ABOUT US

Inhlanyelo Hub

Find out more about us

Africa has a huge human capital potential that translates into huge production and consumption potential. With its one billion people, mostly young, harnessing this richness is crucial if Africa is to take its rightful place as an economic giant. According to the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, 60 per cent of Africa’s population of approximate 1 billion is under the age of 25. By 2025, two-thirds of Africa’s population will be under 25 years of age and Africa will be home to 25% of the world’s youth population.

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Given the high unemployment, a sustained economic downturn that has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world at 27.1% (Stats SA, 2019). Recent reports also suggest that unemployment is most severe among the youth, estimated at 63.3% at the end of Quarter 1 of 2021 (Stats SA, 2021).

Universities carry out research to create new knowledge; to create and disseminate knowledge to advance the understanding of world challenges and provide solution; and to better society through the application of the knowledge created. If suitable knowledge transfer mechanisms are established, research outcomes will contribute to enhanced social and economic benefit. To this end, The Inhlanyelo Hub will act as the conduit for implementing UNISA’s entrepreneurship development and support the technology transfer and a commercialization strategy that aims to assist its creators of intellectual property in their efforts to bring such products to market. The Inhlanyelo Hub, working closely with the Directorate for Innovation, Technology Transfer and Commercialisation (DITTC) will provide a service that supports this via coaching, business advisory and being a link between the entrepreneur and financiers.

The Inhlanyelo Hub is the University of South Africa (UNISA)’s business incubator that focuses on inculcating an entrepreneurial culture within the Unisa ecosystem. We provide a conducive environment for entrepreneurial development for Unisa students, academics, and alumni from ideation to market launch and business growth grow by providing interventions and services that support entrepreneurs. The Inhlanyelo Hub supports a wide range of sectors; only your entrepreneurial idea determines your entry and success.

 

The Inhlanyelo Hub is a subsidiary of the University of South Africa with its head office in Muckleneuk, in the city of Tshwane (Pretoria), within the Gauteng province in South Africa.

Multiple Facilities

Meeting rooms, co-working spaces and more

Eligibility

 Before applying please, consider The Inhlanyelo Hub application criteria:

  • You must be a Unisa student, academic staff, or alumni (Student/Staff number and email address with a UNISA domain is required)
  • You must have a bankable business idea (solution driven business idea; potential intellectual property (IP); registered IP, patent, or licence)
  • Your idea must have a commercial growth potential
  • You will personally drive the project
  • You will participate in all support activities provided by The Inhlanyelo Hub
  • You accept to abide by the rules and regulations of The Inhlanyelo Hub