Universities urged to choose establishing entrepreneurship ecosystems over fragmented initiatives

Universities must create structured ecosystems to support student entrepreneurship rather than allow fragmented entrepreneurship initiatives, Professor Eunice Seekoe said at the EDHE Lekgotla 2025 gala dinner on 8 October.

Highlighting the rise of youth unemployment to 46.5% in the second quarter of 2025 alongside graduate unemployment that stood at 12% in the same period, she said, “We are worried about youth, but even more about the investment that parents make in higher education, only to watch their children end up unemployed”.

Against that background, the professor emphasised universities’ responsibility to prepare graduates for both employment and employability, enabling them to make informed decisions about their futures. She said the purpose of moulding students into entrepreneurs is to give them choices when they leave university – to be employed or to create employment for others.

She said the EDHE programme has developed a model with six elements for institutionalising entrepreneurship within universities. It looks at leadership and governance, organisational and human capacity, entrepreneurial teaching and learning, research, a culture of entrepreneurship, and stakeholder partnership and internationalisation.

The model is operationalised through Economic Activation Offices (EAOs), established across the 26 public universities in South Africa. Professor Seekoe suggested these offices could operate more effectively if they reported to a Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for transformation.

“Universities are very busy. Unless they dedicate a resource to ensure that the ecosystem is developed and implemented, it will not happen, because people are focusing on their research and teaching, community engagement, and travelling,” she said.

The model includes communities of practice for teaching and learning, research, student entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial universities, the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP), and alumni networks.

Professor Seekoe also emphasised the need to support women students in entrepreneurship, citing findings of a research study she conducted in 2023 to identify factors impeding female students from participating in entrepreneurship.

“During interviews, they would say, ‘My father only takes my brother to the business. I know nothing’ “. She underscored the importance of capacitating women students to run businesses that would attract funder interest, rather than limiting them to small-scale enterprises.

The professor encouraged universities to evolve from being mere knowledge providers to becoming dynamic hubs of entrepreneurship. She highlighted the importance of making entrepreneurial activities more visible among both students and staff, and advocated for the expansion of formal qualifications in entrepreneurship.

In the face of declining state funding for higher education, she urged university leaders to adopt a more enterprising approach to institutional management. Entrepreneurial universities, she noted, have the potential not only to generate revenue but also to empower students to finance their own education.

“For future prospective students, the promise of skills, mentorship and entrepreneurial support will be a compelling reason to choose some universities over others. For academics and researchers, opportunities to create enterprises will influence their choices, driven by desires for personal growth and the prestige of working for reputable institutions,” she said.

Part of the audience comprising the USAf Office leadership, studentpreneurs, the EDHE partner organisations including the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the executive leadership of universities.

Welcoming guests to the gala, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, Vice-Chancellor of Mangosuthu University of Technology, had highlighted the pivotal role universities play in cultivating entrepreneurial ecosystems that foster prosperity and development. She underscored that such ecosystems flourish through collaboration and a shared purpose.

She commended the EHDE Studentpreneurs Indaba and Lekgotla for bringing together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, government representatives, and startup communities. These events, she noted, not only strengthen partnerships and promote mutual learning but also serve as vital platforms to empower student entrepreneurs, elevate the work of EDHE Communities of Practice, spotlight support organisations, and encourage collaboration with both local and international stakeholders.

Professor Sibiya noted that the EDHE programme had evolved from a coordinating initiative into a dynamic movement transforming South African universities into thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems that generate employment, drive innovation, and build resilience. “This programme enjoys the full endorsement and active support of senior leadership across all 26 public universities,” she affirmed.

She concluded by pledging the shared commitment of the USAf leadership to embedding entrepreneurship throughout teaching, research, and community engagement. Describing the gala event as a space for meaningful dialogue and a springboard for new partnerships, she invited the guests to “celebrate South Africa’s expanding network of entrepreneurial universities—institutions that are shaping a more innovative and opportunity-rich future.”

Also in attendance at the gala were EDHE sponsors, including officials from the DHET’s University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP), the Tshwane Economic Development Agency (TEDA), Absa Bank, and the British Council.

He highlighted that in 2024, Tshwane’s universities produced over 60% of the country’s research and development output, including innovations, publications, patents, and prototypes.

“But the real magic happens when research meets opportunity. That’s where our partnerships, like the one that we have with UNISA, come in,” he said. TEDA’s role, according to Dr Maimela, is to make it easier to invest in Tshwane’s ideas, help entrepreneurs find the right space and partners, and sometimes the right niche.

“We believe that Tshwane can be Africa’s capital of innovation, not by accident, but by design,” he said.

Dr Maimela reported that in 2024, the city attracted R3.2 billion in new investment projects, many of which are now working with university graduates, turning research into production and classrooms into factories.

“When academia, business and government work together, we close the gap between potential and prosperity,” he said. He described entrepreneurship as a movement that transforms lives, with students becoming employers, researchers becoming innovators, and institutions becoming catalysts for change.

“We want every student in Tshwane to see studying in this city, not as a compromise but a competitive advantage,” he said.

He reaffirmed TEDA’s commitment to supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystem, emphasising that economic transformation is not achieved in isolation but through collective effort and shared intent, as was evident in TEDA sponsoring the EDHE Lekgotla Gala Dinner.

“The partnership between TEDA, USAf, EDHE, UNISA, and the City of Tshwane under Executive Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, with support from the Department of Higher Education and Training under Minister Buti Manamela, aims to strengthen entrepreneurship in the capital,” he said in conclusion.

 Nqobile Tembe is Universities South Africa’s Communication Consultant.