LaMia Ruby

On Mandela Day, 18 July, South Africans are encouraged to give up 67 minutes of their time to help others.

But due to the many problems South Africans face and the ever-increasing unemployment rate, more than 67 minutes is needed to address these issues.

Mandela’s vision was for a just and fair society where every citizen had equal rights and opportunities. When addressing these issues, we should focus on meaningful and sustainable efforts.

Unemployment represents a significant challenge that South Africa faces today. It occurs when individuals actively seeking employment need more opportunities to secure jobs.

Unfortunately, a significant portion of our country’s unemployed population comprises young people aged 15 to 24. As Mandela Day approaches, we must come together to address this pressing issue and empower our youth.

Statistics reveal that a staggering 10 million young South Africans are currently unemployed. This number emphasises the urgent need for action. Unemployment, if addressed, can lead to a host of negative consequences.

One of the key factors contributing to unemployment is the legacy of apartheid, which has resulted in the uneven distribution of job opportunities across the country. To combat this, we must focus on creating new avenues for employment.

Embracing renewable energy sources could help address the adverse effects of load shedding and create employment opportunities for the youth.

Equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary for farming allows them to generate income while fostering self-sufficiency.

Skills shortages are another critical aspect that needs to be addressed.

The government should allocate a substantial portion of funds towards providing unemployed youth with the necessary materials, tools, knowledge, and skills required in sectors experiencing skill gaps.

By bridging these gaps, we create a more inclusive workforce that can meet the demands of various industries.

On Mandela Day, we must unite to empower our youth and create sustainable job opportunities.

Let us honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy by working towards a South Africa where unemployment is a thing of the past and every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to our nation’s success.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

Nelson Mandela University has launched a multi-year global Giving Campaign, to raise R30 million to support four projects, based on empowerment and social redress.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa is leading the campaign with the endorsement of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, whose Mandela Month theme for 2023 is “Climate change and food security”.

Prof Muthwa explained that funds raised would go towards projects that address student hunger, bursaries, support a greenhouse project and empower sustainable community food kitchens.

“We are launching this fundraising drive in the build-up to international Mandela Day on 18 July. It is an opportunity to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s most beloved statesman and global icon, someone who became the world’s moral compass.”

Prof Muthwa said the story of how Mandela, a young man born in a remote rural village, became one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century was one of overcoming hardship and never losing sight of hope.

“It is a story that inspires generations of young people the world over.

“We are seeking your help to provide opportunities for thousands of young people who, because of their social circumstances, are faced with hardship and adversity.

“Who knows? With your assistance we could be nurturing the next generation of Nelson Mandelas.”

The new campaign is over and above the University’s day-to-day fundraising initiatives, which range from raising funds for postgraduate bursaries, to capital projects such as new buildings and laboratory equipment.

Globally, student numbers at universities have significantly increased. This has also been the case in South Africa.

However, government subsidies to universities in South Africa have been declining in real terms, made worse by, among other factors, rising inflation and the effects of COVID-19.

“This is why all universities need to raise third stream income. It helps to maintain high quality education, as well as broaden the net to accommodate academically deserving students who cannot fund their studies,” said Prof Muthwa.

She appealed to all stakeholders to donate any amount to the campaign, “as every cent counts”.

The campaign will benefit four projects aimed at helping students and the broader community: deal with financial exclusion challenges, student hunger, provision of community kitchens and a greenhouse project tackling unemployment by supporting a group of technical and vocational education and training college graduates with a greenhouse and community food systems project, using environmentally sustainable technologies.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Edwin Naidu

The South African Cabinet has urged all fellow South Africans to rally behind our team Proteas – as they battle it out in the 2023 Netball World Cup, the first of its kind to be hosted in the African Continent.

The Netball World Cup 2023 (NWC2023) in Cape Town, South Africa, will run from 28 July to 6 August and will be the first to take place on the continent with 16 teams battling it out across the ten days, in the hope they will be crowned champions in netball’s most prestigious event. The Road To Cape Town began in March 2019, when Netball South Africa was announced as the host for the staging of the 16th Netball World Cup.

Since then, many key milestones have been achieved in the build-up to the World Class Event, including all five Netball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers. As the tournament nears, the Vitality Netball World Cup (VNWC2023), the official Trophy Tour, ended last month.

Having travelled across the country over June, the famed trophy crossed from the Eastern to Western Cape provinces of South Africa – the Western Cape being its final destination before being handed to the VNWC2023 champions when they were crowned on 6 August.

Even more significant was that the handover took place at the Tsitsikamma Khoisan Village – so honouring the indigenous inhabitants of South Africa.

The Khoikhoi and San are believed to be among the oldest cultures in the world. Apart from its pristine beaches, the Tsitsikamma is well-known for its enticing tourist attractions, including one of the highest bungee, jumps in the world at the majestic Bloukrans Bridge
and the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours through Outeniqua Yellowwood trees that are up to 700 years old.

After a special celebration in Kareedouw with dignitaries, cultural groups and performances by local entertainers, the NWC trophy was taken to the Tsitsikamma Khoisan Village, where Eastern Cape MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Nonceba Kontsiwe officially completed the handover to Anroux Marais, the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport.

“The Western Cape Government is pleased and honoured to receive this trophy and to embark on a tour across our province to get all communities excited for the Netball World Cup,” said Marais. “Cape Town is ready and looking forward to hosting the
Netball World Cup for the very first time on African soil.

“Although all the matches are being played in Cape Town itself, we want to include the whole province in the build-up and actual tournament, and so we are delighted that various municipalities have partnered with us to host fan zones and viewing centres.

“These will ensure that people across the province can watch the live matches for free at a venue close to their homes. “During this trophy tour, we will also encourage people to watch the matches at these venues so that we can make sure that no one is left out in supporting our home team,” added Marais.

In a statement, members of the Cabinet headed by President Cyril Ramaphosa called on ‘everyone in the country to support our girls as they strive to make history by winning gold on the African Continent’.

“In the next few days, the eyes of the sporting world will turn to Cape Town, in South Africa, for the start of the 2023 Netball World Cup from 28 July to 6 August. This is the first time this prestigious global showpiece is being held on the African continent.”

Earlier, the Cabinet urged South Africans to get into the spirit of the 2023 Netball World Cup tournament, where 16 nations will be participating, including our own Proteas. South Africans are urged to fly the flag and the Protea colours on Fridays each week, and
communities in Cape Town and elsewhere are encouraged to prepare to host international players and guests who are likely to visit all parts of the country.

“South Africa works diligently and innovatively to attract such global events which place a spotlight on the country and create economic opportunities and support jobs in a range of sectors,” Cabinet said in a statement.

Defending champions New Zealand may come to Cape Town as favourites, but their coach Noeline Taurua reckons the trophy currently belongs to every team.

“We don’t believe that we have ownership of that cup,” said Taurua. “The cup now belongs to everybody so that every game will be tough. That mentality to win every game is paramount, so it’s not a guarantee at all.”

New Zealand claimed the trophy for a fifth time when they beat Australia by just one goal in the final four years ago in Liverpool. Six of the players from that squad will compete in this year’s tournament. Having since had to settle for bronze at the Birmingham 2022
Commonwealth Games after being beaten by Jamaica in the semi-final, the Silver Ferns are aware that repeating their heroics of four years ago will come with its challenges.

“I think there is pressure that goes along with whether you’re defending or not. Our messaging that we’d like to put across is that we are out there to win like everybody else,” explained Taurua, who has coached the Silver Ferns since 2018. “I think Australia are number one

because they are the best, and you can’t deny the consistency of their ability to perform under intense pressure. “I think another thing that we have to be mindful of is that everybody has the opportunity to put out a good performance every time [they are] out on
court; you can’t negate anybody. Home support for the Proteas would also put them in with a shout! Let’s rally behind the Netball South Africa team.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education is far from over, according to St Martin’s School principal Warren Venter, who warned that liquidating the deficit as soon as possible to protect an entire generation from “dangerous regression”.

He said the learning deficits were worse in mathematics and literacy.

Recently, South Africans were shocked to learn that Grade 4 learners struggled to read with meaning. The 2021 results of the Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) were recently published and indicated that 81% of South Africa’s grade 4 learners are unable to read for meaning.

But Venter said that the problem stretches through to matriculants, too, and that a direct line can be drawn between much of the country’s reading with meaning challenges and the pandemic.

Venter, who is the principal of St Martin’s School, one of the country’s reputable private schools, said that as a remedy to the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the school developed personalised ‘catch-up’ curricula for learner sets that were identified as somewhere on the spectrum of an education deficit.

Venter said that the school has developed compulsory intra and extra-mural sessions across all grades to address gaps in education, including addressing learners’ ability to focus and function effectively within a scholastic environment.

“It’s a programme that I feel all schools must adopt to avoid a problem that could recur as each learner progresses to successive grades. It has to be nipped in the bud, because South Africa cannot afford to graduate students with unsuitably developed skills. The knock-on effect on future growth could be dire,” Venter warned.

Venter noted three primary reasons for the lag. “While there was no alternative, online learning became the go-to for families. It played a crucial role, but anecdotal evidence suggested that students were struggling to focus. Online learning is usually paired with multi-tasking and attention and focus on the subject matter being taught often lacked the intensity required.”

He also listed social media as a thorn in learning’s side. “It proved to be a massive distraction during the pandemic, and it continues to be an attention segue for students today,” he said. It then translated to the classroom as lockdown restrictions waned, creating challenges in concentration, reading and digestion of learning materials.

It’s been just over a year since South Africa lifted all lockdown restrictions, and Venter said that understanding the enormous impact of the pandemic has only recently started to surface.

“Intervention is the only way to assess, understand and remedy a situation. Notwithstanding other challenges, the deficit hangover could become one of the biggest crises in education in the country’s history. Addressing it through individualization and group remedy is the only path ahead,” he said.

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Staff Reporter

Google has announced the expansion of Bard, its conversational AI service, to 40 new languages including Swahili- the first African language to be included and 59 new countries and territories.

The expansion includes new features that allow users to better customize their experience, boost their creativity, and get more done.

With the expansion, Bard is now available in most of the world, including countries in the European Union (EU), and in the most widely spoken languages, including Swahili, Chinese, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Hindi, and Spanish. Users can now access Bard in their preferred language with text-to-speech also enabled in 8 languages.

 “We’re excited that this is Bard’s largest expansion to date – we see its global availability as a great democratizer of knowledge,” said Dorothy Ooko, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, SSA, Google.

 “That’s why we created Bard: to help you explore that curiosity, augment your imagination and ultimately get your ideas off the ground — not just by answering your questions, but by helping you build on them.”According to UNESCO, Swahili is among the 10 most widely spoken languages in the world, with more than 200 million speakers.

The inclusion of more languages and territories will also help to make Bard more inclusive and safe, through feedback from a wider range of users.

“The launch of Bard in Swahili is a major milestone as it allows Bard to reach even more people in Africa, where approximately 150 million people speak Swahili. This makes Bard more accessible to everyone in the region, and we believe that it has the potential to be a powerful tool for creativity and learning. We are excited to see how people in the region use Bard to explore their ideas and discover New things,” said Rachael Ndichu, Language Manager at Google.

Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of Google’s large language models.

It draws on information from the web to provide responses. As an experimental technology, Bard may occasionally make inaccurate statements in response to user prompts.

 So if a response from Bard is inaccurate or unsafe, if one experiences an issue, or just wants to provide feedback, there’s an easy way to do that.

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LERATO MBHIZA

THE National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) met with the South African Students Congress (SASCO) to iron out problems surrounding defunded students and direct payments, NSFAS spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday after a meeting in Irene Pretoria.

Nsfas teams were dispatched to engage Student Representative Councils and University Management on direct payments and related matters. This comes after weeks long student protests.  

The meeting also dealt with student complaints, such excessive charges, inaccessibility of the service providers, lack of clarity on how to access funds and  allegations of funds not reaching their intended beneficiaries.

Nsfas said that it will not allow a system that was established in good faith, to be muddled with activities that defeat the purpose of direct payment and its spokesperson Slumezi Skosana said investigations will be conducted and where the allegations are proven true, appropriate action will be taken.

“Service providers will be instructed to increase their physical presence at institutions of higher learning so that they can respond directly to student queries on direct payment.

“There should be an immediate enhancement of explanations on how students can access their funds to avoid delays in the distribution of allowances” .

Skosana added that there will be a three-way meeting between student leaders, Nsfas management and the service providers on 11 July to iron out all relevant matters.

However he stressed that it should be kept in mind that the transactional costs are standard across all partners.

In addition, Nsfas urged students to complete their onboarding process to speedily access their Nsfas  bank accounts by going to the Nsfas  website, under the heading “For Students and Learners’ ‘ click on Nsfas  Bank account (under student support). There they will find the name of their institution and can click on the register here button and then follow the prompts.

The EFF said “the inability of Nsfas to streamline its processes and ensure timely assistance has caused immense frustration and despair among those who rely on its support. 

“Year in, year out, these failures have had far-reaching consequences, affecting the lives and aspirations of countless students”.

Furthermore, the EFF claimed that the new direct payment service provider which came with high recommendation from Nsfas management and the ministry of Higher Education, as an alternative for distributing funds for unfunded students. 

However, up to date only a few students received allowances, and those who have, received less than what they deserved and with high transitions.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

With disruptive technologies resulting in increasing automation, young women must be prepared for the careers of the future.  Government, business and international organisations are partnering to ensure that girls are able to participate in the 4th industrial revolution.

Dozens of girls got a taste of this at the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) bootcamp held in Polokwane from 24 June to 3 July.  Learners from the North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo receiving training in coding and robotics, among other things.

The Youth Month initiative took place under the theme “Re-imagining and re-thinking STEM education in the 4th industrial revolution”.  STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The AGCCI is being implemented in South Africa by the UN Women Multi-Country Office for Southern Africa in partnership with the Department of Basic Education and Department of Science and Innovation (DSI).  It is also supported by Siemens and the Belgian government.

The AGCCI camps target girls in a bid to address gender imbalances. Gender gaps continue to keep women employed in junior roles, with minor responsibilities, little decision-making power and few opportunities in STEM leadership.

Despite the significant progress made to enhance women’s participation in STEM-related subjects, gender disparity remains a concern at all levels, with only 13% of STEM graduates in South Africa being female.

Ms Mmampei Chaba, Chief Director: Multilateral Cooperation and Africa at the DSI, spoke to learners at the boot camp, saying that young women needed to learn new skills and empower themselves for the new jobs of the future.

Chaba said that the camp was an example of what the new White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) aimed to do.  The long-term policy and the 2022-32 STI Decadal Plan both focus on new approaches to foster creativity, learning and entrepreneurship that can flourish as primary drivers of economic growth, job creation and socio-economic reform.

“The Decadal Plan covers the skills of the future and how young people can be employable in the future,” said Ms Chaba, adding that “Girls must choose careers that will empower them for the future.”

The learners were urged to look beyond the current work environment, which is changing rapidly, with jobs in the service, radiology, pharmacy and public transport sectors, among many others, increasingly impacted by 4th industrial revolution technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

Chaba said that, while mechanisation and machine learning would become more widespread, human beings would still be needed as engineers, designers and programmers, as well as for intervention and decision-making.  People would also be needed for their emotional intelligence, which AI and robots lacked.

The Limpopo MEC for Education, Ms Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, told the learners that the world was competitive, and education curricula should be competitive too.

“Education should empower you, as young people, to be in the coding, robotics and technology space, so that you can represent our country and compete in the world,” said Lerule-Ramakhanya.

To address gaps, the government has introduced coding and robotics to the school curriculum to provide learners with the most needed digital and ICT skills.  The curriculum also aims to prepare learners to think critically, work collaboratively and solve everyday problems.

Inspiring the young women with information about the advantages of coding capabilities, Ms Rita Nkuhlu, Siemens Executive Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, said rapidly changing technology could not be ignored, as much of our environment was already based on the use of apps and cyber-business.

She said that, as an engineering company, Siemens had developed their own industrial Internet of Things service solution called MindSphere, which collects, stores and learns from complex operational data, enabling improved processes and speeding up management decision-making.

Nkuhlu explained that coding for cybersecurity was also required to safeguard individuals’ intellectual property rights, and that, while some jobs would become obsolete, new jobs would be created for people with the necessary skills.

Grade 11 learner Malebogo Bojang from Madibogo High School in the North West said that Youth Month reminded her of the sacrifices made by the youth of 1976, which had made it possible for her and other learners to take school subjects such as science and technology.  She said that she considered herself privileged to have participated in the coding and robotics camp.

The second boot camp will be held in the Eastern Cape during the school holidays, from 29 September to 10 October 2023.

INSIDE EDUCATION

A Soweto initiative rising from the ashes of those who lost their lives during and after the seminal 16 June 1976 uprisings

INSIDE EDUCATION REPORTER

Gabriel Kgora ‘Gab’ Mataboge is one of those child geniuses who started school at the tender age of 3 because he was too smart to be cooped up in a creche with his peers.

The fact that he still vividly recalls the 16 June 1976 events when he had just turned 4 in May 1976 speaks to his exceptional creative power.

Kgora gets animated with his graphic recollection of what transpired on the day that changed the history of South Africa for good and also changed his life and that of his family in the process.

On this day 47 years ago, the youth and pupils of 1976 took to the streets of Soweto to protest against Afrikaans as a medium of instruction and triggered events that would lead to the unbanning of all political parties and the release of former President Nelson Mandela from Robben Island among other struggle icons.

The 16 June 1976 protests went down in history as the catalyst for change in South Africa. They brought about the end of apartheid, which was replaced by a constitutional democracy still prevailing in South Africa, where every citizen has a right to vote.

The June 16 peaceful protests, within a few days, had turned violent and had spread across most black and coloured townships in major towns such as Durban, Cape Town, East London, Gqebera, Mpumalanga, Polokwane, Kimberley and Bushbuckridge, among others.

There was chaos all around as the government and private business property was torched and vandalised, stores were looted, and many young and older adults were either shot and maimed or killed during skirmishes with the police. Hundreds of others were detained for weeks and months in the aftermath of June 16 while scores fled the country into exile.

When the riots started, Kgora’s mom, Dorah Nthakeng Mataboge, a teacher at a nearby school, quickly went to fetch her young son from his Kgaogelo Primary School. She dropped him off at home in Naledi with his father, Johannes Rradimmeko Matoboge.

Incidentally, Rradimmeko Mataboge was a delegate at the 1955 ANC conference In Kliptown for the adoption of the Freedom Charter.

It is at the Rradimmeko household that the young Kgora got a glimpse of why there was chaos all around him with sirens blaring and his dad closing and locking all the doors while his older schoolmates were running like crazy up and down the streets of Naledi.

A curious Kgora used a crack in the door to get a glimpse of what was going on in the streets.
“Days before the riots, my namesake Gabriel ‘Gabinkie’ Mataboge told my father that something big was coming. Gabinkie and I were cousins and got our names from our grandfather, Gabriel Kgora Mataboge. I remember the guy was big and looked older for his age, around 16. He was a very colourful character

“Gabinkie used to sell all kinds of goodies in the trains, and I am not sure if anyone took him seriously about issues of politics. But when all hell broke loose, we all remembered his warning about something significant coming. He was an activist of sorts and very brave.

“Through the hole in the door, I could see an open veld opposite our street, and there was a Coca-Cola truck, and there was activity around it. I then saw police Land Rovers, and there were gunshots. I heard Gabinkie was shot and killed by a sniper during this skirmish. Many snipers were doing the rounds in our townships at the time.

“An uncle of ours was on his way to convey the message that Gabinkie had been shot and killed when he, too, got shot in the leg. A stray bullet from the police in the Land Rovers at the Coca-Cola truck skirmish hit him. My father opened the door, and I saw so much blood on my uncle; I was terrified”.

Kgora said that all these years, he has been trying to find images and to get more information about Gabinkie and his role in youth activities before June 16 but has yet to find any way to get through.
This is what inspired him to come up with the “Unsung Heroes & Heroines Stamp Collection to pay tribute to individuals and families who made significant contributions to the Anti-Apartheid struggle but were never recognised for their roles.

“These are individuals and families, such as Gabinkie, who have never been given recognition for their selfless devotion to South African and Southern Africa’s struggle for liberation.

“These stamps are not only about the 1976 unsung heroes but people who were not political but played a pivotal role in our struggle for liberation. There were all sorts of players in our struggle. Those who stole cars and took kids across our borders to escape the brutality and torture from the security forces and to join the liberation struggle.

“We hope the stamp collection can garner public attention and become an avenue to raise awareness and funds for the offsprings of these individuals,’’ he says.

Kgora says the stamps, created by his 23-year-old son Khumo Mataboge, will form part of the Soweto Republic Passports (an education, culinary and clubbing venture) aimed at stimulating and driving domestic and international foot traffic to all Soweto Tourism destinations.

“The UNSung Heroes & Heroines Stamps Collection aims to pay tribute to individuals and families who made significant contributions to the Anti-Apartheid struggle and were unfortunately denied recognition for their selfless devotion to South Africa and Southern Africa.

“The creators of the UnSung Heroes Stamps Collection hope that these Tourism Destination tools can garner public attention, become the avenue to raise awareness and drive Tourism foot traffic to the Blue Plague Memorial Homes of these UnSung Heroes & Heroines and beyond.

Khumo also did a stamp as a tribute to his grandfather Rradimmeko alongside the father and founder of Soweto Sofasonke Mpanza.

Corporates, Brands & Tourism Destinations seeking to partner and be included on the passport can contact Brand Soweto at 083-477-1867 or dsouthafrica@gmail.com

INSIDE EDUCATION

INSIDE EDUCATION REPORTER

With the world’s youngest and fastest growing populations, African countries are changing rapidly. The next generation is essential to the continent’s future and to global shared interests in creating a safer, healthier, and more prosperous world.

The economic growth and international relevance of the continent show that there is opportunity for youth to contribute to their society. If empowered Africa’s growing youthful population could support increased productivity and stronger, more inclusive economic growth across the continent. However, majority of youth in Africa do not have stable economic opportunities. In South Africa, the Covid-19 pandemic brought to bare the realities of youth unemployment in the country as reported by Statistics South Africa.

Youth account for 60% of total unemployment

46.3% of youth aged 15-43, and over 63% aged 15-24 are unemployed

40% of graduates aged 15-24, and 15% of graduates aged 25-34 are unemployed

32.4% of youth aged 15-24 are not in employment, education or training

To empower youth potential, British Council designed a project to foster the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within Higher Education Institutions and facilitate the development of skills required to build industries, companies and products. The Innovation for African Universities (IAU) project is designed to support the development of Africa – UK Higher Education partnerships to build institutional capacity for Higher Education engagement in entrepreneurship ecosystem in selected African countries.

As part of this project the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in Johannesburg, South Africa launched and established the Wits Entrepreneurship Clinic. Under this initiative the Wits Entrepreneurship Clinic aims to build the capacity of students and graduates through experiential learning and mentorships to become volunteer clinicians who provide professional and quality business advice and support to entrepreneurs within the University and surrounding communities.

“Universities have a pivotal role to play in fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship for the good of the world. This is why British Council developed the Innovation for African Universities project, to catalyse innovation and entrepreneurship because young entrepreneurs have a crucial role to play in solving the employment crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa as employees and job creators. As an organisation, we believe now is the time to focus on building engagement and being deliberate about actions to create safe and prosperous environments for young people to thrive,” says Scott McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, British Council.

“Wits University is making a significant impact by fostering entrepreneurship and addressing critical challenges such as poverty and unemployment, not only in our country but also beyond. We recognize the pressing need for young entrepreneurs to emerge as job creators and catalysts for economic development in Africa. Through our Wits Entrepreneurship Clinic, supported by the new Wits Innovation Centre (WIC), we are tapping into the immense creativity and ingenuity of our diverse community of innovators and entrepreneurs. By empowering these future leaders, we are equipping them to discover transformative solutions for complex real-world problems.” says Professor Lynn Morris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Wits University.

In the first phase of this project, Wits University worked in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, together with ecosystem players – the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and the Africa Circular Economy Network.

Since its launch in July 2022, the Wits Entrepreneurship Clinic (WEC) has so far trained over 60 clinicians who have provided professional and quality business advisory services to the entrepreneurship community to accelerate viable entrepreneurial opportunities. Additionally, a 12-module training programme for clinicians has been developed and piloted alongside the delivery of intensive masterclasses focussing on digital entrepreneurship, as well as the circular economy. The long-term vision for the clinic is to develop a culture of and appreciation for entrepreneurship as not only a viable alternative to employment but also as a mechanism to address many of the grand challenges confronting South African society.

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