Fifty-one students from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) will be the first group to attend the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) Online Entrepreneurship Programme which will be launched virtually on Wednesday, 27 October 2021.

The programme facilitated by THENSA in partnership with Munster Technological University (MTU) in Ireland, will provide the students with skills and knowledge necessary to start and run a successful business. The THENSA Online Entrepreneurship Programme offers an opportunity to create a new generation of young people who will become job creators within their own communities, giving them the kind of opportunities that will make an impact in the growth of our economy.

Over the course of six modules, students will explore what it means to be an entrepreneur, why entrepreneurship is integral to economic development and how to start and run their own business. They will have the opportunity to hear from like-minded entrepreneurial students in South Africa and Ireland who will present some of their insights and findings through each step of the programme. This course is designed to be practical and user-friendly, encouraging students to develop an entrepreneurial approach as they prepare to enter the workforce. Upon completion of the online programme, the participating students will receive a recognised certificate of participation from THENSA, MTU and DUT.

“I am so excited since Durban University of Technology is the first University of Technology to pilot the THENSA Online Entrepreneurship Programme. We are looking forward to this exciting programme. Thank you so much THENSA for selecting the Durban University of Technology,” said Professor Keolebogile Motaung, Technology, Transfer and Innovation (TTI) Director at DUT.

Dr Anshu Padayachee, CEO: Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) said: “As the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and the new challenges in our country, there is an urgent need for dynamic and decisive solutions that will address poverty and unemployment. It is our hope that the THENSA Online Entrepreneurship Programme will foster an entrepreneurial spirit amongst youth and become a critical part of the curricula of institutions of higher learning in South Africa.”

Pictured: TTI Director at DUT, Prof Keolebogile Motaung.

Simangele Zuma