Meet the Intervarsity Existing Business – Tech category winners

An aqua device prototype that monitors water quality and a multilingual AI healthcare assistant that enables patients and healthcare workers to communicate in the patient’s mother tongue during medical consultations won recognition for innovation at the seventh annual EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity on 26 November.

Ms Kholofelo Makhubupetsi, who heads up the team at CSK Environmental Consulting, was the winner in the Existing Business – Tech category, which recognises technological innovation ventures. She took home R25,000 in prize money while the runners-up, Ms Khanyisa Mokgolobotho and Ms Rosemary Erawemen,  co-founders of TechMed Connect, walked away with R10,000.

The Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), a programme of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) administered and implemented by Universities South Africa (USAf), is the custodian of the annual EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity. EDHE is predominantly funded through the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) of the DHET.

The Intervarsity is a platform designed to identify, recognise and celebrate top student entrepreneurs at South Africa’s 26 public universities. The event has, over the years, enjoyed the support of numerous private sector entities, including the SAB Foundation, which, in 2025, supports the initiative for the sixth year in a row.

CSK Environmental Consulting – co-founded by Makhubupetsi, a second-year Master’s student in Agriculture at the University of Mpumalanga – develops environmental solutions aligned with seven United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its work focuses primarily on challenges in Mpumalanga’s mining and agriculture sectors. The business was incubated at the university’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CFERI).

Makhubupetsi explains her award-winning innovation: “CSK developed a device that tests water pH, turbidity and contamination levels and is connected to the CSK Earth View App that receives the readings from the device probes and translates them into readable data. The CSK aqua device works hand in hand with the Earth View App, which shows the data in real time, reducing the traditional waiting time for results from lab tests.”

The idea came about when the CSK team realised that, notwithstanding the presence of water testing pool devices, no solution existed for rapid environmental water quality tests, performed on a much larger scale. The prototype was created earlier in 2025, and testing and refining began in June.

“We hope that both our Aqua device and the Earth View App will be able to test all the water quality parameters required for each field test,” she says. “Additionally, we want the device to reduce the time it takes to detect chemical changes in water quality, when compared to using the traditional method of subjecting water samples to lab tests. Our wish is that the device and the app will detect water quality changes earlier.”

Makhubupetsi said she was delighted to receive the award on behalf of her team: “The moment felt like a long-awaited reward and validation of the business; it was a testament to our hard work.” She said they intend to use the prize money to start working towards patenting the device and product certification while they grow and raise more funds to perfect the device. “We aim to partner with more industries and expand the adoption of our  device globally. We want to grow further into aquaponics and hydroponics-related products.”

She encouraged fellow students to persevere with their business despite challenges. “Entrepreneurship is not easy, but through hard work, consistency and the right partners, one thrives. Also, put yourselves out there and enter competitions such as this one. Not only are they beneficial for exposure, networking opportunities and funding. Competitions also  expose you to more ideas that can grow your business.”

Runner-up, Ms Khanyisa Mokgolobotho (left, above), echoed that sentiment. She is the director and co-founder of TechMed Connect, alongside Rosemary Erawemen (right, above.)

“Competitions like the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity are important because they give young entrepreneurs visibility, mentorship and validation. They help students access funding, refine their business models and build confidence. Most importantly, they level the playing field by giving students from all types of universities a platform to shine.”

Mokgolobotho is currently studying for her BSc Honours in Computer Science and Information Technology at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU).

She explains that the team’s innovation – BUA – is a multilingual consultation assistant that translates South Africa’s 11 languages. This is vital in a country where 90% of people don’t speak English as their mother tongue, which can lead to misdiagnosis and misunderstandings.  “The electronic health record integration, an education hub on the device, as well as 3D body diagrams, can lead to increased accuracy, trust and better access to patient care.”

Mokgolobotho says the BUA idea was triggered when she witnessed a communication barrier between an English-speaking medical student and his Tswana-speaking patient.

“BUA ensures that language is never a barrier to receiving quality healthcare in South Africa.

I hope it will transform access to healthcare by ensuring that every patient – regardless of language, literacy level, disability or background –  can understand their diagnosis and treatment plan. Ultimately, I want BUA to become South Africa’s leading language and clinical support tool across hospitals, clinics and academic institutions.”

She said winning this award was an incredibly affirming moment:  “I felt proud, not just for myself, but for every student who comes from a university that isn’t always in the spotlight. Winning proved that talent, passion and impact matter more than where you come from. It also reminded me why we started: to give a voice to patients who are often unheard in our healthcare system.”

The prize money will be used to refine BUA, strengthen its security and support onboarding for pilot testing in clinics. It will also help cover operational costs needed to prepare the platform for large-scale deployment and clinical partnerships.

“We are preparing for our pilot testing phase with a private practice, an academic hospital and municipal clinics. Our focus is on securing more partners, strengthening our AI models, and positioning TechMed Connect as a leader in multilingual healthcare technology in South Africa,” she explains.

“In five years, I see myself leading a continental health-tech company improving care across Africa. I want BUA to be deployed nationally, supporting doctors, nurses, and patients in every province and expanding into other African languages and regions.”

Her message to students wanting to start the entrepreneurial journey is simple.

“Start where you are and with what you have. Don’t wait for perfect resources or perfect timing. Solve a real problem that affects real people. Collaborate, ask for help and keep learning. Most importantly, believe that brilliance can come from any campus, any background and any student willing to try and put in the work.”

Janine Greenleaf Walker is a contract writer for Universities South Africa.