MBABANE – The Enactus Eswatini national business competition is on the rush for the August 1 student-led enterprise final round.
The August 1 final which is expected to attract government officials, academia, industry players, and other key stakeholders will also see the winning team crowned as the Enactus Eswatini National Champion and get to represent Eswatini at the Enactus World Cup which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, this September.
The Enactus Eswatini Country Leader, Sabelo Dlamini, making the announcement at the conclusion of the preliminary round at the Institute of Development Management (IDM) in Matsapha, said the competition is now geared for climax, with four innovative names advancing to the next stage.
After a rigorous competition format that included league draws and head-to-head presentations, the top four teams were selected to compete in the finals.
These are: Limkokwing University of Creative Technology with Re-Tile, a venture producing floor and wall tiles from recycled plastic; Ngwane Teachers Training College with Aloe Ferox Elixier, health and wellness products derived from the Aloe Ferox plant; UNESWA Luyengo Campus, the defending champions, with Nutri Plume, an organic fertilizer made from waste chicken feathers; and Southern African Nazarene University (SANU) Faculty of Health Sciences with Bio-Glow, a range of beauty and wellness products made from goat milk.
According to Dlamini, the preliminaries saw eight tertiary institutions, battling it out through showcasing entrepreneurial projects that are developed in the pursuit of the United Nations (UN)’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reduced to the four teams.
Dlamini said the preliminaries highlighted a strong pipeline of emerging business talent in the country, with students addressing challenges in health, sustainability, agriculture, and environmental conservation.
Projects that narrowly missed the finals included the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Mbabane Campus’ Lulama Chat, a digital mental health platform; Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT)’s MyCophane, an antidote for enhancing cattle productivity; and SANU Theology Campus’ Eco Glow Creations, decorative lamps made from recycled paper.
The SANU Faculty of Education was disqualified for non-compliance with competition procedures, it was said. Dlamini reminded the teams that the Enactus journey does not end with the finals.
“As the popular Enactus tagline goes, ‘We All Win’. Today’s outcome is not a setback but an opportunity for growth. To the teams moving forward, this is the time to refine your solutions using the judges’ feedback and take your products to market,” he said, emphasizing the potential of these initiatives to address unemployment and economic development.
The competition drew support from prominent sponsors including MTN, Nedbank, Standard Bank, and the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC), as well as independent adjudicators from leading tax and advisory firm SNG Grant Thornton, who ensured procedural fairness and transparency throughout.
In a bid to expand the reach of the initiative, Enactus Marketing Officer Temalangeni Dlamini extended a call to all alumni of the former Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and Enactus programs to participate in the National Expo running parallel to the finals.
“Our goal is to showcase both student and alumni businesses, connect them with key stakeholders, and foster a sustainable ecosystem of youth-owned enterprises,” she said.
Enactus empowers young people to launch socially conscious businesses. By merging business innovation with community impact, the programme serves as a launchpad for future leaders and changemakers in Eswatini and beyond.
Alumni interested in showcasing their businesses at the expo are encouraged to contact Temalangeni Dlamini at 76272788 or via email at tdlamini@enactus.org.
Discussion about this post