About SIFE 

SIFE brings together a diverse network of university students, academic professionals and industry leaders around the shared mission of creating a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. By contributing their talents to projects that improve the lives of people worldwide, SIFE participants are demonstrating that individuals with a knowledge and passion for business can be a powerful force for change.

SIFE is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Participating students form teams on their campus and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. An annual series of regional and national competitions provides a forum for teams to present the results of their projects, and to be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. National champion teams advance to the prestigious SIFE World Cup. In addition to the community focus of the program, SIFE’s leadership and career initiatives create meaningful opportunities for learning and exchange among the participants as well as the placement of students and alumni with companies in search of emerging talent.

Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), is a global non-profit organization in partnership with higher education at 1 504 universities in 40 countries, including South Africa. In preparing university students to make a meaningful contribution towards a better world as entrepreneurs and business leaders, SIFE challenges students to address real world business and economic issues within their communities. In South Africa we have 26 SIFE Team in Universities and other Tertiary Institutions. SIFE teams develop projects that specifically meet the communities’ unique needs by taking what teams have learned about business in lecture rooms for use in solving real world problems for people. The effectiveness of their programs is judged at competition. Each national SIFE organization conducts a national competition, which is judged by leaders from its business community. At competition, SIFE teams present the results of their educational outreach projects and compete to determine which team was most successful at creating economic opportunity for others. SIFE National Champion teams advance to the top level of competition, the SIFE World Cup.

SIFE was introduced in Tshwane University of Technology in 2007 with a mission to contribute innovatively through entrepreneurship towards sustainable community and student development. SIFE TUT took 2nd place in the environmental sustainability category at the SIFE national competition 2009. In 2009, we also launched a collect a can campaign at the cross road shelter, located in Salvokop and developed an agricultural project to help sustain the community centre in Ga-Rankuwa. In 2010, we implemented a Financial Literacy awareness campaign, Young Women in Science seminars, a fundraising project entitled “5cents Friday” and we were awarded 2010 Outstanding TUT Student Structure.

Contact:
Office No: Building 30-375 Faculty of Management Sciences
Email: sife@tut.ac.za
Cell:   073 597 6033
Tel:     +2712 382 5618
Fax:    +2786 586 6033