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12 January 2023 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
Siphilangenkosi Dlamini
Siphilangenkosi Dlamini, University of the Free State student participating at the 2022 Africa YouLead Summit, was elected chairperson of the African Youth Business Council.
Siphilangenkosi Dlamini, a final-year undergraduate student in Political Governance and Transformation, is flying the University of the Free State flag high, leading initiatives on the continent that promote youth-led entrepreneurship and enterprise innovation, job creation, housing, and feeding for Africa’s youth population.

Participating in the annual Africa YouLead Summit in Arusha, Tanzania, where he was also appointed the Interim Chairperson of the African Youth Business Council with effect from 1 February 2023, Dlamini said: “The event was an opportunity to contribute with solutions to issues affecting young people across the continent, including political unrest and food security. We are urging leadership across the continent to not just make young people stakeholders but to contribute to the solutions and sustainable development.”

Dlamini is also serving as the Executive Chairperson of the United Nations in South Africa, a position he has held since January 2022.

The summit, organised by YouLead and held in December 2022, brought together young leaders from across Africa to discuss issues of importance to the continent and to share ideas and experiences. YouLead is a non-profit organisation empowering young people to become leaders in their communities and to drive positive change under the flagship of the African Union, East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community. 

Leading a South African delegation, Dlamini represented the UFS, with the theme for the 2022 summit being ‘Digital access and the future of work’, where he participated in a panel discussing regional security and peacekeeping.

During discussions, Dlamini said: “As the youth of Africa, we strive to move away from policy rhetoric to actual groundwork so as to domesticate the agenda of peace and security by operationalising structures at the grassroots, local efforts, and collaboration at the African Union level. One thing is sure, we are going to be radical about this agenda."

Dlamini said: “I was fortunate to also participate in the Under 40 Business Forum, with young people leading talks about empowerment and entrepreneurship.”

An entrepreneur himself, Dlamini is author of the book Magic and Other Authentic Experiences and Chief Executive Officer of Lihawu Logistics. 


Dlamini believes the summit was a valuable opportunity “to learn and to be inspired to take action and make a difference in their communities and beyond”.

News Archive

SASOL TRAC laboratory launched at UFS Qwaqwa Campus
2006-05-08

Some of the guests attending the launch of the Sasol TRAC Laboratory at the University of the Free State's (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus were from the left Prof Peter Mbati (Principal of the Qwaqwa Campus), Mrs Zimbini Zwane ( Communications Manager of Sasol Infrachem), Prof Gerhardt  de Klerk (Dean : UFS Faculty of the Humanities), Prof Fred Hugo
 Director of TRAC SA) and Prof Jack van der Linde (Director of RIEP at the UFS).

SASOL TRAC laboratory launched at UFS Qwaqwa Campus

The Research Institute for Education Planning (RIEP) of the University of the Free State (UFS) today unveiled the Sasol TRAC Laboratory at its Qwaqwa campus.

The laboratory will be used to help grade 10, 11 and 12 learners and educators from the Qwaqwa region to conduct the experiments from the physical sciences outcome-based curriculum.

“The Sasol TRAC Laboratory introduces learners not only to the latest technology used by engineers and other scientists in practice but also to stimulate the learner’s interest in the field of science in such a way that more of them will enter into science related careers,” says Mr Cobus van Breda, Co-ordinator of the TRAC Free State Regional Centre.

According to Mr van Breda the newly established Sasol TRAC Laboratory will enable RIEP to train learners and their educators in Physical Sciences.  The laboratory will consist of six work stations equipped with computers and electronic sensors.

“Learners from the Qwaqwa region will visit the Sasol TRAC Laboratory on regular basis to conduct experiments based on the curriculum.  Data will be collected with electronic apparatus and presented as graphs on the computer so that results can be analysed and interpreted,” says Mr van Breda.

“There is a serious shortage of suitable qualified teachers in maths and science in the Qwaqwa region.  Many schools in the region are not yet part of the RIEP project and are in dire need of assistance.  A large number of these schools are in remote areas not reached regularly by intervention programmes,” says Prof Peter Mbati, Principal of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus.

“The establishment of the Sasol TRAC Laboratory at the Qwaqwa Campus provides us the opportunity to engage with our community and assist in the development and training of these vital education subjects.  We are pleased that Sasol agreed to fund the project,” says Prof Mbati.

Students from the Qwaqwa Campus will also benefit from the TRAC programme.   “Some promising students will also undergo further training and become assistants for the TRAC programme,” says Prof Mbati. 

“Nurturing science and mathematical skills is of great importance in growing our national economy. Annually, Sasol invests more than R50 million in supporting mathematical and science education in South Africa. Our primary aim is to increase the number of learners gaining access to tertiary education in the science fields. Therefore, our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) education interventions at secondary school level focus on educator development and direct learner interventions such as the Sasol TRAC Laboratory,” explains Ms Pamilla Mudhray, CSI and SHARP manager at Sasol.

According to Ms Mudhray the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement for physical sciences in the further education and training (FET) phase from 2006, under resourced schools will need greater access to the tools and equipment necessary to teach the syllabus and fulfil the ideals of the curriculum.

TRAC South Africa is a national non-profit programme focused on supporting and expanding science, mathematics and technology education in secondary schools. The programme was first introduced to South Africa in 1994. In 2005, RIEP established the TRAC Free State regional centre on the UFS Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
5 May 2006

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