“The Vaal University of Technology’s Technology Transfer Office hosted Entrepreneurship Week in partnership with EDHE, Standard Bank, the Innovation Hub, and e-Kasi Lab. The initiative encouraged students to embrace innovation, develop business ideas, and pitch their enterprises for prizes and mentorship opportunities.”
28 October 2025 | Story: Tshepiso Kaibe | Photo: Supplied
3 minutes read time.
The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Technology Transfer Office (TTO), in partnership with Student Life and Governance, the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), Standard Bank, the Innovation Hub, and e-Kasi Lab, hosted Entrepreneurship Week over several days between Wednesday, 15 October, and Monday, 20 October 2025. Activities took place on Wednesday and Thursday, paused from Friday to Sunday, and concluded on Monday.
The week began with an awareness activation at the VUT Amphitheatre on Wednesday, 15 October 2025. The event introduced students to upcoming workshops and a business pitch competition while encouraging creative thinking about solutions to South Africa’s unemployment challenge.
On Thursday, 16 October 2025, the Centre for Academic Development hosted an entrepreneurship workshop. Ms Mmatshepo Rathebe, Commercialisation Coordinator at the TTO, opened the session by outlining the purpose of the initiative, noting the changing economic landscape and the need for self-driven innovation.
“Many graduates are sitting at home with qualifications but limited job opportunities,” she said. “While you are still in university, with access to facilities and information, you can discover a business idea within the comfort and security of this environment. This initiative started last year, and we are proud to see it becoming an annual tradition. We hope next year it will be even bigger and better.”
Mr Thabo Kgole, Intellectual Property Manager at the TTO, then outlined the office’s role and services. Established with the support of the National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO), the TTO manages the university’s research outputs and intellectual property, with a focus on maximising social and economic impact through innovation and commercialisation. Services include support with IP protection, research contracts, and commercialisation advice for small and medium enterprises, covering patents, copyrights, trademarks, registered designs, plant breeders’ rights, and trade secrets.
Building on this, Mr James Segooa, Area Innovation Manager from the Innovation Hub, addressed the unemployment crisis, noting that South Africa’s unemployment rate stands at 33.2 percent, with nearly half being young people, and that 12 percent of the unemployed are graduates, many from historically disadvantaged institutions. He introduced the Innovation Hub’s e-Kasi Lab at the VUT Southern Gauteng Science and Technology Park in Sebokeng, which supports township-based entrepreneurs through training, mentorship, market access, IP advisory services, and access to the fabrication laboratory for product prototyping.
Entrepreneurship Week concluded on Monday, 20 October 2025, with a business pitch competition where student entrepreneurs presented ideas ranging from technology solutions and online platforms to confectionery brands and floral businesses. The judging panel comprised Ms Msizi Welile Nyembe (French South African Schneider Electric Education Centre), Ms Bohlale Kunene (Business Development Officer, Innovation Hub), and Ms Kgomotso Matobole (Technical Mentor for Chemical Engineering, Innovation Hub).
While three winners received cash prizes, ten businesses were awarded free mentorship from the TTO and the Innovation Hub to support growth.
Winners
• First place: Gen Z Connect – R5 000
• Second place: Londiwe Zwane – R3 000
• Third place: Smart Health – R2 000
Through initiatives such as Entrepreneurship Week, the TTO advances VUT’s mission to develop future-ready graduates who contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s economic transformation.