Existing Business – General (R20,000.00)

• Winner: Ms Ayavuya Sibisi, Founder of Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bar from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, uses locally sourced tropical fruits to create healthy smoothies.

Category 4: Research-Based Businesses (R20,000.00)

• Winner: Mr Emmanuel Kiyonga, Founder of A Novel Raloxifene Solvate Hydrate from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, proposes an innovation to bridge the gap between treating post-menopausal osteoporosis and breast cancer.

Overall Winner: EDHE Studentpreneur of the Year 2024 (R120,000.00)

• Mr Emmanuel Kiyonga, from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, was named the EDHE Studentpreneur of the Year 2024 for his innovation, A Novel Raloxifene Solvate Hydrate.

Both SWEEP and the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity benefit from strategic partnerships that broaden opportunities for participants. These include the SAB Foundation, which provides financial sponsorship to the intervarsity and mentorship to winners, and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation’s financial sponsorship to the intervarsity, a long-standing supporter of entrepreneurial initiatives. Additionally, winners with ground-breaking scientific and technological solutions have been given opportunities to visit Switzerland, gaining valuable exposure to international best practices for the past two years.

Dr Edwell Gumbo, Director: Entrepreneurship at Universities South Africa, underscores the importance of programmes like SWEEP in driving meaningful change; “SWEEP equips student women entrepreneurs with the skills and confidence to succeed while creating pathways to economic empowerment. This year’s Intervarsity results highlight the programme’s ability to nurture leadership and talent among young women.”

The combination of SWEEP’s targeted development efforts and the platform provided by EDHE’s Entrepreneurship Intervarsity demonstrates the transformative power of collective action in advancing gender equity in entrepreneurship. By bridging the gender gap and creating opportunities for growth, these initiatives are paving the way for a more inclusive and prosperous future.