Competing with fellow global entrepreneurs
Competing with fellow global entrepreneurs
VUT students that entered the University Business Challenge with Ms Onica Matsheke, a VUT Lecturer
Teboho Mofokeng
Vaal University of Technology (VUT) is the only university in South Africa to enter the University Business Challenge (UBC) with two teams.
The first team is Lead VUT which consists of the following members: Benjamin Tshefu, Lucia Ramovha and Mercy Makgale. The second team is Pauptin with the following members: Lerato Nkopane, Audrin Malapane, Pauline Monyapabe, Promise Rambau and Teboho Tamao.
The Universities Business Challenge Worldwide is the world’s longest established simulation- based competition designed to develop employability and enterprise skills. The two VUT teams said they heard about the competition through lecturer Mrs Onica Matsheke.
Lerato said that the competitions are open to any student who is registered with any university while Audrin said that UBC aims to get participants interested in how a business works online and used to the terminologies of business.
Benjamin said that most VUT participants are also members of the ENACTUS programme.
The two teams started the competition trials in early August and got through to the finals held this week. Mfanafuthi Khoza, who was in the competition in the previous years, is a coach for both teams.
Prize for first place is R50 000, second place is R30 000 and third place is R20 000. Lerato Swarts, a cheerleader for VUT teams, said: “As I observe, I have seen a lot of change, mind-wise and business-orientation-wise. If it wasn’t for my commitments, I would have entered the competition too!”