Projects that will help strengthen South Africa's agricultural industry were recognized at the inaugural Demo Day.
“You all did phenomenal jobs. The key is to keep creating, keep innovating, keep coming up with the ideas, build the proposals and pitches and continue to get your ideas out there. You can count on us here at Guilford to be supporters of the work you do.”
With ideas ranging from selling apparel to consumers in remote areas to turning plastic waste into bricks, 57 entrepreneurial South African students competed in Friday’s inaugural Demo Day, sponsored by Guilford College’s United States-South Africa Virtual Incubator (USSAVI).
In the end, Hydroharvest Innovators, a team comprised of Snenhlanhla Nani, Vutomi Hlungwane and Nthabeleng Shepo from the Durban University of Technology and Mcolsi Shongwe from the University of Mpumalanga, won the contest. The team's proposal will improve South African farms with little water and educate farmers on how to plant, care for, and harvest crops for a steady food supply.
Armas Greens, a team comprised of the University of Venda’s Stella Mangwaya, Rotondwa Bkali and Mpho Carter Phalandwa, Durban’s Malibone Kapa and Sipho Sibanda, and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University’s Amukelani Chauke finished second with their proposal for a hybrid farming program to meet the needs of food insecurity in South Africa.
Guilford President Kyle Farmbry, who led the creation of the incubator, watched Demo Day online and remarked how impressed he was with all the presentations.
“You all did phenomenal jobs,” he told the students. “The key is to keep creating, keep innovating, keep coming up with the ideas, build the proposals and pitches and continue to get your ideas out there. You can count on us here at Guilford to be supporters of the work you do.”
The winners and runners-up will spend a week in Pretoria, South Africa, meeting with mentors, advisors and possible investors. Both teams will also receive ongoing support for their projects for six months. Hydroharvest Innovators will also visit Guilford College next year to receive additional support.
Demo Day was sponsored by the USSAVI, a collaborative effort based at Guilford and supported by a grant from the U.S. Embassy in South Africa. The incubator is part of the United States-South Africa Higher Education Network.
The program’s mission is to empower South African college students to develop innovative solutions to pressing social and economic challenges. Through an immersive six-month program, USSAVI has provided students with the skills, resources and mentorship needed to launch and pitch their ventures.