Mpho Malesa (Director) and the cast from the Tshwane University of Technology’s Department of Performing Arts are proud to present On Air, a play that promises to entertain and engage audiences with its focus on censorship.

On Air follows a fearless radio journalist whose career is built on exposing the truth and holding those in power to account through her national broadcasts.

However, the very platform that amplifies her voice becomes increasingly controlled, as overt and subtle censorship begins to dictate what can be said.

The play explores the tension between freedom of expression and institutional pressure, revealing the personal and professional risks faced by those who refuse to remain silent. Structured across three radio segments – morning, lunchtime and drive time – the narrative shifts from light-hearted, entertaining broadcasts to politically charged discussions, ultimately culminating in a moment of crisis.

As restrictions tighten, the studio transforms into a battleground where truth is negotiated and suppressed.

In a final act of defiance, the host chooses to speak openly, regardless of the consequences, triggering a dramatic collapse of control.

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By blending theatrical performance with the sonic language of radio, On Air becomes a powerful reflection on voice, power and the cost of truth in a censored world.

The Breytenbach Theatre is located at 137 Gerard Moerdyk Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria.

TICKETS: R40
Free for students on 23 April 2026 at 18:00.

MORE INFORMATION: 012 3822630 or nohesinn@tut.ac.za

The story was first published in Tshwane University of Technology website.

©Higher Education Media Services.

Across South Africa and beyond, seasoned executives and mid-career professionals are increasingly looking past the traditional corporate ladder, seeking instead to build something of their own.

This surge in entrepreneurial spirit is fuelled by a desire for autonomy, the potential for significant economic impact and a digital environment that has lowered the barriers to entry.

In 2026, the “side hustle” has evolved into a sophisticated career pivot, where the goal is no longer supplemental income but the creation of generational wealth and meaningful change.

However, a sobering reality remains: while a brilliant idea provides the spark, it is rarely enough to keep the fire burning. The transition from a visionary concept to a profitable, sustainable enterprise is complex and fraught with structural challenges.

The “hero-founder” myth – the idea that raw intuition and grit are the only requirements for success – must be replaced by a more robust framework. Sustainable success requires a fusion of creative thinking and formal strategic knowledge.

The Knowledge Gap: Why Ideas Falter

Most businesses do not fail because the initial idea lacked merit. In South Africa, where unemployment rates remain a significant challenge and unique socio-economic pressures compound infrastructure gaps, the failure rate of new businesses is particularly stark. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the economy, yet too many collapse within their first few years.

This pattern is not unique to South Africa. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that approximately 20% of new businesses fail within their first two years, and nearly 45% fail within the first five. The culprit is seldom a lack of passion. More often, it is a knowledge gap in the fundamental mechanics of business scaling.

Entrepreneurs frequently fall into the trap of “product-centric” thinking, focusing entirely on the features of their offering while neglecting the structural pillars of a company.

Without a background in operational discipline or financial literacy, founders often struggle with cash flow management – misunderstanding the timing of inflows and outflows; regulatory compliance – particularly the complex legal requirements of South Africa’s labour and tax environment; and market positioning – failing to differentiate a product in a saturated digital marketplace.

In an increasingly volatile global economy, relying solely on instinct is a high-risk strategy. Formal education serves as a critical intervention, providing the stress test necessary to identify flaws in a business model before they become fatal.

Strengthening the Foundation Through Structured Learning

Formal business education equips aspiring entrepreneurs with a toolkit designed to reduce risk and maximise resource efficiency. While experience is a powerful teacher, its lessons are often expensive and retroactive. In contrast, structured learning offers a proactive environment to master several key capabilities.

Financial Acumen and Unit Economics

Beyond basic accounting, education provides a deep understanding of capital structure, burn rates and unit economics. Understanding how to manage a balance sheet is often the difference between a venture that scales and one that collapses under its own weight.

Many founders confuse “revenue” with “profitability.” Academic rigour teaches a founder to examine Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) against the Lifetime Value (LTV) of a client – the true metric of long-term viability.

Market Analysis and Strategic Positioning

Education moves a founder from guessing what the market wants to knowing how to analyse consumer behaviour. It provides established frameworks – such as Porter’s Five Forces or SWOT analyses – to identify a unique value proposition and defend it against competitors. In the age of AI and big data, the ability to synthesise market intelligence into a coherent strategy is an essential skill.

Risk Evaluation and Mitigation

One of the most significant benefits of business school programmes is learning to distinguish between gambling and calculated risk. Entrepreneurs learn to build contingency plans and manage the legal complexities of modern commerce, including understanding Intellectual Property (IP) protection – a consideration of particular importance for tech-driven startups looking to attract venture capital.

As the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report notes, analytical thinking and strategic resource management remain among the most prioritised skills for the modern workforce. For the entrepreneur, these are not merely desirable qualities – they are survival mechanisms.

From Concept to Commercial Viability: The CEO Mindset

The shift from a sketch on a napkin to a commercial entity requires a transition from thinking like an inventor to thinking like a CEO. An inventor focuses on how a product works; a CEO focuses on how the company works.

Structured education facilitates this evolution by compelling founders to evaluate their ideas through a lens of scalability. Through rigorous academic discipline, an entrepreneur learns to ask the hard questions: whether the business model can grow its revenue without a proportional increase in costs; whether the supply chain can withstand global shocks or local logistical failures; and whether the venture has a leadership framework in place to attract talent and build a high-performing culture.

By applying these frameworks, founders can refine their models, ensuring they are building a business designed for sustainable growth rather than one that relies on a single moment of luck.

Intrapreneurship: Driving Change From Within

The value of entrepreneurial education extends far beyond those starting their own firms. There is a growing demand for “intrapreneurship” – the application of entrepreneurial thinking within established organisations.

HR managers and business leaders are increasingly recognising that the same skills required to launch a startup – leadership, strategic agility and creative problem-solving – are essential for driving growth within a corporate structure.

By investing in structured educational pathways for their employees, organisations build a culture of ownership and forward-thinking. This not only drives internal progress but also prepares the workforce for the disruptions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this context, business education acts as a bridge, aligning individual career development with organisational longevity. Large-scale enterprises that fail to adapt often do so because their leadership lacks the entrepreneurial capacity to pivot in response to market changes.

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Creating Opportunity and Economic Impact

At its core, the marriage of education and entrepreneurship is about opportunity creation. On an individual level, it empowers professionals to pivot their careers with confidence, backed by a credible foundation of knowledge. On a broader level, it contributes to economic stability.

In South Africa, the importance of this cannot be overstated. With unemployment rates remaining a persistent challenge, the move towards professionalised entrepreneurship is a national imperative.

Educated entrepreneurs are more likely to hire and manage teams well, creating jobs in communities that need them most. Sustainable businesses provide the tax base necessary for public infrastructure.

And a growing number of modern entrepreneurs are applying business logic to solve community problems such as energy scarcity and educational access – proving that commercial success and social impact are not mutually exclusive.

When we professionalise entrepreneurship through education, we move away from a “survivalist” economy – where people start businesses out of desperation – towards one defined by sophisticated, high-growth enterprises that can compete on the global stage.

The Enduring Enterprise

The surge of entrepreneurial ambition we see today reflects a powerful human drive to create and contribute. Yet the bridge between a promising idea and a lasting legacy is built with knowledge, discipline and strategic foresight.

Aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals considering a transition should view education not as a detour but as a strategic accelerator. By embracing formal business learning, they gain more than a qualification – they gain the competence to manage complexity and the confidence to turn their vision into a sustainable reality.

The most successful businesses are those built to last, led by individuals who understand that while passion starts the race, knowledge finishes it. Building a profitable and sustainable business is not a matter of chance – it is a matter of education.

Serame Ramosajana is a Chartered Accountant (SA) and serves as the Head of School at Regent Business School.

©Higher Education Media Services.

Samsung in collaboration with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) is running an Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP) Service Centre campaign - an extension of last year’s initiative and a call encouraging more suitable, black-owned Service Centre enterprises to apply for participation in the Enterprise Development (ED) programme.

Last year’s campaign was a broad invitation to small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises operating within the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Service Centre space to apply for funding.

While the ICT category received a sufficient number of applications – there is a need to focus exclusively on Service Centres and encourage more eligible SMEs in this category to participate in this year’s campaign.

The 2026 campaign is trying to increase the number of service centre participants in this ED programme and is now focusing on black-owned SMEs but targeting mainly underserved provinces.

It is therefore looking for skilled service centre entrepreneurs with a minimum of three (3) years experience in mobile device and/or consumer electronic repairs. The main aim of this Samsung EEIP ED programme is to assist SMEs to operate suitably funded accredited service centres in an urban or peri-urban area with sufficient retail footprint.

Samsung is well aware of the government’s NDP Vision 2030 (National Development Plan) targets and the critical role that the SME sector can play in job creation in the country.

In her keynote address at the JSE SME Rise Capital Matching Initiative conference, the Minister of Small Business Development highlighted that the NDP Vision 2030 has set a target of generating 11 million jobs by 2030, with small businesses projected to account for over 9 million of those employment opportunities.

And, in order for the government to achieve its ambitious employment goals – there is a need for such EEIP ED programmes aimed at ensuring sustainable growth of businesses in the SME space that will result in economic growth and lead to job creation.

Nicky Beukes, Samsung EEIP Project Manager said: “As Samsung, we understand the number of challenges that affect the growth of local SME Service Centres in the small to medium-term. This ED programme is there to ensure that we bring positive change to more eligible entrepreneurs with experience in the Service Centre market.

“As a company, we are committed to enhancing empowerment and ICT entrepreneurship development that will stimulate job creation. Ultimately, the aim of this year’s EEIP Service Centre campaign is to contribute to the growth of the participating service centres that will lead to job creation and economic growth.”

Some of the immediate challenges experienced by these service centre SMEs include competition resulting in reduced volumes as well as vertical integration of operations from big players. In addition, the improved quality of electronics in general - results in longer time-frames before any breakdown thereby reducing the need for repair services provided by service centres.

And, in South Africa, it is a well-known fact that the service centre industry is extremely competitive and it can take a number of years before profitability is reached. The fact is that sustainable volumes are required to ensure future success of the service centres. The funding support from this ED programme can assist service centre entrepreneurs to overcome some of these challenges.

Besides the funding element, successful participation in this year’s service centre campaign means that eligible SMEs can now have access to supply chain processes that can contribute to their repair volumes as well as specialised equipment and access to genuine parts.

They also have an opportunity to receive full accreditation from an OEM and these benefits combined - can provide these small and medium enterprises with the ability to compete efficiently.

Beukes emphasised: “By participating in this campaign, you could also be one of the selected entrepreneurs with grant-funding to support operations, receive specialist business development support and have access to Samsung’s service repair network.”

How to Apply

If you are a talented service centre business with growth potential, the opportunity you have been waiting for has arrived. Samsung can help by empowering you to ignite and grow your service centre business. You could receive grant funding to capitalise the business and gain access to specialist business development support services. To learn more about the criteria for qualification as well as information on how to enter, please click on this link - https://www.samsung.com/za/local-programme/ed-programme/

©Higher Education Media Services.

The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) has responded to the government’s promise of an estimated R2.5 billion to support more than 180 000 small and medium enterprises by sponsoring several SMME’s to be part of Africa Energy Indaba 2026 where they showcased their energy solutions.

The initiative forms part of the Energy Industry Support Programme implemented in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Participation in the Africa Energy Indaba, also highlighted how skills development and enterprise support are contributing to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition, EWSETA said in a statement.

EWSETA said it has been estimated that if each of these SMME’s employed just one additional person, up to three million new jobs could be created

This national focus aligns with EWSETA’s work to place new entrants in SMMEs, strengthening their skills capacity and participation in the energy economy, it said.

“By sponsoring these enterprises to attend the Africa Energy Indaba, EWSETA created an opportunity for them to present their technologies, connect with potential clients and investors, and engage with government and industry stakeholders who play an important role in enterprise growth”.

The enterprises that participated are:

• Sol4Africa, represented by Pheladi Chiloane, which developed the SolaGeyzer, a portable solar thermal water heating solution designed for communities where conventional solar geysers cannot be installed.

• LC Dynamics, represented by Lisa Von Benecke, showcased its solar blinds technology, a building-integrated photovoltaic solution designed to generate electricity while improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings.

• Empower Sustainable Energy, represented by Ayanda Nkomo, who focuses on delivering renewable energy access in underserved and off-grid communities through microgrids, storage systems and smart energy solutions.

• Lamo Solar, represented by Tshibvumo Sikhwivhilu. The business is a black-owned Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) firm delivering solar and storage solutions across residential, commercial and industrial markets

EWSETA also contributed to the conference programme through a deep dive session titled Empowering Energy SMMEs for South Africa’s Just Energy Transition: Innovation, Market Access and Skills for Scale.

The session was facilitated by Candice Moodley, Corporate Services Executive at EWSETA, and explored how technical validation, skills pipelines and market access can help energy SMMEs scale their innovations.

EWSETA’s leadership played an active role in shaping critical discussions at the African Energy Indaba contributing insights on workforce development and the skills required to support Africa’s evolving energy landscape.

EWSETA Acting CEO, Robyn Vilakazi, participated in a panel discussion titled “Tapping into the Human Resource to Support the Energy Sector Transition.” During the session, she emphasised the importance of coordinated partnerships to ensure that the workforce is equipped for the opportunities emerging from the continent’s energy transition.

“As the energy transition unfolds, we continue to drive collaboration between industry, government, communities and training institutions to ensure that South Africans – and the broader African workforce – can participate meaningfully in the opportunities emerging across the sector,” said Vilakazi.

EWSETA’s Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Executive, Teslim Mohammed Yusuf, also contributed to discussions through his participation in the Nuclear Forum panel “Driving Nuclear Safety, Localisation and Workforce Development for Nuclear Build Programmes in Africa”.

“He highlighted the transformative impact that South Africa’s planned nuclear build programme can have on both energy security and skills development.

“A nuclear build programme represents not only an energy investment, but a major economic and human capital transformation. Ensuring a specialised skills pipeline – particularly for nuclear mechanical and electrical artisans, as well as graduates in nuclear science and engineering, will be critical to supporting future nuclear projects across the continent,” said Yusuf.

EWSETA’s collaboration with the CSIR continues to strengthen this ecosystem. The partnership recently received additional support through a €2 million investment from the European Union aimed at strengthening South Africa’s capacity to align skills development, technology innovation and enterprise growth within the energy transition.

The funding will support a national initiative focused on advancing beneficiation as a key objective, by aligning vocational training with real employment opportunities across mining, mineral processing and battery value chains, with EWSETA playing a central role in embedding these interventions within the national skills system.

“EWSETA’s support in enabling Lamo Solar to participate in the Africa Energy Indaba created an important platform for us to engage with leaders shaping Africa’s energy future. As a South African renewable energy SMME working to expand clean and reliable power solutions, opportunities like this help us build strategic partnerships, share innovation and accelerate progress toward universal energy access.

“We commend EWSETA for empowering local enterprises to actively contribute to the country’s energy transition,” said Tshibvumo Sikhwivhilu, a representative from Lamo Solar.

EWSETA remains committed to strengthening SMME participation across the energy value chain while developing the technical skills needed to support sustainable growth in South Africa’s energy sector.

©Higher Education Media Services

March is recognised internationally as Women’s Month and in South Africa entrepreneur and founder of sportswear - abOVEnormal, Masingita Masunga, is inviting all “successful women” to invest in the future generation of young footballers by buying them proper football boots - in celebration of women in sports.

Dubbed Walk In My Shoes - the initiative seeks to equip young athletes with the tools they need to perform, compete and believe in themselves, says Masunga.

How the initiative works, is for a sponsor to buy a pair of abOVEnormal soccer boots at a cost of R600 a pair. The pair is then signed by a soccer legend or coach, with personal messages of encouragement, before it is donated to a woman footballer in need.

“As South Africa celebrates 30 years since the historic victory at the 1996 African Cup of Nations, won by Bafana Bafana, we must ensure the next generation is ready to carry the dream forward. One pair of boots can change the future,” Masunga says.

Those wishing to participate can go on www.abOVEnormal.africa or call 0725162675.

©Higher Education Media Services.

The CEO of the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA), Professor Henk de Jager, has high hopes about changing the gloomy narrative around unemployment in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

De Jager is optimistic about the potential of the groundbreaking University-Industry Co-Creation (UNIICo-create) project, launched in Johannesburg at the end of March. He believes it can effectively address the pressing challenges of low job creation, limited start-up success and graduate unemployment, offering a beacon of hope for the future of entrepreneurship education in the SADC region.

A group of tertiary education institutions based in the SADC region convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 24 to 28 March to initiate the co-creation of a curriculum as part of the UNIICo-create project. Their mission is to collaboratively design a curriculum that will revolutionise entrepreneurship education in the region.

This article is published in partnership with the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) to focus on the University-Industry Co-Creation, or UNIICo-create, project. Funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education programme, the project involves stakeholders who aim to transform entrepreneurship through higher education. University World News is solely responsible for the editorial content.

Participating institutions

The strategic partnership between eight institutions in South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini brought together representatives from several higher education organisations in the region as well as representatives from Finland, France, Ireland and Malaysia.

They are Universities South Africa, or USAf, which represents all public universities in South Africa; the South African Qualifications Authority; the Namibian Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation; the Namibia University of Science and Technology; the University of Namibia; the University of Montpellier, France; Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland; Trinity College, Dublin; Lerotholi Polytechnic, Lesotho; the National University of Lesotho; Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia; as well as Stellenbosch University and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa.

The project is funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education programme, a European Union (EU) initiative that supports the modernisation, accessibility and internationalisation of higher education in partner countries. This funding enables the collaboration between the SADC region and the EU, bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise.

De Jager emphasises that the UNIICo-create project is a testament to the power of unity as all the partners form part of a larger initiative to transform the region’s entrepreneurship education.

He explained to University World News how the project aims to become a game-changer through collaboration – a concept he believes can ultimately be emulated and shared beyond the initiative.

UWN: What does this initiative mean in terms of opportunities and skills for students?

HdJ: We are aware of the current economic challenges within the SADC region. Examining the unemployment rate for the region reveals an approximate rate of 12% while, for South Africa, it’s around 32%.

Still, I think a more significant challenge for us is that the youth unemployment in the SADC is approximately 20%. In contrast, South Africa’s unemployment rate is approximately 45%.

If we are graduating students from our universities and the economy is not growing, where will they find jobs? It is for this reason that we have many unemployed graduates currently in South Africa, as well as in countries in the SADC region.

We must instil entrepreneurial skills in our students. UNIICo-create will, therefore, unite experts across the SADC and globally, ensuring that we enhance the entrepreneurial mindsets of our students to prepare them for the world of work, particularly for the business world.

This is so that they will have the confidence and skills to start their own businesses, as well as develop their ideas into viable opportunities, enabling them to make a meaningful contribution to society.

UWN: What impact will the co-creation of the curriculum for entrepreneurs have on students?

HdJ: We are privileged to have numerous partners involved in the European Union supporting the UNIICo-create project and experts from four SADC countries: Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa.

The SADC secretariat, as the regional coordinating body, plays a key role in ensuring that the project aligns with the region’s development goals. We also have the Southern African Regional Universities Association, or SARUA, as a partner, leveraging their expertise and network to ensure the project’s success.

If you look at the expertise [at the gathering in Johannesburg], then one would realise what great benefits there are to ensure that we co-create the curriculum for entrepreneurs, bringing together a pool of university and education ministry experts because they know precisely what challenges their particular country is facing, and to ensure that, even if it is a generic entrepreneurial curriculum, there will be very specific, custom-made snippets of the curricula that are talking to the context of that particular country.

UWN: How does this change the learning model for SADC countries?

HdJ: What is unique about this is that the ministries of education are playing a key role in co-creating the curricula and executing this project as part of a team. It is for this reason that the ministries are involved, and they are responsible for policy reform, policy imperatives and policy changes.

Now that they are part of this team, they will be able to drive this change in the learning model of our Southern African countries jointly, which we can later expand to other countries that are not [yet] part of this project.

UWN: What is the current situation for students, and how can such a programme affect the kind of change needed to grow an entrepreneurial culture?

HdJ: What is essential is to infuse entrepreneurial skills into the curricula of our universities. It should not be an add-on. It should be that, whatever we’re doing at universities, students feel at home.

They will possess this entrepreneurial mindset, and this entrepreneurial culture must also influence the systems, processes and the way we think at these universities, from the vice-chancellor down to the students and all the staff. It is, therefore, the reason why we have a strong focus on entrepreneurial universities.

Entrepreneurial universities have a specific set of characteristics. This project will undoubtedly contribute where we have all the players present: the ministries of education, university leadership, the academics at universities and our student leadership, to ensure that we will be able to transform our participating universities into entrepreneurial universities and embed this entrepreneurial culture, not only among our students, but also the staff and, as I’ve said, across the university.

UWN: Finally, how does THENSA attract business and industry to this initiative?

HdJ: Several institutions focus on work-integrated learning, or work-based learning, whereby part of a student’s studies for a particular programme must be conducted in an industry or business setting.

And it is through work-integrated learning opportunities that we can partner much more closely with business and industry, who can accommodate students for internships and work-integrated learning opportunities. And what better way to instil this entrepreneurial mindset among graduates?

Not everybody has to set up a business, but through an entrepreneurial mindset, you can undoubtedly contribute significantly to enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and production processes of a particular industry.

I am of the view that business and industry will join forces to co-create with us what we believe in, encompassing the principles of entrepreneurial skills and culture. They will then be an integral part of this project, which is also one of our areas of focus.

And then, in general, I’m grateful to all the partners of this EU-financially supported UNIICo-create project, by which we will utilise entrepreneurship to drive transformation in the SADC region.

Tertiary education institutions in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, to initiate collaboration on co-creating a curriculum that aims to transform entrepreneurship through education.

The strategic partnership between eight institutions in South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini, was launched by the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) to enhance graduate employability in the region.

Funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) programme, the University-Industry Co-Creation (UNIICo-create) project aims to tackle the pressing challenges of low job creation, limited start-up success, and graduate unemployment in the SADC region, according to project lead Dr Sershen Naidoo.

Unpacking the initiative during the event, Naidoo said the collaboration recognises the role of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth and addressing Sub-Saharan Africa’s priority action on sustainable growth and jobs.

The collaborative approach adopted will ensure that the project’s impact is systemic and sustainable, with strong support from both academics and policymakers.

This article is published in partnership with the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) to focus on the University-Industry Co-Creation, or UNIICo-create, project. Funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education programme, the project involves stakeholders who aim to transform entrepreneurship through higher education. University World News is solely responsible for the editorial content.

Co-creation of curricula

UNIICo-create unites a diverse range of stakeholders, including higher education institutions, ministries of education from each participating nation; EU partner institutions from Ireland, France, and Finland; and key higher education authorities and consortia.

They are the Southern African Regional Universities Association, or SARUA, the South African Qualifications Authority, the Association of African Universities, the Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa, and Universities South Africa, which represents all public universities in South Africa.

Naidoo said one of the project’s key objectives is the co-creation of curricula, which includes the training of academic leaders to collaborate with industry and societal partners in developing curricula that promote entrepreneurship and innovation.

Secondly, the plan is to establish co-creation units and pilot the integration of co-creation units within universities’ Technology Transfer Offices to facilitate collaborative projects between students, staff and industry.

As drivers of an ecosystem, they will create a network of advocates who can influence policies related to university-industry cooperation, curriculum design and joint qualifications.

Enhancing the entrepreneurial environment

From a South African perspective, according to the 2023-24 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) South Africa Report, the country’s overall entrepreneurial environment is declining. In 2023, it was the third-lowest among the 49 GEM participating economies.

Therefore, through this initiative, Naidoo said, participating universities will be equipped with the tools, resources and partnerships to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students and staff.

UNIICo-create builds upon the foundation laid by HERE-Africa, a network born from THENSA’s previous Erasmus+ CBHE-funded project, Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa (HERE-Africa). The network, hosted by THENSA, also comprises universities and ministries of education.

Namibia

Dr Anna Matros-Goreses, the executive director of the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), says the institution is already strengthening its role as an entrepreneurial university through the project.

A key component of the initiative is an innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship service course at NUST offered in the faculty of commerce, human sciences and education and led by its Executive Dean, Professor Efigenia Semente.

This course equips students with academic knowledge, while a practical implementation programme, supported by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships and industry partners, facilitated by Valerie Garises, the director of technology innovation and entrepreneurship, ensures hands-on experience. The partners are also exploring funding models to secure the programme’s long-term sustainability.

“Our goal is to drive meaningful impact and establish Namibia as a hub for African entrepreneurship and technological advancement,” said Matros-Goreses.

She said this initiative targets students, researchers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders, reinforcing NUST’s commitment to bridging the gap between academia and the market, while also contributing to Namibia’s socio-economic development.

With key innovation spaces such as the High-Tech Transfer and Plaza Select and the NUST Innovation Hub, the university is creating opportunities for collaboration between academia, industry and entrepreneurs. By integrating education, research and commercialisation, NUST aims to develop home-grown solutions under the banner, ‘Made in Namibia for Africa and Beyond’.

Lesotho

Chakela Thaba, a lecturer at the Lerotholi Polytechnic in Lesotho, says the establishment of UNIICo-create was a dream come true for him because he believes that entrepreneurship skills development is imperative.

Thaba said that, when he joined the higher education sector some 20 years ago, he was appalled at how disconnected institutions were from societal needs.

“They functioned like isolated ivory towers, rarely translating [education] into job creation or offering direct solutions to the challenges faced by people in the villages of my country. It frustrated me to see knowledge locked away in silos, with little collaboration and even less tangible impact. This project promises to change that,” he told University World News.

Thaba said higher education should not be a series of lone efforts. Instead, all stakeholders should work together – not just to create curricula, but to offer them, shape them, direct them, review them, and ensure they are effective.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a unified, coordinated effort to transform a nation through education.”

Eswatini

Mboni Dlamini, the executive director of Eswatini Qualifications Authority, believes that the UNIICo-create project presents a significant opportunity for students in Eswatini by fostering closer collaboration between universities and industries.

He said the co-creation of curriculum between universities and industries will ensure that educational programmes align with the real-world needs of the job market. This will reduce the skills mismatch that has been a challenge in Eswatini, where graduates sometimes struggle to find jobs due to outdated or theoretical training.

For the industry, this means having access to a workforce that is job-ready and innovative, thereby reducing the time and resources spent on retraining graduates. Furthermore, Dlamini said it encourages entrepreneurship, with students developing solutions to local challenges and creating businesses instead of relying solely on employment.

“The UNIICo-create project promotes a shift from a traditional academic model – which is often lecture-based and theoretical – to a dynamic, interactive, and experiential learning model,” he said.

Dlamini said the regional approach to higher education, by which SADC universities and industries collaborate to share best practices, research and expertise, can help enhance competitiveness in the global economy.

Through co-creation with industry, the project will enable universities to develop new qualifications in areas such as digital transformation, green technologies and creative industries, ensuring they are recognised and registered under the European Skills Qualifications Framework, he said.