ARTICLES ON Entrepreneurship & Innovation
GSB MBA Students Win Global Innovation Competition
MBA students from the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) have secured first place in the prestigious 2024 Geneva Challenge, an international competition spotlighting innovative solutions to global issues. Their project, "Mntase Cares," tackles South Africa's teenage pregnancy crisis with mobile clinics offering healthcare, education, and telehealth support. This achievement underscores the UCT GSB's dedication to fostering impactful, globally recognised solutions for critical challenges.
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UCT GSB Entrepreneurship Conference positions Africa for global economic power shift
The University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business’ (UCT GSB) Entrepreneurship Club will host its 12th Annual Entrepreneurship Conference on 17 November 2022, and its theme – Africa’s Place in the New Economic World Order: Building for a Billion – is in keeping with the growing consensus that emerging markets are on course to grow faster than established markets over the coming years and decades.
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Working at the d-school Afrika
The Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika recently opened its striking new building on the University of Cape Town’s middle campus after being at the GSB since 2016. The d.confestival, the first of its kind in Africa, was hosted in October 2022 and, as four of our alumni now work for d-school, we encourage you to read more about this innovative school.
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GSB adjunct faculty win book award
The Systems Work of Social Change, by social innovation researcher, writer and lecturer Cynthia Rayner and #SchwabFound Director Dr. François Bonnici, both adjunct faculty at the GSB, has been recognised by the Terry McAdam Book Award #TMAaward for “Changing the Way we Think” at the Alliance for Nonprofit Management conference #ANMConference2022.
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Solution Space e-Track programme update
Founded in 2014, the Solution Space at the UCT GSB is an ecosystem for high-impact early-stage start-ups and a research and development platform for corporates. Join us tomorrow, Friday 11 November for the second phase of the e-Track programme where entrepreneurs pitch their ventures for investment, development and collaboration.
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Building businesses in uncertainty
Resilience is a key leadership trait required when launching a new business. We interviewed Tariq Sheikh (MBA FT 2014) who harnessed his learnings to launch Postpay, a leading Buy Now Pay Later business in the Middle East.
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The Raymond Ackerman Academy goes national
Innovative programme aimed to empower young people by developing their entrepreneurial mindsets moves from face-to-face lessons to an online programme.
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Don’t let finances get in the way of your MBA dream
Attending business school can be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking, so you need to make sure it’s aligned with your purpose and your purse. Two recent UCT GSB graduates tell us how scholarship funding helped them.
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UCT GSB Solution Space and ayoba launch next e-Track Programme aimed at supporting start-ups across the continent
Applications for the upcoming e-Track programme have just opened. During this three-phase venture acceleration programme participants are exposed to and mentored by seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals who have a wide range of experience working with start-ups.
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International alumnus remains hopeful for change in South Africa
Despite challenges, South Africa continues to be an innovation hub with the capacity to develop the next generation of change makers. The UCT GSB's MBA programme attracts students from all walks of life that want ‘in’ on this journey.
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It’s all about relationships, brew
According to one report, almost 43% of small businesses in South Africa were forced to shut down in 2020 due to COVID-19. But the story of one Cape Town artisanal coffee roastery offers a ray of hope to those wondering how to survive these troubled times.
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Social change is messy and non-linear – we need approaches that speak to that
The thinking that created many of our deep-rooted social and environmental problems will not get us out of the mess we’re in. If there’s to be any hope of a brighter future for all, we need a new way of thinking about systems change.
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The hidden ‘systems work’ that is changing the world
Imagine a world where former gangsters and informal workers become social leaders and women living with HIV are pioneering healthcare workers. A new generation of social-change leaders are doing just this, showing us a new way to overcome systemic and structural barriers at scale.
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The role of entrepreneurs engaged in alleviating period poverty
Nishana Bhogal is a PhD candidate at the UCT GSB who has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to pursue her research work on the role of entrepreneurs engaged in alleviating period poverty. We spoke to her about her research and what she plans to achieve while she is in the USA.
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Youth unemployment must be looked at holistically
COVID-19 has worsened unemployment amongst South Africa’s young adults. Fixing this endemic problem won’t be easy, but a ‘systems thinking’ lens could at least point to the best places to start.
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New book offers blueprint for systems change in a deeply divided world
As the world battles to shake off COVID-19, it appears increasingly stuck; inequality has widened, climate breakdown is accelerating, and many are suggesting that we may have missed the opportunities presented by the pandemic to build a more just and inclusive system. But a new book out this month shows us that a way forward is right under our noses – it just happens to be invisible to most people.
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Assets to leverage for post-lockdown tourism
As the wheels of South Africa’s tourism industry start turning again, it should leverage the free assets that are in short supply in many of its source markets.
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SA’s new finance minister must emphasise green transition
Godongwana needs to take bold, visionary action to transition South Africa’s economy from gold to green. The same-old policy approaches will only continue to yield disappointment for the workforce.
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Caution in the face of promise: South Africa’s new green frontier
Amid the hype of cannabis deregulation, one South African company has methodically planned its entry into the commercial space of this so-called wonder plant. Their cautious approach should be heeded by others rushing to get into the market.
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Solving South Africa's problems from the inside out
To change the world, social innovators have to first change themselves, argue academics from the UCT GSB
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Only together can sparks of impact investing in Africa light the way forward
From Addis Ababa to Accra, Lagos to Lusaka, ground-breaking examples of impact investments are flourishing. The steady growth in this asset class, however, belies a fragmented playing-field.
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Q&A with Siphosethu Komani on the future of startups in Africa
The UCT GSB's Solution Space recently entered phase two of their annual E-Track Programme, in partnership with Ayoba. We spoke to Siphosethu Komani, about how the programme prepares its cohorts to be agile in the face of future shocks.
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COVID-19 has nudged youth development towards 4IR, but gaps remain
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred organisations working in youth development to find new ways to reach their young audiences through technology, but without the basics in place, many of these solutions are doomed to remain isolated examples of excellence.
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Tractors may not be sexy but they offer a real solution to Africa’s challenges
As COO at Hello Tractor, a novel mobile platform that connects farmers to tractors as well as agricultural equipment, expertise and financial services, MBA alumnus Folu Okunade is working to connect under resourced farmers in emerging economies to the information age.
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UCT GSB graduate is banking on his country’s future
MCom alumnus, Mutemwa Ushewokunze, has returned to Zimbabwe after 20 years abroad, to help take the country’s banking sector to the next tech level.
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Taking the road less travelled is a choice we make
MBA alumna Mouna Akefli is not one to conform. Passionate about building a more diverse, inclusive and connected continent, she is determined to shake things up and her role as marketing manager for Ericsson in West Africa and Morocco is giving her new opportunities to do so.
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Rebuilding the SA economy more sustainably — and for greater impact
COVID-19 has devastated the economy, but it has also opened a window of opportunity for businesses to integrate smarter and more sustainable solutions into their day-to-day operations as they rebuild for the long-term.
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COVID-19: Impact investing’s inflection point
As South Africa marks the anniversary of its first lockdown we reflect on our journey toward a post-COVID economic recovery and how the systemic shift toward impact investing and other financial innovation may point the way to lasting change in the country.
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The backpack is too heavy: what schoolchildren are carrying into 2021
Many hope that the new year will bring new energy and stability to the education sector, but as the country finds itself still very much in the grip of COVID-19, there is much work that needs to be done to ensure that schools deal with the baggage of 2020.
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Is design thinking an endangered species in the future of work?
With the loss of shared spaces due to the pandemic and a shift toward remote working, the practice of design thinking will need to adapt so that we can continue to harness its power to co-create and solve problems.
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UCT GSB accelerator guides entrepreneurs through pandemic
Battered by COVID-19 lockdown, fledgeling entrepreneurs needed all the help they could get in 2020; the Solution Space at the UCT GSB quickly went online to make sure they were not left out in the cold.
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Power and privilege in the social justice sector
Social justice organisations play a vital role in addressing the many challenges South African citizens face. But what happens when the focus on external inequalities and injustices in society causes the same problems within these organisations to be overlooked? MBA alumni Ella Scheepers and Shamillah Wilson spoke to Kieno Kammies about their work in this sector.
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Building a safety net for young people who drop out of school is everyone’s problem
Low attendance rates and lost school time are signalling a looming skills crisis for the country, as high numbers of young people are likely be lost to the education system and the economy across the next year. To solve this, we need to act together, and we need to do things differently.
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Giving initiative a chance to grow
Running a profitable and sustainable business while also making a worthwhile social impact makes things extra tough for social entrepreneurs. These enterprises urgently need more formal support to help them continue doing the good work that they do.
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Turning a tech innovation into a viable business
Why do so many tech startups fail? Shiela Yabo, Programme Manager at the UCT GSB’s Solution Space, recently gave a presentation at the Africa Tech Festival, where she addressed this and other questions around launching a successful tech startup, particularly as a woman.
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Bertha Centre partners with Build Peace 2020 Conference
Fergus Turner, Programme Manager at the Bertha Centre, spoke to Kieno Kammies about the Build Peace 2020 conference, hosted virtually in partnership with global non-profit, Build Up.
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Calling all young South Africans who want to help build social justice and peace
The Bertha Centre at the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB), is calling on young South Africans to join a global community of peace makers at Build Peace 2020, a virtual international peace-building conference that gets underway this weekend.
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Reimagining the future of tourism
Having received a hammer blow from COVID-19, South Africa’ tourism sector needs to find innovative ways to bounce back.
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Scholarship programme to foster a more just, inclusive and sustainable Africa
The Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship aims to support a cohort of new leaders across the African continent with its scholarship programme, commencing in 2021.
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Funders are not seeing the big picture in South Africa
An award-winning case study on local digital animation filmmaker, Triggerfish, has highlighted the absurdity of lack of access to funding for SMEs operating in the creative space.
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Reimagining the future of tourism post-COVID-19
The UCT GSB’s Solution Space recently hosted a virtual Future of Tourism Bootcamp where participants were given the opportunity to develop innovative solutions to solve challenges amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic within the tourism industry.
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UCT GSB’s e-Track programme takes nine local start-ups to the next level
The latest e-Track programme, an initiative of the UCT GSB's Solution Space in partnership with the MTN Group, yields exceptional results as all participating teams progress to next phase.
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Is investing for good reaching its tipping point?
With sustainable investments increasingly outperforming traditional options, millennials - the recipients of the greatest wealth transfer in history — are queuing up to get on board.
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Young people can lead the response to COVID-19
Youth Day reminds us of the role the young people have played in the past to drive change. In a world that is battling the COVID-19 pandemic, their vibrant energy and mobilising ability is needed more than ever — especially on the African continent.
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Helping students bridge the digital divide in the time of COVID-19
Three MBA graduates from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) are spearheading a campaign by Cape Town Education Technology fundraising start-up Feenix, to raise R6.6 million to get laptops, food vouchers and connectivity to final year and graduate students during COVID-19 — ultimately ensuring these students make it into the South African workforce.
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The reality of emerging market challenges for entrepreneurs
Growbox is the subject of a teaching case study by the UCT GSB's case writing centre. Its focus is on the reality of emerging market challenges for entrepreneurs in Cape Town
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SA company rises to the challenge of business evolution in the time of COVID-19
In 2019, online retailer Yuppiechef, made the unusual decision of opening physical shops; a move from clicks to bricks. This story, captured in a UCT GSB case study published last year, surfaced a business model that is supple in finding solutions and deeply customer-centric
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From uncertainty to lasting social value
While Covid-19 is wreaking havoc in our economy and our communities, it is simultaneously giving rise to compassion and innovation. Crisis has always been a driver of change, unlocking new ways of doing things, the question is can we sustain these into the future?
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UCT GSB teaching case study surfaces a business model of agility in action
The global pandemic is forcing businesses around the world to change the way they operate. One South African company, Yuppiechef, is demonstrating that the principles of customer centricity and agility are core to successful adaptation.
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Q&A with Dr Solange Rosa on social innovation and its role in building a better world
Dr Solange Rosa, Interim Director of the UCT GSB's Bertha Centre explains why social innovation is thriving amidst this pandemic, and what we can do to ensure that the benefits it is bringing can be sustained in the longer term.
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NGOs today: competing for resources, power and agency
NGOs play a critical role in advancing social change and transformation, but their current funding model needs to be addressed for them make a sustainable impact in South Africa.
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Innovation partnerships to tackle youth development
The Bertha Centre at the UCT GSB and youth development lab Lucha Lunako have teamed up to find practical and actionable ways to get young South Africans economically active.
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Q&A with Dr David Korten:
Our current economic system is driving us to extinction; that we need to change it is common sense says Dr David Korten, former professor at Harvard Business School, author and engaged citizen.
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Debunking 4 common entrepreneurial myths
An award-winning teaching case by researchers from the UCT GSB shines a spotlight on what it takes for entrepreneurs to succeed in the competitive world of business.
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#AMINEXT has shown us that gender-based violence must be on the agenda 365 days a year
The recent brutal and tragic deaths of several young women have shaken the nation and caused every woman in South Africa to wonder #AmINext?
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The seeds of systems change are all around us
In order to disrupt the systems that perpetuate outdated principles we must involve and connect the people who are most impacted by that change.
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Four ways to give township entrepreneurs a much-needed boost
If township entrepreneurs are ever going to be the job creators that policymakers hope for, a major overhaul of mindsets and infrastructure will be necessary — and it will take a collaborative effort to bring this about.
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Unlocking the creative potential in Africans - Dr Puleng Makhoalibe (PhD)
Dr Puleng Makhoalibe is one of 20 women globally, selected to participate in the 2019 Women Leaders for the World (WLW) programme - and has been recognised as a global leader in the fields of creativity and innovation. Hers is an inspirational story that began at the UCT GSB.
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Selling the Cape Town lifestyle in China - Grant Horsfield (MBA)
UCT GSB alumnus Grant Horsfield has built a rapidly expanding business in China that aims to provide a better lived environment - both at work and at play — and deliver a more balanced, sustainable and enjoyable lifestyle.
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