10 MSA LEAD fellows announced

18 Oct 2016

Monash South Africa (MSA) recently announced its 2016 intake of 10 MSA LEAD fellows who will be provided the tools to expand on their innovative solutions. These fellows are the first generation of innovators and entrepreneurs being introduced to the private higher education provider's first formalised business incubator.

Ten youth-led projects impacting their communities have been selected for this year-long fellowship. The programme for young social entrepreneurs presents an opportunity for these individuals to gain hands-on support and mentorship along with a prize of $2,000 (approximately R27,000) to support their work.

According to project coordinator and head of Community Engagement for MSA Bronwyn Dugtig, the campus is proud to have worked together with international partners to provide a phenomenal opportunity for individuals from across South Africa. All fellows will be connected to mentors and ongoing professional support through external partnerships, as well as MSA academic staff from the School of Business and Economics.

Remarkably diverse applications

According to Dugtig selecting the winners of this fellowship was “a difficult but hugely inspiring task”. She believes the number of applications and the quality of the entries sourced nationally was encouraging and revealed the huge potential for the creativity and passion vital to driving South African growth and development. Dugtig add that, “The applications were remarkably diverse and sought to help grow South Africa across a huge spectrum of focus areas – from music to agriculture, to education and business."

The MSA LEAD programme is a result of a global partnership between MSA, the International Youth Foundation (IYF), and Laureate International Universities, and will be implemented by MSA. Fellows benefit from advanced training during a week-long leadership workshop covering topics such as leadership development, project management, and communications, as well as continuous learning opportunities throughout the fellowship year.

The fellows selected are:

1. Innocentia Mthembu - Show Time Film Club
2. Josephine Koketso Mbewe - Youth Leadership Investment Network (Pty) Ltd
3. Lebogang Mashigo - Nubreed Music Institute
4. Lwandi Victory Sokhanyile - L5 Global Movement
5. Palesa Tefu - The Survival Kit
6. Sharon Rapetswa - New Dawn Foundation
7. Sithembile Ndlovu - Sithuthukile Pre School and Eliny'thuba Non-Profit
8. Sophie Kanza - Sophie Kanza Foundation
9. Thabang Mabuza - Lion's Den Programme
10. Winnie Makhanya - Keagile Wellness Development Centre