UKZN Student Attends Sweden Global Business Week

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Enactus UKZN General President and third year Bachelor of Administration student Mr Sesethu Sidzamba represented the Social Entrepreneurship sector at the Sweden Global Business Week held at the University of Sweden. 

Sidzamba was part of a business delegation led by representatives of KwaZulu-Natal’s Ulundi Municipality who made presentations in line with the conference’s theme of: “Sustainable Solutions, Responding to the Challenges of Food Security, Water Scarcity, Insufficient Electricity Supply and Women Empowerment”. 

Sidzamba delivered a presentation highlighting how the involvement of students in community development projects or issues will improve the University’s Teaching and Learning process. 

‘Our academic curriculum is theoretical in nature and needs practical comprehension which is offered by actively engaging in communal affairs,’ said Sidzimba. 

The Conference also created a networking platform for the delegation which got an opportunity to engage with city officials of Sundsvall Municipality in Sweden and to share ideas on how South Africa could be instrumental in the promotion of the Global Business Week event and on possible ways of enhancing it. 

South African’s Ambassador to Sweden, Ms M D Marasha, delivered a speech in support of the continuing and strengthened relations between Sweden and South Africa, in particular the Ulundi Municipality.

Other presentations delivered by Sidzamba at the Conference included: 

•  Enactus UKZN community projects as mechanisms for sustainable solutions whilst equipping communities with economic independence fostering an entrepreneurial consciousness among the previously disadvantaged and poor communities.  Ulundi formed a contextual case study for this presentation.

•  A presentation  on Enactus-UKZN workings with Ulundi Municipality on a Waste Management system namely the buyback center concept. The essence of a buyback centre is to help with the reduction of waste that is taken to landfills in and around KwaZulu-Natal. It will effectively recycle, reuse and lastly reduce. The waste will be collected from households and taken to the buyback centre. The occupants of the area will be trained on sorting and making of products from the waste materials. This way the problem is decreased by a substantial amount. People will have a source of income. Through the creation of much needed jobs, this project will give the beneficiaries a much needed financial boost that will allow them to care for their families and even employ more people in their community thus tackling the issue of poverty and hunger.

•  The Conference attracted photographer Mark Edwards who is the founder of the Hard Rain project which infuses photography and development.

‘Edwards extended an invitation to UKZN to lead sustainability and be a partner in the Whole Earth 2015 Project. In principle 30 universities from Africa, Europe, America and Asia have agreed to host this exhibition in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) initiative,’ said Sadzamba.  

‘The exhibition will present a series of authoritative talks by personalities in the fields of science, environment, development, business and the arts. Experts at universities partnering in the project will be able to reach out and address the wider, international audience of students and staff at the other partner universities. Plans are in place for us to host Edwards early next year.’

 -          Thandiwe Jumo