Two visionary student entrepreneurs from the University of Cape Town (UCT), Sonwabise Gcolotela and Kamogelo Mokale, have advanced to the national finals of the Absa Entrepreneurship Innovarsity competition. After out-pitching regional rivals at the University of the Western Cape’s Innovation Hub, the duo will represent the Western Cape against South Africa’s top student-led ventures in Johannesburg this November.
Presented by the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme, the competition seeks out top entrepreneurial talent across South Africa’s 26 public universities.
Pitch Breakdown: The Winning Startups
Both founders delivered high-impact, three-minute pitches followed by intense panel Q&A sessions to earn their spots.
| Entrepreneur | Startup Venture | Core Business & Impact |
| Kamogelo Mokale | Vhutomi Trading Enterprise | Cultivates castor plants to manufacture castor oil and derived products for cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and industrial markets. Aims to cut South Africa’s reliance on imports while creating jobs in rural farming communities. |
| Sonwabise Gcolotela | Guideian | Leverages an AI platform to assist South African youth with career guidance and job readiness. Uses local labor market data, academic results, and personal interests to match users with aligned career paths. |
“These business ideas speak for themselves. They are innovative and are solving real challenges… We wish Sonwabise and Kamogelo the very best as they prepare for the national finals.”
— Nadia Waggie, UCT Entrepreneurship Innovarsity Coordinator
Supported by UCT Careers Service within the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED), Gcolotela and Mokale are now in full preparation mode for the final showdown in Johannesburg.
