The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Adopt-A-School Entrepreneurship and AgriTech programme, through its entrepreneurial nerve centre, the innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in partnership with the Moses Kotane Research Institute and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, recently formed part of a strong South African delegation participating in the Agro Inter Schools competition in Russia.
The competition is a brainchild of the Simply Cosmos LLC which implemented an educational project and cultural programme in the Russian Federation for South African citizens.
To participate in this programme, the Simply Cosmos LLC invited students to participate in the prestigious AgroNTRI-2025 International High-Tech Agricultural Technology Competition, which was held in Moscow, from 08 to 15 October 2025.
This global event brought together students from the host nation Russia and partner countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, and India.
The competition’s goal was to strengthen international cooperation in scientific and technical education and promote engineering and agricultural professions among young people.
As part of its objectives, the competition sought to introduce students to advanced agricultural technologies, to develop practical skills and motivation to apply academic knowledge, to create opportunities for rural youth engagement, to engage the scientific and business communities in developing talent, and to increase the number and quality of applicants to agricultural universities.
As part of the competition, the International Super Final was held as part of the Russian Agricultural Exhibition “Golden Autumn.”
The programme included master classes, team competitions, case presentations, lectures, excursions, cultural events, and an official awards ceremony.
This international engagement was made possible through a strategic partnership between the DUT, the Moses Kotane Research Institute and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
The innobiz DUT had an opportunity to expose three best performing learners from KZN schools that are part of the Adopt-a-School Programme to participate in the Agro Inter-School Programme.
The first day of the event saw the official opening of the International Track Agro Inter-School and this international event marked a great moment as the traditionally Russian Agro Kid Competition expanded to include participants from around the globe in a bid to foster collaboration and innovation in agricultural technologies.
Learners from different countries presented on the agricultural outlook of their countries, the use of agricultural technologies and opportunities for the future with a total of nine countries being represented.
The presentations saw all learners afforded the opportunity to share the richness of their countries, and as anticipated some countries are more advanced than others, likewise, the adoption of agro technology and the use of digital technologies varied.
Mr Ntwenhle Malinga, Mr Kusas’elihle Ndawonde and Ms Anitha Chiya, who proudly represented Team South Africa, made a beautiful presentation about South Africa’s rich agricultural landscape.
In their presentation, the South African trio also highlighted the agricultural activities with the Adopt-a-School programme and its initiatives to build future leaders and game changers for tomorrow.
Following the presentations, two masterclasses were offered to the participating learners with some attending the Agro Drones (use of drone technology within the agricultural sector) masterclass while others attended the Agro Space (understanding of remote sensing and analysis of satellite images for making informed decisions for their agricultural operations) masterclass.
The first day was closed off with an awards ceremony for participants with all the participants awarded with certificates, medals and gifts.
This ceremony was a prestigious affair that was attended by the Russian Minister of Agriculture, the Deputy Minister of Education, Managing Director of AgroComplex who are also sponsors. The various speakers encouraged the continuation of the programme, hailing it as a programme that was a pipeline for changemakers of tomorrow.
They also encouraged the participants to continue working on their projects and emphasised the need for agribusiness to ensure food security. It was indicated that Agribusiness should start at kindergarten (Grade R) level.
It was widely acknowledged that the world needed a young and talented generation since agriculture is becoming innovative and the use of agrotechnology afforded farmers more time to plan and monitor production while also enabling efficiency and improved productivity.
Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT, emphasised the importance of exposing the youngsters to international trends and ways of thinking at an early stage as this would assist them to be on par with their international counterparts.
He also hailed the collaborative efforts that had made the trip to Russia possible for the three students, saying that this aligned with the Quad Helix model employed by DUT which meant that the university’s role was to work hand in hand with stakeholders from government, the corporate world and the local communities.
“What has happened to make this possible is a model of that Quad Helix, because all stakeholders, the Durban University of Technology, the Moses Kotane Research Institute and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have rallied together to ensure that the learners have an opportunity to learn on the international stage. This is a model as a university that we aspire to keep showcasing,” Prof Nemavhola said.
More than about teaching the school learners agricultural, technological and entrepreneurial skills, Prof Nemavhola said that it was also about imparting on them the fundamentals of life, including discipline, time management, and the ability to organise themselves as human beings.
“The principles of entrepreneurship are a cherry on top because once they are able to organise themselves, they would be able to do almost everything. It’s very important to teach them these principles when they are still young so that they are able to carry them forward,” Prof Nemavhola said.
Ms Nontokozo Ngcobo, the innobiz DUT Centre Manager, said that the main objective of taking the three students from Nkandla, Pietermaritzburg and Port Shepstone to Russia was to expose them to international trends in agricultural economics and technology.
“We wanted to expose them through the global Agro Inter-School Competition which is held in Russia annually. This was a huge success for them, they were on a flight for the first time and being exposed to the international community for the first time was mind-blowing to them. It was also great to see them interacting with their counterparts from the various countries participating in the competition. It’s been a blessing to have them here and it was a great opportunity for them and we wish them well and may they continue to aspire for more,” Ms Ngcobo said.
The entourage also attended the second day of the Golden Autumn show, an event that focused on agriculture, soil science, and climate change, and had presentations from leading Russian specialists. It took place at Moscow State University, followed by a visit to the Timirazev Academy as the focus was on the importance of soil as a natural resource, its role in food production, biodiversity, and the global carbon cycle, as well as its connection to climate change.
The participants engaged in both theoretical learning and practical exercises to understand soil microorganisms and their impact. Leading Russian specialists provided guidance on studying soils and their role in climate change.
Amongst some of the key topics and discussions during the Golden Autumn show included importance of soil for food production, the soil’s role in biodiversity, and the soil’s function in the global carbon cycle.
Also, the agenda was climate change and the role of soil in land systems, practical exercises for identifying soil microorganisms, presentations by leading Russian specialists on climate change, and the study of soils and their role in climate change.
Pictured: The delegation representing South Africa and DUT at the Agro Inter-Schools competition. From left to right: Ms Senamile Dlangalala, innobiz DUT Projects and Industry Coordinator, UKZN Economic Activation Communication Coordinator, Ms Zamakhoza Khoza, Ms Nontokozo Ngcobo, innobiz DUT Centre Manager, and the three learners from the Adopt-a- School Entrepreneurship and Agri Programme, Mr Kusas’elihle Ndawonde, Ms Anitha Chiya, and Mr Ntwenhle Malinga.
Samkelo Mtshali
