The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre and Student Desk in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training are currently hosting its 2018 edition of the Student Entrepreneurship Week (#SEW2018) at DUT’s Midlands Campuses.

The ‘first of its kind event’ is drawing established and budding DUT student entrepreneurs from the Midlands Campuses to the Student Entrepreneurship Week (#SEW2018), to showcase their ideas and promote their businesses.

The #SEW2018 kicked off on Tuesday, 28 August 2018, with a roadshow from Riverside Campus to Indumiso Campus, ending off at the Edendale Mall.

The aim of the roadshow was to officially announce the establishment of the much-needed Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) which opened its doors in June 2018.

Day two, Wednesday, 29 August 2018, saw young and passion-driven student entrepreneurs presenting their business ideas to a panel of expert judges in the Elevator Pitch competition.

The competition serves as a platform for the student entrepreneurs who will receive sound evaluation and business advice from seasoned and successful entrepreneurs that were in attendance. There were 10 participating student entrepreneurs who made their business pitches in the hope to win prizes that will help them turn their business ideas into fully-fledged businesses.

In attendance at the event were DUT staff, DUT academics, student entrepreneurs, Nontokozo Ngcobo, Manager: Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC), Zwakele Ngubane Acting Director of Development and Alumni Relations,  Dr Norah Clarke-Director EDHE and Universities South Africa (USAf),  Acting Midlands Director Reginald Thabede, DVC: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Prof Sibusiso Moyo, Manager: MEC Nontokozo Ngcobo, representatives from Ithala, McDonalds, Department of Agriculture, iLaf, Ada, Zazi Media, iLawu, SEDA, Black Umbrella, Department of Higher Education and Department of Economic Development.

Welcoming guests to the Entrepreneurship Elevator Pitch Programme was Acting Midlands Director, Dr Reginald Thabede.   He gave thanks to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thandwa Mthembu, for making the event possible. He also expressed thanks to the DVC: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Prof Sibusiso Moyo, for being the engine and support for Manager: MEC, Nontokozo Ngcobo.

“Entrepreneurship is one of the crucial ingredients in our GDP. It is the cornerstone of every thriving economy. Our curriculum should aim to engender and embrace entrepreneurialism,” he said.

Dr Thabede also gave examples of businesses entrepreneurs that were from humble beginnings from Microsoft and McDonalds, who were prepared to venture where others were not willing and who were pushed to seek innovative solutions to the many challenges of the business world.

“Entrepreneurship is more than just an engine of economic growth but a factor that makes communities more vibrant, where ideas are turned into reality,” he said.

Prof Moyo reiterated that such a platform (Elevator Pitch) will expose and give student entrepreneurs opportunities to enhance their skills around entrepreneurship as the goal was to have formal curricula on entrepreneurship and innovation at the University.

“DUT aspires to position itself as the preferred University for developing leadership in technology and productive citizenship. Our focus is on our students so we want to open our University to create jobs and deal with poverty issues. From an institutional side, DUT is driving entrepreneurship, and to expand the reach in Durban and the Midlands campuses,” she said.

Giving more insight into the Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) was Nontokozo Ngcobo, Manager: Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC), who stated that it will focus on developing innovative entrepreneurs, in the aim to establish sustainable business entrepreneurship in the Midlands.

“DUT has two campuses in Pietermaritzburg (Indumiso and Riverside) with approximately 7000 students coming from across the KwaZulu-Natal Province and beyond. It is surrounded by the Imbali community of just over 8000. The Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) will have an Entrepreneurship certificate programme to offer technical skills training, group mentoring and most of all have an Entrepreneurship Support hub,” she said.

She also echoed that ‘action learning’ was the aim of the programme, not just learning theory.

“Theory is not just about training a person behind the business but to also incorporate the path of self-mastering which forms part of the certificate,” she said.

Dr Norah Clarke Director EDHE and Universities South Africa (USAf), congratulated DUT on the establishment of the Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC). She also added that there were three things student entrepreneurs have on their side which is time, choices and safety nets.

“You have time, not just valuable resources. You need to also think about how you want to position yourself in the future, look at the consequences of your choices. Nothing is achieved without hard work and determination,” she said.

The main event and highlight of the day was the Elevator Pitch presentations. This gave 10 student entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their dynamic ideas and impress the judges with their business acumen skills. After much deliberation, the top five winners were announced.

They were all awarded R2000 each. In first place was Sboniso Mbhense- Classic Food Enterprise, second place went to Nkanyiso Dlamini- Ruth Concept (Interior Design and Decorating), third position was Lungisile Dube- Forward Slash Projects, fourth place went to Sisipho Mpakumpaku- Quench Water and fifth position went to Thobile Khumalo- Keke Bakery.

Judges, Zazi Nxele (Managing Director, Zazi Media), Mike Zondo (SEDA Branch Manager, Umgungundlovu) and Romeo Matumba (Subject librarian, Riverside Campus), all reiterated that all the candidates were winners and had impressed them and the top five were chosen because of their all-rounded research on their target market which was on point.

Winner, Sboniso Mbhense-Classic Food Enterprise, could not contain his excitement upon hearing his name. His pitch on his fresh and nutritious range of peanut butter, paw paw and banana jams, impressed the judges.

“I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to pitch my business idea and this proves to me that hard work does pay off. My aim is to grow my business bigger and better and receive more training to go forward,” he said excitedly.

The #SEW2018 will close off today,  30 August with the Turn Your Writing into a Business workshop which will be hosted in partnership with the DUT’s Writing Centre. The workshop has author and academic Professor Zakes Mda as the keynote speaker, whose goal is to turn one’s passion in writing into a sustainable business.

Pictured: Nontokozo Ngcobo, Manager: Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC), DVC: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Prof Sibusiso Moyo , winner of the Elevator Pitch, Sboniso Mbhense- Classic Food Enterprise, Acting Midlands Director, Reginald Thabede, Dr Norah Clarke Director EDHE and Universities South Africa (USAf), at the event.

Waheeda Peters and Sandile Lukhozi