By Levy Masiteng 

Two University of Cape Town (UCT) student entrepreneurs, Sonwabise Gcolotela and Kamogelo Mokale, are heading to the national final of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Absa Entrepreneurship InnoVarsity 2026 competition after impressing judges during the Western Cape regional round.

UCT announced the achievement on Tuesday, quoting Entrepreneurship InnoVarsity coordinator Nadia Waggie.

UCT said the regional competition was hosted by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) at the University of the Western Cape’s Innovation Hub from 19 to 20 August.

Gcolotela and Mokale emerged from a field of student entrepreneurs representing CPUT, UCT, the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University, securing their places among the country’s top student entrepreneurs.

“We are so proud of Sonwabise and Kamogelo. They flew the UCT flag high, and we congratulate them on this outstanding achievement. Now, it’s heads down as they prepare for the final. We are behind them every step of the way,” said Waggie.

The pair will now set their sights on the national finals, scheduled for 26 November.

Mokale’s winning business, Vhutomi Trading Enterprise, was established in 2023 and is taking aim at South Africa’s reliance on imported castor oil.

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UCT said the business grows castor plants with the long-term goal of manufacturing value-added products, including castor oil and castor-based derivatives for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and industrial sectors.

The idea is also rooted in agriculture and rural development, with the business seeking to create sustainable opportunities for local farmers and rural communities while contributing towards greater local production.

Meanwhile, Gcolotela’s Guideian uses artificial intelligence to tackle another challenge facing young South Africans: navigating education and the world of work.

The platform is designed to help young people access career guidance and assess their job readiness. It combines local labour-market information with users’ academic results and personal interests to recommend career pathways that align with their profiles.

“These business ideas speak for themselves. They are innovative and are solving real challenges, and judges were impressed with the pitches. We wish Sonwabise and Kamogelo the very best as they prepare for the national finals,” Waggie said.

The regional round put the student entrepreneurs under intense pressure, with contestants given just three minutes to pitch their business ideas before facing questions from a judging panel.

EDHE uses category-specific criteria to assess entrants, including factors such as innovation, market relevance, business models, scalability, financial viability, impact and the quality of the presentation, depending on the category.

The EDHE Absa Entrepreneurship InnoVarsity is designed to identify and showcase promising student entrepreneurs from South Africa’s 26 public universities, while giving young founders opportunities to develop and grow their businesses.

According to UCT, the 2026 competition features five categories: Existing Business — Tech; Existing Business — Social Impact; Existing Business — General; Commercialisation of Academic Research; and Innovative Industries.

Mokale is competing in the Existing Business — General category, while Gcolotela is competing in Existing Business — Social Impact.

The competition is backed by a substantial prize pool.

EDHE says category winners will each receive R100,000, while first and second runners-up will receive R40,000 and R20,000 respectively.

The overall Studentpreneur of the Year 2026 will receive a further R400,000, taking the total prize money available across the competition to R1.2 million.

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The overall award is selected from winners of the existing-business categories, meaning both Gcolotela and Mokale could be in contention for the R400,000 top prize if they win their respective categories.

Before the national final, finalists are due to take part in a two-day bootcamp on 15 and 16 October, followed by one-on-one business coaching through a mentorship programme running from 19 October to 20 November.

EDHE says the coaching is intended to provide finalists with personalised guidance and feedback as they prepare their businesses and presentations for the national stage.

A further mentoring session is scheduled for each finalist after the competition.

The competition also gives emerging entrepreneurs exposure, recognition and opportunities to build connections that can help their businesses attract potential customers, investors and strategic partners.

INSIDE EDUCATION

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