Studentpreneurs present innovative business ideas at EDHE Absa Entrepreneurship InnoVarsity challenge

Nine Tshwane University of Technology entrepreneurs vied for a share of R1.2-million funding for their businesses in the annual Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Absa Entrepreneurship InnoVarsity regional rounds.

Deputy Director for Innovation and Technology Transfer Office Dr Kim Lamont-Mbawuli flanked by TUT innovators. The regional rounds, which started on 20 July 2026 and will conclude on 28 August 2026, feature student entrepreneurs from 26 public universities pitching their business ideas for funding. The shortlisted studentpreneurs will then proceed to the national round and stand a chance to win prizes to fund their entrepreneurial ideas.

The nine students who advanced to the regional rounds were selected from more than 65 students who participated in the TUT rounds.

TUT students presented an interesting mix of innovative ideas, from learning platforms and communication tools for the hearing impaired to explosives tracking.

Students offer a mix of exciting innovations

Former explosives inspector and PhD candidate, Thabang Bogopa, along with teammates and data analysts, Nkamogeleng Bogopa and Reshoketswe Matloga, have a solution for the safe, compliant and traceable management of explosives. The team were concerned that explosives control at mines, manufacturers and dealers is still paper-based, fragmented and risky. The trio have trademarked ExBay, a digital explosives control ecosystem that provides end-to-end traceability.

The gallery approves of the innovations presented at the regionals. Final-year computer science students, Kgaugelo Kgatle and Kamogelo Maetso, have developed an AI-powered platform, Hope Harbour, to assist people with hearing loss to communicate in multiple South African official languages.

Thomas Moselane offered a brand of uber-comfy shoes, trading under the name Livvennia, especially designed for people who spend long hours standing or walking. The shoe can be worn as a sandal or as a closed shoe.

Another student who took part in the regional rounds is Luthando Sibozo with Efunda LMS (Learning Management Systems), which provides parents in lower-quintile schools with real-time access to learners’ performance and enables them to interact with teachers on learning areas that need attention.

Lumny SA, an innovation by computer science students Katlego Phalane, Siyabonga Gule, Lesedi Phalane, Onkgopotse Mohlamme and Tshegofatso Moja, aims to provide reading, basic numeracy, subject tutoring, career guidance and matric exam preparation.

PhD candidate Thabang Bogopa with Innovation Practitioner Thomas Kgatle. Meanwhile, Omphile Moatshe hopes to revive South Africa’s manufacturing sector with her clothing manufacturing company The Page Enterprise which produces garments with a unique and on-trend aesthetic.

Mohau Mautla has established a platform to connect patients with qualified orthotists and prosthetists across the country, enabling access to life-changing mobility services.

Market ready skills and practical business acumen

Though, TUT did not progress to the next phase of the competition after winning it last year with Mpho Kotlolo, a PhD Candidate in Pharmaceutical Sciences, who developed age-appropriate antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for children living with HIV/AIDS.

Congratulating the participants, Dr Kim Lamont-Mbawuli, Deputy Director for the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office, said the high-impact competition went beyond mere pitching.

“It was a bold showcase of how we are cultivating a thriving techno-entrepreneurial culture across our academic community. By equipping our students with market-ready skills, practical business acumen and strategic support, we are accelerating the commercialisation of student-led innovations to create real-world economic impact,” she said.

“A huge congratulations to our nine student entrepreneurs for representing our institution with brilliance, vision, and determination. We look forward to seeing these ideas scale into thriving market solutions,” added Lamont-Mbawuli.