As the academic year gains momentum, the University of the Free State (UFS) Business Incubator is placing student leadership at the centre of its entrepreneurial drive. Through its Student Entrepreneurship Committee (SEC), the incubator recently brought together student leaders from the Bloemfontein, Qwaqwa, and South Campuses to sharpen their leadership capacity and deepen their understanding of practical entrepreneurship.

Drawing representatives from student entrepreneurial structures such as ENACTUS (the international social‑impact-entrepreneurship network), EDHE (Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education), SWEEP (Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme), and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, the SEC serves as a peer-led platform aimed at championing entrepreneurship across campus. More than a gathering of like-minded students, the initiative reflects a deliberate strategy to grow a thriving entrepreneurial mindset among the UFS student body.

Empowering champions of entrepreneurship

Business Incubator Manager Chipo Matambo said the intention was to equip students to become catalysts for wider impact. “We wanted to empower this group to confidently disseminate their knowledge of entrepreneurship to fellow students,” Matambo said. “If we capacitate them in entrepreneurial leadership and practical business skills they can filter that knowledge down and multiply the impact.”

Framing the incubator’s direction for the year, she emphasised that mindset precedes measurable results. “Our theme is to grow the entrepreneurial mindset, and the impact will follow,” she said. “By developing champions of entrepreneurship within the student community, we strengthen the entire ecosystem at the UFS.”

Matambo believes shifting perception is equally important. “Entrepreneurship must become something students see as exciting and accessible,” she said. “We need to make it fashionable.”

Dr Jabulani Nkosi, Business Coach at the Business Incubator, highlighted the distinction between theory and lived experience, noting that many students are already engaging in entrepreneurial activity without fully recognising it.

“The gap is often in empowerment – understanding business skills and entrepreneurial leadership beyond theory,” he said. “Many students are practising entrepreneurship, but they need guidance to structure and scale what they are doing.”

Dr Nkosi added that sustained investment in young leaders is key. “When we invest in young people and broaden their horizons, we are sustaining an entrepreneurial mindset for the long term.” 

For students, the experience reinforced both collective responsibility and personal growth. Ntombinkulu Khumalo, a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry student from the Qwaqwa Campus, reflected on the collaborative nature of the committee. 

“Working together truly makes the dream work,” she said. “Being part of the SEC means executing the university’s vision and ensuring we gain these skills so we can pass them on to other students.”

Rirhandzu Mofokeng, a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism student, pointed to the intellectual discipline required in entrepreneurship. “Strategic and critical thinking are essential if you want to achieve your goals,” he said. “You have to think beyond the present and plan with intention.”

For Bachelor of Accounting student Wendall Davids, the session prompted a shift in perspective. “This training challenged me to restructure my mindset towards leadership,” he said. “I want to apply what I’ve learned deliberately within my own business.”

Looking ahead, he hopes the ripple effect will be visible across campus. “The real impact will be seeing students move their ideas from side hustles into structured businesses,” he said. “That is when we will know we are making progress.”