In June, the Student Entrepreneurship Development Programme was launched at Ditsela Place in Hatfield, Pretoria. This initiative aims to shift South Africa’s youth from job seekers to job creators and is a collaboration between the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Visa.
With youth unemployment soaring at a staggering 63% for ages 15–24 (StatsSA, Q1 2025), the launch marked a moment of urgency and opportunity. As Dr Thabang Chiloane, Head of Financial Inclusion and Public Policy at BASA, declared in his keynote,
“This is not just about launching another initiative. This is about launching lifetimes businesses, careers, dreams, and maybe even the next Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey (though this time with a South African accent and a tax number).”
The event moved beyond rhetoric with powerful testimony. Dr. Chiloane shared the personal story of his cousin, Dimpho, raised in rural Mpumalanga by a tenacious single mother who sold tomatoes and ice lollies to sustain her family. Through that early exposure to informal trade, Dimpho learned the fundamentals of entrepreneurship customer service, supply and demand, and grit. Today, he owns businesses across farming, transport and retail, employing over 500 people in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
“Dimpho is proof that when you sow entrepreneurial seeds in childhood, they can grow into forests of economic impact,” Dr. Chiloane stated. “His story is no longer just about survival. It is about scale.”
The Student Entrepreneurship Development Programme is a targeted response to South Africa’s economic and social challenges. It includes:
- R2 million investment from Visa
- Entrepreneurship Work-Integrated Learning for 250 final-year students across Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga
- 1,900 hours of coaching
- Financial literacy training by BASA
- A “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition
- Seed funding for 20 student-led startups
“TUT is not just a university. It is a movement,” said Dr. Chiloane, referencing the institution’s 60,000-strong student body. “This is not just funding it’s mindset transformation.”
The programme draws inspiration from successful global models. From India’s National Student Startup Policy and Kenya’s Ajira Digital Programme to Vietnam’s university-based business clubs, the vision is clear: empower youth with tools, training, and access to become economic drivers.
“Entrepreneurship is not only a tool for income it’s a vehicle for dignity. It’s about owning your future. Creating jobs. Supporting your family. Strengthening your community,” Dr. Chiloane emphasized.
The initiative aligns directly with South Africa’s National Development Plan and global frameworks like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals specifically SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 9 (Innovation), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
TUT’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), no stranger to impact, brings credibility and momentum. It has already trained over 800 student entrepreneurs, supported 750 SMMEs, and won the 2023 National Presidential SMME Award for Innovative Solutions.
To students, Chiloane’s message was clear: “Don’t let your ideas die in the graveyard of ‘what if.’ Participate. Learn. Pitch. Win. Or fail forward. Either way, you’re building something real.”
To media and stakeholders, he issued a challenge to spotlight and support these student stories now not just after they’ve built empires.
“To my fellow South Africans,” he concluded, “Let us never again underestimate the brilliance that brews in our townships, rural villages, and crowded lecture halls. Dimpho’s story should not be the exception. It should be the norm.”
With the first cohort of 250 students already enrolled, the Student Entrepreneurship Development Programme is not just a pilot. It’s a spark.
