NMU students coin it as entrepreneurs

The young entrepreneur behind Madiba’s Ice Cream, who is serving up scoop after scoop on Nelson Mandela University’s south campus, never imagined the little soft serve business would flourish the way it has.

And Tsakani Shilowe, a master’s student in applied language studies, is not alone.

NMU’s finance division disbursed R2.7m in December 2024 in support of student and community small business development through its campus-based Mandela University Africa Hub and Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI).

The money was divided into grants of R100,000, and awarded to its entrepreneur incubatees — 85% students and 15% community-based entrepreneurs, all of which established and are running small businesses.

The terms of the grant is that the money is used to take the businesses to the next level.

Over the past year, the Hub and CfERI have incubated 34 small businesses that have created 84 jobs.

NMU said the university had a policy on entrepreneurial development that allowed students to operate businesses on campus, and to employ other students in turn.

These businesses at the Gqeberha and George campuses include tutoring services, website development, driving schools, tuckshops, food and ice-cream vendors, fashion and beauty stores, and tailoring.

The criteria includes a lease agreement and rental fee.

“To actively reduce the massive unemployment levels in SA, we need our universities to be the cornerstone of entrepreneurship,” Mandela University Africa Hub director and head of CfERI, Thobekani Lose, said.

A researcher and specialist in student entrepreneurship development and business incubation development, Lose has more than 13 years’ work experience in entrepreneurial and incubation development.

With funding from the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency, CfERI provides an 18- to 36-month incubation programme and other services to students, graduates, unemployed young people and young township entrepreneurs.

“Incubated businesses need capital to grow and as the hub we decided to create an Enterprise Development Fund, to which the university’s finance division granted the R2.7m.

“The incubatees must all provide business financials to show how they invested the R100,000 they received,”  Lose said.

The programme is supported by the department of higher education and  training and the University Capacity Development Programme.

The students are, however, constantly reminded to put their studies first.

Shilowe started Madiba’s Ice Cream in March 2023.

“I never imagined I could get to where I am. The entrepreneurial incubation has transformed my thinking and contributed to the success of my soft serve business.”

Shilowe rents space from the university, which is shared with nursing student Buti Mashamgoane, who sells iced coffee.

“This year, through CfERI, I am learning about employment contracts as I have hired a student to assist me as my master’s is demanding.

“With the R100,000 grant money, I paid off the debt on my first ice-cream-making machine and equipment, and bought a second machine and established a second outlet at the Sanlam Student Village.”

Anita Sodladla is another. She owns a takeaway called The Patio.

“I’m a chef and an entrepreneur. I established The Patio in June 2021.

“A year later I expanded, and I now have a catering business, mobile food truck for festivals and markets, and a restaurant for 50 people, also called The Patio.”

The restaurant is situated near Zwide.

Two of her most popular dishes are the loaded fries and the Gatsby, which is a bun filled with garnish, fries and a protein, and finished with a secret sauce.

Winston Letwaba, a second year BCom accounting student, started the Advanced Academy of Excellence.

“My online tutoring academy currently employs about 21 tutors — all second-, third- and final-year students and postgraduates.

“The R100,000 grant was used to establish a website for the academy, for the purchase of tech, including videography equipment, Wi-Fi routers, tablets, stylus pens and headphones.

“The tutors also go to schools in the Bay where learners aren’t online.”

Akhanya Ntantiso, a third-year marine engineering student, started the Hector Pieterson Tuckshop.

“In 2024, I ran a successful tuckshop in an allocated space inside the Hector Pieterson residence on north campus together with final-year education student, Clair Lucille Oosthuizen.

“This year, we had to hand over to other entrepreneurs as a lot of students apply for this space.

“I am now transitioning into a new business where I am using the money I made and the grant from the university to establish a student transport service [around] Summerstrand.

“So far I have bought two good second-hand cars and I have found a responsible business partner. The drivers will all be carefully selected with strict criteria.”

Nicole Louw, a fourth-year diploma in management student, owns Naturally Nirvana Beauty.

“My entrepreneurial journey started with the CfERI in 2022 in my second year.

“I started Naturally Nirvana in 2021. We manufacture and sell natural haircare products.

“I did a course on how to make lotions at InnoVenton on campus.”

InnoVenton is a research institute focused on product and process development. 

“I sell online and advertise on campus.

“This year, using the grant, I am opening my own natural haircare salon on campus in a container near the residences.

“I’ll employ students who know how to do nails and hair,” she said.

The Herald