By Qhawekazi Memani 29 July 2022

Professor Chengedzai Mafini, Ms Selinah Mahlangu; Ms Onica Matsheke and the VUT Enactus team

The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Enactus – Team pulled out all stops to bag awards at the 2022 Enactus National Competition held on Thursday 14^th July 2022 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

The Enactus platform allows twenty-seven (27) university based Enactus teams to showcase their accomplishments and talents to like-minded students and business executives from across South Africa. The event also serves as a learning platform for all participants.

The  Enactus-VUT team did not disappoint.  They presented and secured the following wins:

• 2^nd place for a Smokeless Coal Project – under the Developmental league category
• Administrator of the Year recognition for Mrs Onica Matsheke (Enactus -VUT  Team  Faculty advisor)
• 2022 Senior Alumni for Mr Katleho Motaung (Enactus-VUT team Financial Information Systems alumnus)

The Enactus-VUT  President, Musa Rhikotso shared some insights about the event, “Having last had a physical competition in 2019, the platform was exhilarating and seeing our work bearing fruits is rewarding,” he said.

Mrs Kusile Mtunzi Harwadzi (Enactus South Africa Chairwoman) handing over the Administrator award to Mrs Onica Matsheke on the left (VUT Faculty Advisor) and Ms Makara Lefera (CUT Faculty Advisor) on the right.

Ecstatic about the win, Mrs Matsheke said: “The journey was quite challenging. I am grateful for the work and efforts of the team. Along the way, we lost executive members because they got the internships, some even outside VUT and Vaal Region. I was only left with two executives and had to recruit and appoint new ones, and here we are. We pulled through.”

Professor (Prof) Chengendzai Mafini, Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, expressed joy at the achievements of the Enactus-VUT Team.  “These achievements indicate the effectiveness of entrepreneurship courses offered by the faculty in preparing VUT students to start their businesses. Also, the achievements show that VUT staff and students have the competency to compete with those from other institutions of higher learning. We are proud of the work the team is doing.”

ABOUT KATLEHO MOTAUNG

Katleho has been part of Enactus-VUT team since 2007 when he joined VUT as a student. After graduating in 2012 with a BTech in Financial Information Systems, he started his career as a Business Analyst for Standard Bank in Africa. Katleho has served the Enactus-VUT team as an Advisor and alumnus since 2007. Additionally, he volunteered to assist Enactus SA with National competitions since 2012.

Katleho’s dedication speaks for itself; in 2012, he won the Alumni of the Year for the under the ’30s and this year won Alumni of the year for the above 30s.

“This allows me to represent Enactus SA in Puerto Rico in the Africa Regions area. I have been in more than 15 African countries delivering IT solutions. On 31 January 2022, I celebrated ten (10) years with Standard Bank; I am very proud of myself,” said Mr Motaung.

Mr Motaung is currently sourcing sponsorship for the Enactus World Cup 2022 (EWC 2022) to be hosted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 31 October 2022 to 02 November 2022.

The VUT community is also very proud of the Enactus-VUT team, Ms Matsheke and Mr Motaung and wishes them success in all their endeavours.