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Durban University of Technology 24The innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola, hosted a successful Hackathon Bootcamp 2025 in April 2025 that saw a total of 82 new prospective student entrepreneurs put through their paces.Students from both the Midlands and Durban campuses were bussed into the picturesque African Enterprise Conference Centre, yearning to have their entrepreneurial spirit galvanised.Several key DUT stakeholders graced the event over three days and shared their valuable insights and experiences with the cohort of prospective student entrepreneurs.Among those who shared their words of wisdom were the DUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: People and Operations Dr Vuyo Mthethwa; the Midlands Campus Director Dr Nonhlanhla Mthiyane; Mr Bheki Zulu, an innobiz DUT Board member; Dorinda Borg from the Department of Somatology; the DUT SRC President Solomzi Zoleka; as well as SRC Secretary-General Melusi Tshabalala.Their presence underscored the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation in shaping the future of students and the broader community, aligning with innobiz DUT%u2019s vision for entrepreneurship development and DUT%u2019s ENVISION2030 strategy.The Hackathon aligned with the encouraging words of DUT ViceChancellor and Principal Professor Thandwa Zizwe Mthembu earlier this year when addressing the intake of first-year students at the ADAPT@DUT First Year 2025 Orientation.Prof Mthembu implored the students to make use of opportunities availed by entities such as the innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to be creative, innovative and entrepreneurial, to ensure that they become job creators instead of job seekers.%u201cWe are no longer training job seekers but inventors %u2013 innovators who will create jobs for the 400 000 fellow matriculants who have INNOBIZ DUT HOSTED A SUCCESSFUL HACKATHON BOOTCAMP 2025not had the opportunity to enrol at a university. The jobs that you might be hankering after are those that were created by individuals like yourselves. So, why do we not support you to become inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs?%u201d asked Prof. Mthembu.Additionally, the bootcamp was aligned with the vision and ethos of the University, particularly its ENVISION2030 vision, which seeks to innovate and leverage new knowledge and solutions for societal impact.The event also mirrored what Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research Innovation and Engagement Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola said in 2024 when he touched on the University%u2019s strategy to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship among DUT%u2019s students.Prof Nemavhola said that the Institution was committed to innovation and trying to create an environment where both entrepreneurship and innovation can thrive.%u201cWe have a number of mechanisms that we use to inspire that vision or that goal, which is about starting and providing access to incubation and acceleration programmes, offering training and mentorship around entrepreneurship,%u201d said Prof Nemavhola.The Hackathon kicked off with a physically demanding, yet refreshing, 3km hike under the forest canopy at the African Enterprise Conference Centre before the intensive workshops and addresses from experienced business practitioners commenced.Pictured: DUT student entrepreneurs during the Hackathon Bootcamp 2025.