PhD student wins Innovation Challenge for development of child appropriate ARVs

Mpho Kotlolo, PhD Candidate in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Tshwane University of Technology, was named winner of the 2025 EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge.

Young innovator and pharmaceutical sciences postgraduate student Mpho Kotlolo wins top prize at EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge 2025 named winner of the Challenge. Winning R500 000 worth of funding for her innovation to develop age-appropriate antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for children living with HIV/AIDS.

Kotlolo was named Top Student Innovator of the Year and Top Student Woman Innovation at the EDHE 2025 Awards ceremony held on 26 November 2025, at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. The event formed part of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Entrepreneurship Intervarsity 2025, held from 24 to 26 November 2025.

Beating 20 top finalists chosen from South Africa’s 26 public universities; Kotlolo’s innovation was hailed as having the potential to transform healthcare access for young patients. Her work addresses a long-standing gap in paediatric HIV treatment, aiming to improve accessibility, ease of administration and treatment adherence for young patients. 

 The EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge is designed to identify, nurture and support student and alumni innovations into viable, scalable ventures that address pressing societal challenges. The Challenge is an initiative of EDHE – a Universities South Africa programme - and is supported by the Department of Higher Education and Training.  

Mpho Kotlolo with TUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Engagement Dr Vathiswa Papu-Zamxaka on her right. Celebrating with colleagues and friends after Mpho Kotlolo is named winner of the Challenge.