Women empowerment topped the agenda at the recent launch of the Durban University of
Technology chapter of the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP) with
the ushering in of the chapter aimed at strengthening the foothold of female entrepreneurs in
business.

The SWEEP, rolled out at universities across the country, is under the custodianship of the
Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) and is described by the EDHE as
having an aim to equip student women for entrepreneurial activity in the context of
gender-based violence and the under-representation of student women in entrepreneurship
At the Durban University of Technology, the much anticipated launch of SWEEP was hosted by
the innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at its state of the art Innovation
Hub.

The launch of the Sweep Chapter at the innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and
Innovations, under the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and
Engagement, ushers in a new era filled with the promise of boundless growth for student
women entrepreneurship in the University.

The launch was graced by several distinguished guests, including DVC: RIE Professor
Fulufhelo Nemavhola, who also serves as the innobiz DUT Board Chairperson, Midlands
Campus Director Prof Mashupye Kgaphola, innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and
Innovation Manager Ms. Nontokozo Ngcobo, EDHE Senior Student Engagement Officer Mr.
Sandile Shabalala, and DUT School of Education HOD Dr. Nonhlanhla Mthiyane amongst
others.

Delivering the opening address of the DUT SWEEP chapter, Prof Nemavhola said that in
addition to the research, innovation, teaching and learning, community engagement as the
pillars of University entrepreneurship should be added as another pillar. “Entrepreneurship is about our society, it’s about identifying challenges in society and how we
solve them, but at the sametime it is about contributing to the economy, and at the sametime
making money,” Prof Nemavhola said. He also highlighted that the challenge of graduate unemployment was a concern that needed different thinking, including the advancement of entrepreneurship through initiatives such as SWEEP, if it was to be overcome.

In addition Prof Nemavhola said that the SWEEP was squarely aligned with the vision and ethos
of the University, particularly its ENVISION2030 vision which seeks to have innovation and
leveraging new knowledge and solutions for societal impact. “On behalf of the management, thank you for inviting us because when we sometimes make decisions without having a first hand experience of programmes like these sometimes we may not do justice to things like this. I think it’s very important that we are part and are witnessing things like these,” Prof Nemavhola said. Prof Nemavhola went on to explain that it was key to bolster mechanisms to support women in entrepreneurship and that programmes such as SWEEP were critical mechanisms that could be used to back women entrepreneurship.

“The message here is that you should not box yourself, if you have studied, for example
education, it doesn’t mean that you can’t come up with a solution in medicine, it doesn’t mean
that you can’t come up with a solution in I.T. “Thinking in business should not be about what one has studied, it should be about identifying a problem in society and making sure that you get people who may have the know-how, technical expertise, and solve that problem,” Pro Nemavhola said.
He concluded by advising the newly appointed SWEEP board to bear in mind that leadership
was not about self-empowerment, self-enrichment, self-serving, but was significantly about
serving others.

Ms. Nontokozo Ngcobo, innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, explained
that the formation of initiatives such as SWEEP was aimed at addressing some of the unique
challenges encountered by female entrepreneurs as they embark on their entrepreneurial
journeys.

“That is why we have partnered with EDHE to ensure that we also assist and intervene in
mitigating the risk and further empowering, coaching,and mentoring our female entrepreneurs in
this journey,” Ms. Ngcobo said. She further highlighted that the launch of the SWEEP chapter at DUT signified a new era of possibilities for the young female students of DUT and the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship (CSE) with several other stakeholders, including the NYDA, SEDA, and the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities lending their support to the programme.
“We have a huge responsibility ahead of us and this initiative is not only going to be about
starting businesses, it is also going to continue fostering the mindset and exposing our students,
especially female entrepreneurs, to other opportunities not only locally but also international
opportunities that we have,” Ms. Ngcobo elaborated on the vision behind the SWEEP chapter.

Ms. Ngcobo also touched on the significance of the Centre’s drive to further strengthen its
relationships with the various faculties within the University so that the SWEEP chapter reaches
more women within the University and externally in schools and communities. “That is how we are going to close some of the gaps before us. A leader is not someone in front of us, but there are so many leaders, direct and indirect, who have so much impact and oftentimes more than people that we call our leaders that are in the public space. “I believe that we are all leaders in our spaces, in our spheres, our communities, and therefore let’s take this information we have to our communities. I appreciate to see a lot of you that are doing great work in your communities and are applying the information that the University has shared with you,” Ms. Ngcobo expanded.

Mr. Shabalala explained that the SWEEP initiative had a special focus on attracting all student
women to take advantage of the opportunity to start their own, to learn entrepreneurship skills,to
build themselves, and grow personally and see themselves as people with value and leaders.
“As you see with Ms. Nontokozo Ngcobo, she is a leader for the innobiz DUT Centre for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation, that is what we are trying to achieve with student women, to
give them the same opportunities that we have as males as most industries are dominated by
males hence the need the SWEEP initiative,” Mr. Shabalala explained.

He further explained that there was a SWEEP Chapter in each of the nine provinces across
South Africa while the EDHE had also partnered with the British Council which drives policy
work that focuses on student women with trips to the United Kingdom, to expose the SWEEP
Chapters, having already been undertaken where executives, and coordinators received
mentorship and met other student women with whom they shared ideas.

The executive members for the DUT installment of the EDHE SWEEP Student Chapter are:
Chairperson – Nonkanyiso Msomi
Co-Chairperson – Nompumelelo Ngcobo
Secretary – Siyethemba Ngema
Treasurer – Mbalenhle Ndlovu
Public Relations Officer – Nompumelelo Mpungose
Events Management Officer – Noluthando Zuma