Eight students progress to regional Entrepreneurship Innovarsity competition round

Eight University of Cape Town (UCT) student entrepreneurs, with top business ideas and fine pitching skills, have leaped straight into the regional round of the Entrepreneurship Innovarsity competition. In August, they will go up against the region’s best ahead of the national stage of the event later this year.

The Absa Entrepreneurship Innovarsity competition, formerly the Entrepreneurship Intervarsity competition, is a highlight on UCT’s events calendar and kicks off every year with an internal round. During this stage, UCT students go head-to-head, and the top student entrepreneurs are selected to participate in the regional round of the competition. The internal round took place from 23 to 25 June.

The competition is an initiative of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme and is presented by the Department of Higher Education and Training. It aims to identify the top student entrepreneurs at South Africa’s 26 public universities. At UCT, student entrepreneurs are supported by Careers Service, which is based in the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED).

“What an incredible internal round of the competition we had.”

“What an incredible internal round of the competition we had. Our students were all superb. They believed in their business ideas, and it showed as they started the pitching process. We are proud of all of them,” said Nadia Waggie, UCT’s Entrepreneurship Innovarsity coordinator. “To those who have not progressed to the regional rounds: this is not the end. Keep at it; keep believing that you have what it takes to move your ideas and businesses to the next level. Use this time to nurture your entrepreneurial spirit and learn from the feedback you received from judges and come back stronger.”

A cut above the rest

In line with the competition requirements, participants had three tense minutes to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges, and Waggie said they delivered. Thereafter, judges quizzed them on their concepts.

The winning business ideas are vast. From a WhatsApp-based artificial intelligence (AI) assistant bursary platform that uses conversational AI to match students with potential bursars and guide the application process (Semestr) to South Africa’s first gamified financial literacy platform (Fundisa); as well as a nutrition-focused venture that aims to tackle the country’s growing food, waste and accessibility challenges (Sluk).

“These futuristic concepts speak for themselves. Our students’ ingenuity is unmatched. But the hard work starts now. The regional round of the competition is normally very tough, and they will be up against the best student entrepreneurs in the province. So, we need them to put their best foot forward and continue to make us proud,” Waggie said.

“We are firmly behind our students and can’t wait to see what the next round has in store for all of them.”

The UCT contestants progressing to the regional of the competition are:

• Bheka Mabika – Oless Group (existing business tech)
• Erin Mika Harding – Sluk (existing business social)
• Joseph van Heerden – Kine Hydration (existing business general)
• Kamogelo Mokale – Vhutomi Trading Enterprise (existing business general)
• Kwanele Ntshangase – Fundisa (innovation)
• Mathabatha Malete – Semestr (innovation)
• Phemelo Maile – AgreSentry (existing business tech)
• Sonwabise Gcolotela – Guideian EDU (existing business social)

Since 2019, UCT students have performed consistently in the Entrepreneurship Innovarsity competition. For two consecutive years, students received the Entrepreneur of the Year award and topped various categories on the national stage.

The regional round of the competition will be hosted by Cape Peninsula University of Technology.