At the annual Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) National Awards event on 26 November, 2025, the EDHE Director, Dr Edwell Gumbo, paid tribute to university Vice Chancellors (VCs), Deputy Vice Chancellors (DVCs), Executive Deans, Directors, and other senior leaders for championing entrepreneurship at their institutions, embedding entrepreneurship in governance structures, curricula, research portfolios, and student support mechanisms.
In his opening address, Dr Gumbo called on those in attendance to pay their respects to the late Professor Keolebogile (Keo) Motaung (right).
“Before I begin, I would like us to pause and honour someone incredibly special to the EDHE community, the late Professor Keo Motaung. Prof Motaung was more than a colleague; she was a vibrant, joyful, and unmistakable presence in every room she entered. As Chairperson of the EDHE Community of Practice for Entrepreneurial Universities, she brought wisdom, energy, and an unwavering commitment to strengthening entrepreneurship within our higher education landscape. Her contributions have shaped the direction of our work and will continue to influence this sector for years to come” he remarked.
Prof Keo Motaung was one of the country’s most recognised biomedical scientists. Over more than two decades, her work fostered innovation and transformation within the higher education sector. She further advanced transformation through her work as an academic, scientist, and researcher.
She was the recipient of numerous awards recognising her contributions to entrepreneurship and science. These include the Strategic African Women in Leadership (SAWIL) Trailblazers Award, the Inventor of the Year Award from Tshwane University of Technology, the IPM Business Leader of the Year Award, and the Distinguished Woman Scientist Award from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Prof Motaung was known for her work in stem cells, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. She was also the co-founder of Global Health Biotech, the company that developed a plant-based anti-inflammatory ointment. Dr Gumbo further requested a moment of silence, before commencing with the order of the night, adding that “we need to celebrate these awards in her honour.”
Dr Gumbo proceeded to highlight members of universities’ top leadership who have been recognised through the EDHE DVC Award (now EDHE Champion Award) or participated in the EDHE community , such as Professor Mosa Moshabela, VC and Principal of the University of Cape Town, Professor Tandi Matsha-Erasmus, VC and Principal of the Sefako Makgatho University of Health Sciences, and Professor Rushiella Songca, VC and Principal at Walter Sisulu University. He also honoured Dr Judy Dlamini, Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand ,Professor Nokuthula Kunene, VC-designate at the University of Zululand as well as Professor Nokuthula Sibiya who is the Vice-Chancellor & Principal of Mangosuthu University of Technology.
Alongside these top leaders, Dr Gumbo also acknowledged all the attending DVCs as well as representatives of the 17 partner organisations to the EDHE programme.
The annual EDHE National Awards event is an occasion to announce and celebrate the national finalists in the annual EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity, and to recognise other key contributors to entrepreneurship development in higher education.
In 2025, this occasion celebrated the first national finalists of the EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge, which seeks to recognise and support student and alumni-led ventures that offer innovative, technology-driven solutions to real-world societal challenges. The EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge was launched in July 2025. The awards event also featured the Entrepreneurship Learning & Teaching Excellence Award, which is bestowed on an academic applying the most innovative teaching methods in entrepreneurship teaching, and the new EDHE Champion Award, recognising team(s) with exceptional commitment to entrepreneurship development in higher education within a specific university. The EDHE National Awards, therefore, celebrate students, institutions, leaders, and teams that significantly foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.
EDHE stars turned top university leaders
Turning his attention to the numerous academic leaders within the EDHE community who had, over the years, ascended to senior leadership positions, Dr Gumbo said: “There is definitely something about the EDHE community – it just keeps winning.”
In no specific order, Dr Gumbo mentioned Professor Tandi Matsha-Erasmus,who won the EDHE DVC of the Year Award in 2024 and was in 2025 appointed Vice-Chancellor of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University – a position she assumed as of 1 June.
Professor Matsha-Erasmus (left) had previously served as DVC: Academic and Research at SMU, responsible for academic quality, postgraduate education and research development. She had more than two decades of experience in higher education and an extensive research record, including over 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and other scholarly outputs.
Her work has been recognised nationally, including through the NSTF South 32 Award for contributions to science and innovation.
Next, Dr Gumbo mentioned Professor Nokuthula Sibiya (right), who was appointed VC and Principal of Mangosuthu University of Technology in August 2024, and went on to win the EDHE Rising Star of 2024 Award for outstanding support for entrepreneurship development at her institution.
Professor Sibiya’s career journey includes tenures as Head of Nursing, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, and DVC: Research, Innovation and Engagement at the Durban University of Technology. She is a recognised health sciences researcher who has received several awards, including the 2018 Woman Scientist Award.
Dr Gumbo then turned to Professor Bulelwa Nguza-Mduba (left), Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management and Public Administration Sciences at Walter Sisulu University. Within the EDHE community, she is the Chair of the Community of Practice for Entrepreneurial Universities, contributing to national discussions on institutional leadership and entrepreneurship ecosystems. In November 2025, Professor Nguza-Mduba had just been appointed DVC: People and Operations at the University of the Free State, effective January 2026.
She had previously served as acting Rector of the Butterworth Campus, where she oversaw a wide range of functions, including teaching and learning, governance, finance, information systems and student affairs.
Yet another leader proven in entrepreneurship circles was Dr Makhosazana Faith Vezi-Magigaba (right), Head of the Department of Business Management at the University of Zululand, who was recently appointed Dean of Teaching & Learning at the institution. Her work is centred around entrepreneurship education and curriculum development, with emphasis on social entrepreneurship.
Dr Vezi-Magigaba serves as Deputy Chair of the EDHE Community of Practice for Entrepreneurship Research, focusing on strengthening academic research and ensuring its relevance to communities and national policy.
Dr Gumbo concluded with Professor Tshidi Mohapeloa (left), an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Enterprise Management at the Rhodes University Business School. Professor Mohapeloa is the Chair of EDHE’s Community of Practice in Entrepreneurship Learning and Teaching, supporting entrepreneurship curriculum and research aligned with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals for societal benefit. In November, she had just been appointed Dean of Commerce at Rhodes University.
Professor Mohapeloa’s career spans research, curriculum development and communityengaged scholarship. She has supervised postgraduate students and published widely on entrepreneurship research, innovation and social impact, with particular focus on youth development, women-led enterprises and community-based entrepreneurship.
“I am not just claiming it; EDHE leaders are proven winners,” the EDHE Director reiterated about leaders in entrepreneurship. “Even our own Minister of Higher Education and Training has been a very active supporter of the EDHE community, having previously addressed the EDHE Lekgotla and the Studentpreneurs Indaba as a Deputy Minister. We all know that he’s now a fully-fledged Minister. This demonstrates that there is talent within the EDHE community, not just in students, but also in academics and support staff.”
On that note, Dr Gumbo (right), extended a special recognition to the EDHE Coordinators and Economic Activation Office managers across USAf’s 26 member institutions. “Many of you carry this responsibility over and above your already demanding roles,” he said, adding that “Your passion, sacrifices and persistence hold this national movement together. Tonight is also a celebration of you.”
Turning to the National Awards audience, the EDHE Director said South Africa stands at a defining moment. “With a university student population of approximately 1.1 million students, the future of our economy, our industries and our communities increasingly depends on our ability to cultivate graduates who are creators of opportunity, and not just seekers of it.
“In an era shaped by disruption, artificial intelligence, geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological change, universities must prepare graduates who can think critically, innovate boldly and adapt with agility. The traditional boundaries between education and employment are dissolving. Entrepreneurship is the bridge that connects knowledge to impact, research to application, and ideas to enterprises.
“This is why EDHE’s mandate remains urgent and relevant: to unlock the entrepreneurial potential of our students and institutions so that higher education becomes a catalyst for inclusive economic growth.”
Dr Gumbo called the National Awards event a reflection of what happens when vision, commitment and collaboration converge – crediting, in particular, the Department of Higher Education and Training for their continued support to EDHE, through the University Capacity Development Programme, which he said was “the foundation upon which EDHE continues to thrive and scale.” The other EDHE partners are the Absa Bank, British Council, the Department of Industry, Trade and Competition, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Embassy of France in South Africa, Mr Price Foundation, Momentum Foundation, the Momentum Group Foundation, the South African Breweries (SAB) Foundation, Standard Bank, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Thoriso Kolobe is a Communication Consultant commissioned by Universities South Africa.