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‘Winning is a bonus’ says student entrepreneurship winner Thembinkosi Mkhwanazi

07 November 2023 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo SUPPLIED

What started as a side hustle to bring in extra income has turned into a thriving venture for UFS Qwaqwa Campus student Thembinkosi Mkhwanazi, who has begun reaping the rewards of his hard work.

In October, Mkhwanazi came out victorious at the central regional rounds of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) competition in the Existing Businesses category for studentpreneurs for his egg business, Egg Palace. He is in his third year of a BA degree specialising in Psychology.

The EDHE entrepreneurship intervarsity competitions are intended to develop the entrepreneurial capacity of students with the intention of equipping them with the necessary skills needed to become economically active during and after their tertiary education. The 26 South African universities are grouped into six regions, and studentpreneurs get to pitch their innovative ideas or existing businesses for a chance to win the national rounds.

Mkhwanazi’s pitch came out on top, sealing his place at the nationals and a fighting chance at the R100 000 cash prize.

He started his egg-producing business in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, buying organic eggs from a supplier and selling them to students and Qwaqwa community members.

Since then, his business has grown astoundingly, and Mkhwanazi now owns 165 chickens housed in a chicken house in Qwaqwa. This expansion has allowed Mkhwanazi to increase his egg production and cater to a wider customer base on the Qwaqwa Campus and within the local community.

“I won the internal rounds and the regional round, but I’ve realised that winning was a bonus. Since being on this journey, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of people who’ve inspired me to grow my business and how to be unique. I also got to board a plane for the first time. The win has just been the cherry on top, but there’s so much that I’ve gained from this experience.”

Entrepreneurship helps students improve their (self-) employability and livelihoods

He said he was inspired by the likes of UFS Qwaqwa Campus alum Jabulani Mabuza, who also won the 2022 EDHE regional rounds and made it to the nationals. Making it through the regionals was a wake-up call, he says, which motivated him to invest more time and effort into his business.

“I was in my comfort zone and wasn’t marketing my business properly, but I’ve since taken that seriously, and I’m already seeing a huge boost in sales and public awareness,” he said.

Mkhwanazi said he would like to see the university supporting student entrepreneurs to establish themselves. “There are a lot of us who are entrepreneurs who need more exposure and support to grow. The courses offered at our institution encourage us to be entrepreneurial. If we can be given more opportunities, we’d be able to grow and become self-reliant.”

The national leg of the EDHE competition will take place from 30 November to 1 December 2023.

News Archive

B. Iur. programme in Occupational Risk Law first of its kind in the country

2010-11-26

The University of the Free State (UFS) will offer a B.Iur. degree programme in Occupational Risk Law from 2011.

This programme of the Faculty of Law is the first of its kind to be offered in South Africa and positions the UFS in the forefront of this field of study.

The programme is designed to develop and qualify professionals, knowledgeable in the field of occupational risk law as prescribed by South African legislation and international best practices. It further offers a qualification based on a well-researched basis of applicable legal principles, combined with safety, health, environmental and quality risk management principles applicable to employers and employees in a specialised industry.

The B.Iur. (Occupational Risk Law) has been developed by experts within the parameters of international comparability, according to research-based identification of career demands and requirements in the fields mentioned.

By introducing this programmesignificant progress will be made towards achieving the nationally stated objective of legal safety, health and environmental quality assurance in the workplace and within the broader community. The programme will also encompass the values and standards prescribed by the Institute of Safety Managers. This will provide them with a further step towards the regulation of the professional en ethical standards in the field of legal safety, health and environmental quality assurance.

With the programme, the UFS not only creates a unique opportunity for stakeholders and learners to add meaningful value to their careers, but also exerts a meaningful influence on the industry and society in terms of the acquisition of a most appropriate type of qualification. The B.Iur. (Occupational Risk Law)degree therefore offers a meaningful contribution towards the industry through addressing the increasing demand for career opportunities in the field of legal safety, health and environmental quality compliance.

The new programme is the result of an agreement between the faculty and its partner, IRCA Global. The university officially launched its partnership with IRCA Global, an international supplier of risk management solutions pertaining to safety, health, the environment and quality in 2008. As part of the agreement, the UFS will offer short learning programme, a diploma and a degree in Risk Management.

IRCA Global is a South African company in the international risk control and SHEQ environments with filials in Africa, Australia, India, Eastern Europe, and South America.

In the interim IRCA Global has continued with the marketing of the programme, with the result that hundreds of potential students are waiting for the launching of the programme. The faculty is geared towards offering the programme in e-learning. New modules will also be offered with the help of IRCA’s trained and skilled facilitators. The faculty also utilises the partnerships entered into with IRCA to appoint practising specialists as part-time lecturers for the occupational risk law component of the programme as well as to develop a new specialist component amongst the permanent staff.

The programme is already active and students can register for the first semester 2011 (study code 3324, programme code M3000). Direct your enquiries to Cora-Mari de Vos at 051 401 3532 or devosc@ufs.ac.za.

The programme consists of fundamental modules of the LL.B. and B.Iur., as well as short learning programmes in the Faculty of Law and specially developed core modules in occupational risk law. The B.Iur.in Occupational Risk Law enables successful candidates to enrol for applicable Post Graduate Diplomas or a cognate Honours Degree. Obtaining one of these qualifications provides the platform to articulate to Magister degrees. Horizontal articulation possibilities exist with the accredited Baccalaureus of Law (LL.B.) which is presented by several institutions in the country.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
26 November 2010

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