College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2023 78 TECHNOPRENEURSHIP CENTRE OVERVIEW The Technopreneurship Centre (TPC) stands as a beacon of innovation, tackling the most pressing challenges faced by industries and society alike. Our collaborative environment brings together students, esteemed academics, and industry experts to research, ideate, and solve these challenges. What sets TPC apart is its inclusivity, welcoming individuals from diverse educational backgrounds who aspire to contribute to our collective success. In 2023, TPC celebrated its most successful and vibrant year yet. Engaging with various stakeholders and prestigious industry partners, we hosted a series of highly impactful innovation hackathons and datathons. Notable among these were the TPCHackCBE innovation hackathon in partnership with Geekulcha, and the prestigious GKhack Innovation Challenge 2023. The head of the Centre, Mr Ronny Mabokela, lent his expertise as a judge and mentor in numerous tech innovation competitions. TPC and its students participated in 11 innovation hackathons, securing victories in six, including prestigious awards from the NEMISA Datathon, TCS sustainathon and the BCX Alibaba Cloud Hackathon 2023. Additionally, the Centre actively participated in promoting 4IR digital skills in Umtata during the commemoration of Youth Month, furthering our commitment to driving technological advancement and digital literacy in underserved communities. Through these endeavours, TPC aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial ecosystem and pioneer innovative solutions. Our efforts have garnered significant recognition, with Mr Ronny Mabokela receiving the esteemed Ultimate Geekstar of the Year and Future Leadership Award from Geekulcha for his invaluable contributions to the tech innovation landscape. TALENT MANAGEMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING Continuing our tradition of excellence, the Centre diligently followed a stringent selection process to welcome new students onboard. The Centre’s Head, Mr Ronny Mabokela, with support from ten dedicated TPC Ambassadors − Mr Emmanuel Mbuya, Israel Lwamba, Ms Buhle Mpala, Mr Eugene Ndlovu, Mr Chadrack Mulamba, Ms Karabo Maloka, Mr Axole Maranjana, Mr Refentse Makgoba, Mr Klass Senamela, and Mr Cecil Sithole − we successfully recruited 60 students from various faculties across the University. Our Centre comprises a robust team of essential staff and partners, including the Centre Head, YES interns, student assistants, TPC Ambassadors, and an excess of students specialising in development, coding, entrepreneurship, and a wide array of industry and academic mentors. Notable partners include companies such as SAP, SAS, SALGA, the Department of Digital Communications and Technology, Zadna, Microsoft, Huawei, Ozow, iTweb, Geekulcha, CISCO, Standard Bank, and Zhongguancun Science Park. Moreover, we are privileged to have the guidance of regular mentors, such as Dr Tebogo Bokaba (UJ), Mr Vincent Rammai, Mr Tiyani Nghonyama, Mr Mixo Ngobeni, Mr Muzi Ntombela, Dr Oluwapelumi Giwa, Mrs Tebogo Bokaba (UJ), Mr Lucky Liteli, Ms Keitumetsi Tsotetsi, Dr Stella Bvuma (UJ), Mr Rodney De Koch, Dr Naomi Isabirye, Mr Steve Jump, Mr Kwena Mashala, Mr Tshegofatso Malope, and international partners such as Mr Foster Awintiti Akugri from Innovation Village (Uganda), Mr George Asamani (UK), and Mr Ron Kalderon (Israel). Operating across undergraduate, honours, master’s, and doctoral levels, our team is an amazing force, united by a shared vision of innovation, startup creation and excellence. With a diverse and dynamic group of industry partners, collaborators, students, experts, innovators, and hackers, each member brings unique skills and perspectives, essential to driving groundbreaking ideas and innovative solutions for the Centre and beyond. Ronny Mabokela Centre Head (Acting)
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