The University of Zululand’s (UNIZULU) Research and Innovation Office (ROI) is empowering students through its annual Student Innovation Competition which it established as a pathway to wealth creation.
The competition is a strategic initiative that was started by Professor Byron Brown, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, in 2025. Continuing his legacy, Prof Nokukhanya Jili-Mbanjwa, Director of Research and Innovation, explained that the competition is driven by ROI’s desire to cultivate a culture of innovation within UNIZULU and its mission to unearth some of the University’s greatest innovations.
“As the Research and Innovation Office, our aim is to increase research and innovations. So, it is important to target both researchers and students to find innovations that can assist in the challenges that are confronted by society in the grassroot level,” the professor said.
To reach out to student innovators, a call is published and interested individuals submit entries. This year’s competition attracted 72 applications which were evaluated, and 29 were shortlisted. The applications were received in six themes linked to the University niche areas. These include, among others, indigenous knowledge systems, social justice, human development, economic development and emerging scientific, industrial and technological challenges. The final pitching to a panel of external and internal judges was held last month at the King Bhekuzulu Hall. Eighteen winners were selected, ranked from first to third place and will be awarded prizes at a ceremony to be held soon.
Amanda Mthiyane expressed her excitement to be part of the competition as she regards it as a stepping stone to entrepreneurial success. Her project, Planet Perks, aims to bring solutions to the high pollution rate and the increasing environmental instability.
Edu Fund Tracker owner, Luyanda Sithole re-entered the competition to gain more insight into how he can improve his business. Last year, he received invaluable feedback from the judges, which he used to advance his business model. Although he won the grand prize in his category, he admitted that the prize money covered only a fraction of his business needs. He is returning with an improved project this year with the hopes of once again impressing the judging panel and reclaiming the number one spot.
“I’ve managed to hire someone to develop a prototype using the money I won last year. I’ve even submitted the business proposal to [City of uMhlathuze] Municipality and they said I must come so that we can negotiate. That’s how far I [have gone],” said Sithole.
Dr Mandla Hlongwane, Deputy Director of the Technology Transfer Office at Mangosuthu University of Technology, was among the judges. Stunned by the high level of innovations entered this year, he affirmed how stiff the competition was.
“We know that we’re going to take the top three, but within the innovation space, everyone is a winner. Just because you didn’t win, it does not really mean that your technology or the innovation that you pitched has no value,” he reassured.
For UNIZULU lecturer and competition judge Dr Makhosazana Mathenjwa-Goqo, the most important aspect of the competition is its intent to equip the African child, especially because UNIZULU is dominated by black students. She reckoned that in future, more black business owners would be produced through this competition.
Prof Jili-Mbanjwa concluded that ROI is seeking ways of assisting innovators to commercialise their prototypes. She also shared that the office had benchmarked with other universities as it hopes to establish an innovation centre in future.
– James Thwala
Collage: James Thwala and Xolani Ncube7/
