Global student entrepreneur award
SOUTH Africa’s top entrepreneurs are calling on the country’s students to apply for the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards – the premier global competition for high school pupils, undergraduate and graduate students who own and operate businesses.
Nominees compete against their peers from around the world for the chance to win capital and in-kind prizes from sponsor organisations.
The South African leg of competition, which opened this month, is run by the Cape Town chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (one of the world’s most influential communities of entrepreneurs) and it will host qualifying rounds throughout the year, leading up to March 10, 2017, with the Global Finals taking place in Frankfurt, Germany, next year.
Five years ago, South Africa made international headlines when Ludwick Marishane, the founder of Headboy Industries LCC and a student at UCT, won the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year. Marishane beat 2000 students from 42 countries and walked off with a $500 000 (R7.3 million) cash prize and in-kind business services.
His flagship product, DryBath, was then the world’s only bath substitute lotion, a truly innovative solution for the millions people worldwide who have no daily access to clean water.
Marishane was also named one of 12 “Brightest Young Minds in the World” at the annual Google Zeitgeist event and was the youngest person ever to speak at the Google event.
“Participating in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards was a gamechanging experience for my personal and professional growth, “said Marishane. This year, Tokologo Phetla, of Commodore Media, represented South Africa in Bangkok, Thailand, during the May finals. “What an experience,” he said. “Innovators, change agents and creatives – all students – from all over the world, came together to share their entrepreneurial story. I felt inspired and motivated to come back to South Africa to change the world.”