The University of Mpumalanga Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (UMPCFERI) team has been awarded the first prize in the Health and Wellness category at the University Incubator Consortium (UNIIC) Ideathon 2024, which was held on 27-28 May 2024, Palawan, Philippines. The Ideathon Competition is an international competition organised by UNIIC, a forum comprising of 17 universities based in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and South Africa.
This technology-based business idea competition has five categories: Smart Cities, Climate Action, Food Innovation, Agriculture, and Health and Wellness. More 156 students from various Universities participated during the global competition and their business concepts were assessed by judges based on the ability to demonstrate innovativeness, social impact, teamwork, communication, and business feasibility.
The UMPCFERI multidisciplinary team presented a business idea focussing on converting ripe mangoes into dried mango snack, by products (leaves, seeds & peels) into compost, to support rural communities in Mpumalanga. The team presented the award to the Vice-Chancellor Prof Mayekiso.
“UNIIC is dynamic and global platform which provides us with an opportunity to showcase early-stage startups with cutting-edge ideas. The 2024 UNIIC Ideathon Competition provided our students and budding entrepreneurs with the unique opportunity to expand their networks, and engage with potential partners, accelerators, and forge meaningful relationships with participants from other universities,” says UMPCFERI Centre Manager, Prof Kanayo Ogujiuba
Speaking during the handover ceremony of the award at UMP, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Thoko Mayekiso hailed the team’s dedication, discipline, and professionalism. “Your work is a true reflection of our graduate attributes, which require you to be resourceful, responsive, and responsible, have critical thinking skills and be knowledgeable, be innovative and entrepreneurial, become effective communicators, be ethically and socially aware change agents and lastly, be adaptable. You have demonstrated traits of greatness, and may you continue to make us proud as the UMP community,” said
Prof Mayekiso.