MUT’s Research directorate’s Deputy Director: Intellectual Property, Dr Mandla Hlongwane, has reported that the University has joined forces with the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) and six other universities to launch the Entrepreneurship Venture Builder (EVB), a pioneering initiative aimed at fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern Africa. The EVB is committed to empowering entrepreneurs from Universities of Technology (UoTs), Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDI), and marginalised communities. Dr Hlongwane said the programme would provide a comprehensive support system to guide participants in transforming innovative business ideas into successful businesses. At a recent gathering of the founding members, Professor Michael Twum-Darko, the EVB Manager, said: “We are dedicated to breaking down barriers and creating pathways for entrepreneurs to flourish in the African market.”
The other founding members include the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Durban University of Technology (DUT), University of Venda (Univen), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Central University of Technology (CUT), and Walter Sisulu University (WSU). The EVB is funded by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) fund, a UK International Development initiative. According to Dr Hlongwane, the EVB represents a significant step towards strengthening campus or community-based innovation and research-to-commercialisation systems across South Africa.