Collaboration – ranging from system-level partnerships to inter-institutional resource sharing – is critical for innovation and enhancing the quality of education at South African universities.
This was the message from Dr Phethiwe Matutu, CEO of Universities South Africa (USAf), the representative body for all 26 public universities in South Africa.
“It is crucial that universities collaborate and that they come together, work together, have competitions together, learn from each other and elevate the status of entrepreneurship at a country wide level. We are already seeing impressive results from these partnerships and the interface between technological innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Dr Matutu was speaking at the official launch of the Mr Price EDHE Foundation x Waste Innovation Challenge at the Midlands Indumiso campus of the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The competition encourages South African university students, alumni and researchers to turn waste into sustainable business solutions and drive real impact in the circular economy
Present were representatives from DUT, the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the University of Zululand (UNIZULU), all of which fall under the USAf umbrella, who gave an overview of the entrepreneurship initiatives at their institutions.
The tangible success of DUT’s entrepreneurship initiatives
Ms Nontokozo Ngcobo, Economic Activation Officer at DUT, said that the university has been working on the integration of entrepreneurship into the curriculum in a practical and impactful way. This would help its current student body of 38 000 across its seven campuses become proactive, resourceful entrepreneurs ready to address both the economic and unemployment challenges facing South Africa.
The next phase, she said, was to integrate its global stakeholders, who include institutions and companies from Russia, Finland and the US.
DUT’s much lauded innobiz Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation – was already making an impact in both the communities it serves as well as on a provincial level. This specialised unit is designed to support, mentor and incubate student entrepreneurs while promoting an entrepreneurial mindset, offering training, seed funding and business development to turn student ideas into sustainable businesses.
The innobiz numbers since 2018 are impressive: 15 000 students trained, 500 student businesses incubated, 3 000 jobs created by student entrepreneurs, 250 programmes and events hosted, R 10 million in seed funds disbursed and a R 100 million combined turnover.
Hubs within innobiz include an Innovation Hub (which offers among others design thinking workshops, business support training, computer lab, pitching competitions, networking, ideation sessions and boot camps); Tech Hub (focussing on e-commerce, big data analysis, mobile apps, coding, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality and workspaces); Agri Hub (which includes agri-processing, farming, agri-business, agri-value adding, dairy production, livestock and animal processing) and a Art Hub (jewellery making, fashion design, interior design, painting and drawing as well as drama and music).
Ms Ngcobo said that thanks to the innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s Adopt-a-School Programme, high school learners from the uMgungundlovu, King Cetshwayo, and uGu Districts had represented KZN at the International Agro Inter-Schools Competition held in Moscow, Russia late last year. The learners participated in specialised masterclasses, including AgroDrones and AgroSpace; gaining valuable international exposure and skills for the future of agriculture and innovation. They are part of the 15 000 high school learners from 30 KZN schools, many in rural areas, who have been involved in the Adopt-a-School Programme to date.
DUT also announced a major expansion of its research and innovation ecosystem last year approving the establishment of 18 research institutes to be implemented through a phased rollout. These span key domains including hydrogen technology, data science and AI, health devices innovation, smart agriculture and food security, advanced manufacturing and robotics, ocean engineering, biotechnology, climate change research, the BRICS research agenda, the future of work and education, and smart cities and urban planning.
MUT promotes inclusive entrepreneurship
Dr Thulile Duma, Economic Activation Officer at MUT, said that although the university – which has positioned itself as a township-based catalyst for inclusive entrepreneurship – had limited budgets, MUT representatives had attended important annual conferences, activities and competitions to ensure that the institution kept up to date with what was happening in the entrepreneurial space in higher education.
These included the THENSA Entrepreneurship Educator’s Programme, the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Economic Activation Office (EAO) workshop and the EDHE ABSA Innovation Challenge. MUT also hosted a Business Compliance Training workshop in partnership with the newly established Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA).These included the THENSA Entrepreneurship Educator’s Programme, the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Economic Activation Office (EAO) workshop and the EDHE ABSA Innovation Challenge. MUT also hosted a Business Compliance Training workshop in partnership with the newly established Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA).
Dr Duma said that the university’s partnership with The Wadhwani Foundation was progressing well, notably through the 14-week Ignite programme, launched in late 2024 via the university’s EAO.
“Four additional staff members have been trained for the Wadhwani Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme to increase our pool of accredited facilitators. These staff are now at a level where they can pilot the programme with students in their respective faculties. Weekly coaching and mentoring sessions are supported by two facilitators from the Faculty of Management Sciences while facilitators from the Faculties of Engineering and Health Sciences were prepared to pilot the programme in the second semester.”
She added that MUT held a Global Entrepreneurship Week Agricultural Business Pitching Competition in November in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality and the University of California Riverside. The winner is receiving mentorship from the US institution.
MUT also has a Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP) chapter which ensures that female student leadership remains connected to entrepreneurial activities.
One of the success stories is MUT student and SWEEP member Londeka Msani who hosted a celebration to mark her success in starting and running her own business HRinnacle, a tutoring venture that provides academic support to students.
UKZN on track to become a leading entrepreneur university
Ms Zamakhoza Khoza, Economic Activation Communication Co-ordinator at UKZN, said universities in the province have the ability to shape entrepreneurship in the coming decade.
“Our aspiration at UKZN is to become a leading entrepreneur university within the African continent and that means producing dynamic entrepreneurs who shape inclusive economic futures. This means that we give our students the opportunity to be the creators of value; that entrepreneurship is embedded across teaching, research, innovation and engagement and that UKZN serves as a platform for venture creation. We must be the activators of enterprise and the drivers of inclusive economic participation – this shift is critical in KZN where youth unemployment and economic inequality demand new models of participation,” she said.
“At UKZN we provide a multi campus venture development pipeline with structured progression from idea to scale; innovation-led sector alignment with participation in USAf and EDHE programmes; we ensure that our student entrepreneurs are financially and investment ready and take part in a number of inclusive entrepreneurship programmes including SWEEP.
“At UKZN we institutionalise entrepreneurship as a core mandate, align innovation with provincial economic priorities, expand inclusive participation and continue to strengthen collaboration between the university and industry.”
UNIZULU’s entrepreneurial mindset is paying dividends
Mrs Lwandlekazi Mabika, Economic Activation Office representative from UNIZULU, said the institution was actively embedding entrepreneurship education into its curriculum to shift from solely academic, discipline-specific knowledge to fostering practical and job-creating skills.
UNIZULU’s KwaDlangezwa campus had hosted a successful Student Entrepreneurship Week (SEW) in September last year which concluded with the announcement of the SEW 2025 winners. The programme also saw the participation of the newly introduced UNIZULU SWEEP, highlighting support for female students under the theme, “Dream it, Start It”.
SEW included two competitions ‘Pitch My Idea’ (sponsored by ABSA) and a business exhibition competition (sponsored by PPS) and top student entrepreneurs were awarded with prizes and sponsorships.
Said Mrs Mabika of the event: “It strengthened university and industry collaboration, empowered student entrepreneurs, particularly women, and encouraged innovation, leadership and business development. It was a highly successful platform for future ventures.”
She said that, towards the end of last year, UNIZULU took three students to participate in the International Transport Project competition held in Moscow, Russia. They competed against 27 international teams and came second to China, an impressive achievement.
“It shows that our university’s entrepreneurial mindset is paying dividends.”
Janine Greenleaf Walker is a contract writer for Universities South Africa