VUT’s small business program empowers African graduates with key entrepreneurial skills

On 17 October 2024, the Pont De Val Resort hosted a momentous event marking the graduation of 19 participants from the Small Business Management and Community Development Short Learning Program (SBMCDP) at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT). The graduates, who came from several African countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, had completed the program, which ran from February to October 2024. This official ceremony celebrated the hard work and achievements of the participants, who were awarded certificates in recognition of their successful completion of the program.

The SBMCDP included six modules: Entrepreneurship, Small Business Financial Management, Marketing for Small Business, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Human Resource Management, and Project Management. These modules were facilitated by lecturers from VUT’s Faculty of Management Sciences, ensuring that the content was practical and of high quality.

Mr Vido Kungune, Director of Internationalisation at VUT, served as the Program Director, delivering an engaging speech filled with insights and inspiration. Professor Chengedzai Mafini, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, provided an overview of the program, thanking the departments and individuals at VUT who contributed to its success. Dr Speech Nelana, VUT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Community Engagement, encouraged the graduates to use their newly acquired skills to make a difference in their home countries and pledged continued support for the program.

Graduates shared their positive experiences, praising the quality of the lectures and expressing their confidence in applying what they had learned to start businesses back home. “The lectures were practical and relevant,” one participant said, eager to start their entrepreneurial venture.

In closing, Professor Gauda Maseko emphasised the importance of extending the program beyond its initial five-year period, citing the challenges of unemployment and poverty in Africa. He believed the program had the potential to empower youth and alleviate these issues. He also acknowledged the leadership of Professor Mafini and Professor Tielman Slabbert, head of the Brunstad Christian Church in South Africa, who helped initiate the program.