NWU Entrepreneurship Festival Awards R1.15 Million in Media Prizes

The North-West University (NWU) Entrepreneurship Festival handed out media and incubation prizes worth more than R1.15 million in total, anchoring a week of bootcamps, an AI workshop and two pitching competitions aimed at turning student ideas into viable businesses.

The Pitch Your Business (PYB) Competition carried the biggest money. The winner received a Radio Pulpit media package valued at R500 000, with runner-up packages worth R350 000 and R150 000. Each of the three prize recipients also took home business incubation valued at R50 000, covering evaluation, mentoring, coaching and training.

Who won Leopards' Lair?

The flagship NWU Leopards' Lair Business Competition, a collaboration between the bhive Enterprise Development Centre (bhive EDC) and Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS), crowned its winners on 8 October 2026, when student entrepreneurs pitched to a panel of industry experts acting as judges.

In the Student Side-Hustles category, Samuel Khumalo from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences took first place with Mtunga Gaming. His business develops gaming and digital opportunity centres that use gaming as a gateway to education, digital skills development and entrepreneurship — building safe spaces and pathways to employment for township youth.

Shaun Tamane from the Faculty of Humanities placed first runner-up. Juan Brits from the Faculty of Health Sciences secured second runner-up.

In the Knowledge-Based Start-ups category, Corne Roberts from the Faculty of Engineering won with FireSense, an intelligent mobile app that supports rapid deployment and coordination of farmers and rural communities combating wildfires. Tshepo Mudau and Kagiso Pilane, both from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, took first and second runner-up spots respectively.

The two categories map the competition's scope: Student Side-Hustles supports ventures students run alongside their studies, while Knowledge-Based Start-ups pushes students to translate research and specialised knowledge into commercial opportunities. The Battle of the Faculties adds inter-campus rivalry, with students representing their faculties as they develop ventures.

What did the bootcamps and AI workshop cover?

The SWEEP Business Concept Bootcamps ran across all three NWU campuses on 7 October 2026. Sessions walked students through identifying customer needs, defining target markets, articulating unique selling propositions and determining the resources a business idea requires.

A day earlier, on 6 October 2026, South African entrepreneur Eugene van der Merwe presented "Starting an online business and using AI tools smartly" at the Vanderbijlpark Campus. The workshop covered how digital platforms, artificial intelligence and automation help entrepreneurs generate leads, improve sales and streamline operations.

Dr Annelie Steenkamp of the bhive EDC underscored the festival's underlying message: entrepreneurship requires more than a promising idea. Identifying genuine market needs, developing viable business concepts and communicating their value are essential steps towards building sustainable enterprises.

How does Pitch Your Business work?

The PYB Competition, presented by the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and bhive EDC in collaboration with I Am Youth, Radio Pulpit and TBN Africa, targets established businesses and entrepreneurs developing prototype or pilot ventures — a different stage of the journey from Leopards' Lair's student founders.

Six finalists emerged from a three-stage selection process and pitched at the grand finale on 8 October 2026. Beyond the cash-value prizes, the competition offered media exposure and business-development support to help enterprises advance their growth ambitions.

What does the festival signal for SA entrepreneurship?

Hosted by the bhive EDC in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, the festival strings together initiatives that support founders at every stage — from exploring an initial idea, to building a business concept, to pitching an emerging venture.

The prizes signal NWU's bet that media exposure and structured incubation, not just seed capital, move early ventures forward. With winners spanning gaming education, wildfire response technology and research commercialisation, the university is positioning its ecosystem as a pipeline for sustainable enterprises and future job creation.