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UFS students claim top honours in 2025 SDG Challenge South Africa

12 November 2025 | Story Vuyelwa Nkoi | Photo Supplied

A dynamic team of students from the University of the Free State (UFS) has secured first place in the 2025 SDG Challenge South Africa – a prestigious competition that unites students and industry partners in addressing real-world issues aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). This outstanding achievement celebrates the creativity, collaboration, and strong commitment of UFS students to building a more sustainable and inclusive future.

Hosted by Soapbox South Africa, the SDG Challenge pairs student teams with industry experts to co-design practical solutions to pressing societal needs. Competing against leading institutions – including the University of Pretoria, University of Zululand, University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal – the UFS students distinguished themselves with a community-driven, scalable approach.

The winning UFS team consisted of Almaré de Bruin, Njabulo Dlamini, and Vuyelwa Nkoi from the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, as well as Hanipher Mili and Gugulethu Nhlapho from the Department of Agricultural Economics – reflecting a powerful interdisciplinary collaboration.

Innovative Agrihub solution for community sustainability

Partnering with Ivanplats mine, the students developed a holistic solution to reduce food insecurity and promote environmental sustainability in resource-limited communities in Mokopane.

Their innovative project, built around a WhatsApp-based Agrihub, enables agricultural knowledge sharing, market access, and community engagement. The solution included the following:

A WhatsApp Agrihub platform for real-time agricultural support
An Implementation Manual for community rollout
A low-cost irrigation prototype designed for small-scale gardens
A scalable model for replication in other communities
A final showcase presentation demonstrating its feasibility and long-term impact

To reduce surplus produce waste and create entrepreneurial opportunities, the team also produced value-added products – including pickled beetroot and carrot preserves – in the UFS food lab.

The Agrihub doubles as a community marketplace where residents can sell both fresh produce and recyclables. A R20 subscription fee supports local facilitators and content creators, promoting sustainability and community ownership.

Their project advances multiple UNSDGs, notably Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, and Decent Work and Economic Growth.

“This victory is a testament to the calibre of our students and the mentorship they receive,” says Prof JW Swanepoel from the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development. “Their innovative thinking and commitment to real-world impact reflect the values of the University of the Free State.”

The UFS team’s success not only underscores their potential as emerging leaders in sustainability, but it also affirms the university’s growing role in driving development and resilience across African communities.

News Archive

Open Day 2011 attracts thousands of prospective Kovsies

2011-05-04

Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, enjoying the Open Day with two of our students
Photo: Gerhard Louw

Low academic standards may be an accepted norm in society, but will by no means be tolerated at our university. This was the core message of the speech made by Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, to learners, parents and teachers at our university’s annual Open Day, which took place on Monday, 2 May 2011.

Approximately 6 000 people gathered on our Main Campus in Bloemfontein, where they were introduced to senior staff members and deans and allowed to visit each of our seven faculties. Exhibitions from residences and student organisations also competed for the attention of prospective students.

Prof. Jansen assured attendees in the Callie Human Centre that they can look forward to quality education and an academic climate which aims at producing only the best academics and citizens for South Africa. He explained the steps that are being taken to improve the quality of education at the UFS, such as raised entrance criteria and compulsory class attendance in some of our modules.

He said the raised standards have already proven to increase pass rates, as well as attract high-quality students, as we managed to attract 146 students with six or more A-symbols in Grade 12 this year. This is also evidence in the university managing to deliver two Rhodes scholars, Sannah Mokone and Dirk Bester, in one year.

He also assured parents of their children’s safety, reminding them that not only is Bloemfontein one of the safest cities in South Africa, but students at the UFS are also taught to respect each other. “Students are treated as humans and everyone is treated the same. We are all Kovsies here.”

A record number of 1 000 applications for admission to the UFS in 2012 were received and bursaries to the value of R150 000 were given to prospective students during the day.

Media Release
4 May 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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