Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
03 October 2024
|
Story Ansie Barnard
|
Photo Supplied
From left to right: Londeka Mkhwanazi, Semither Mkhize, Salima van Schalkwyk, Slindokuhle Ndlovu, Asanda Mpinga, Mantombi Molefe, Ntombinkulu Khumalo, Mosebjadi Chauke and Thembinkosi Mkhwanazi.
The Amrut Foundation, in partnership with the University of the Free State (UFS), successfully hosted its Inaugural Innovathon at the UFS Qwaqwa Campus. This competition is designed to identify and support innovative products and services that not only generate profit but also contribute to the public good, with a strong emphasis on ethical business practices. Through this collaboration, students gain national exposure for their businesses and receive support to create sustainable social enterprises.
Five teams of student social entrepreneurs from the Qwaqwa campus were shortlisted to participate in the regional finals. Their selection was based on ventures that adhered to a social entrepreneurship model and demonstrated plans for long-term profitability and sustainability.
During the Innovathon, a panel of judges from the UFS, the Amrut Foundation, and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) selected two outstanding teams to represent the UFS at the national finals, which will take place in October. The winning ventures, Biofly-Pro and Root Rescue were each awarded R20,000 to further develop and expand their initiatives.
Hemang Desai, Executive Director of the Amrut Foundation, expressed his enthusiasm for the event: "Amrut is proud to co-host the Free State leg of the inaugural Innovation Challenge with the UFS. Supporting students with entrepreneurial ambitions that align with societal care is one of our key focus areas."
Dr Grey Magaiza, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director for the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the UFS, highlighted the importance of social entrepreneurship: “Social entrepreneurship is a collaborative effort towards creating sustainable and ethical business processes. The two winning projects embody these principles, and we look forward to their continued growth. In line with our Vision 130, social entrepreneurship can serve as a critical lever for university-community engagement.”
Congratulations to Biofly-Pro and Root Rescue on their well-deserved achievements!
Kovsies help SA Badminton win gold at 2013 AFCON
2013-08-27
|
 |
Elmé de Villiers, Andries Malan, Wiaan Viljoen and Sandra le Grange.
Photo: Supplied
27 August 2013 |
A former Kovsie and the current captain of the South African Badminton team, Olympian Wiaan Viljoen, won two gold medals at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Individual events that concluded in Mauritius on 20 August 2013.
South Africa proved their dominance in the 2013 Continental Championships by winning three gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the Individual events. Combined with the gold medal for the team, South Africa won four out of the six gold medals up for contention, with the other two going to Mauritius in the ladies’ singles and to Seychelles in the ladies’ doubles respectively.
Kovsies’ Elmé de Villiers and Sandra le Grange also carried the ladies’ side of the South African team through every match of the AFCON and De Villiers won the deciding match in the final against Nigeria. De Villiers has been included in the 2016 Road to RIO BWF Project of Excellence. Both De Villiers and Le Grange are players to watch closely en route to the 2016 Olympic Games.
De Villiers and Le Grange also won the doubles title at the Mauritius International, which was held in the week after the AFCON. This was the first international title for both De Villiers and Le Grange.