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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

Breyten Breytenbach shares his words and philosophies

2013-03-05

Breyten Breytenbach
Photo: Johan Roux
02 March 2013

The Department of Philosophy at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted Breyten Breytenbach as part of its Colloquium series.

In a packed Odeion theatre, Breytenbach shared his words and views relating to poetry and philosophy. The session was chaired by Prof Pieter Duvenhage from the Department of Philosophy, who noted the symbiotic relationship which exists between the two seemingly distinct disciplines.

Breytenbach is one of South Africa’s best-known literary sons, gaining worldwide recognition for his writings and poetry, as well as his political activism against the erstwhile Apartheid regime. He left the country in 1960 due to Apartheid and settled in Paris where his first collection of poetry was published in 1964. It was the beginning of a prizewinning literary career spanning multiple languages and decades.

He returned illegally in 1975 in order to agitate against the repressive National Party government, but was arrested, spending seven years in prison after being charged with terrorism.

The audience was treated to a reading from an unpublished work from Breytenbach, A letter to my daughter. The lengthy letter outlined Breytenbach's world views, his sense of the creative process, his philosophies and his takes on current and historical events.

A large part of the letter focused on the philosophical and emotional processes involved in writing.“Writing is the travelling of its own landscape; landscapes and rooms that may always have been there,” he said.

He noted that it’s not always an easy process, and that sometimes writers need to explore the abysses, which can be unnerving.

“In this regard it is important to know that emptiness exists,” he said.

He stressed his concern over some of the problems the country currently faces, especially the abuse of state institutions. He was especially worried about the abuse of power. He warned that “power has its own predatory identity,” often abused and misused by those who wield it.

Despite his misgivings, Breytenbach still retains his optimism for the country and its people. He remarked that the country and its many diverse cultures resembles a “fantastic patchwork blanket,” one that should be cherished and protected.

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