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Enrolment at South Africa’s universities has more than doubled – from 480 000 in 1995 to almost 1 million today, with more than 80% black students and 54% female students. Among them are thousands of young people who are unable to complete their final year because of a lack of finances.
With universities back in the funding spotlight and needing additional sources of funding, three leading South African businesswomen and a final-year Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) student in Port Elizabeth will undertake the gruelling 43km Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, together with the university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Derrick Swartz.
The goal is to raise R4 million to assist 160 NMMU students to complete their final year and to graduate, which equates to R25 000 per student. The trail they are undertaking from September 1 to 4 is rated among the world’s top five treks. It is in South America’s Andes mountain range and it ends at Machu Picchu.
The businesswomen are Santie Botha, independent chairperson of Famous Brands and Curro Holdings, and chancellor of NMMU; Dr Bridgette Gasa, the founder and managing director of infrastructure development company The Elilox Group; and social and renewable energy entrepreneur Rojie Kisten. The student is Nandipha Jack, who is reading for her degree in public management. They will be among 21 climbers.
Machu Picchu is 2 430m above sea level, and the women followed a rigorous training programme to achieve the fitness levels needed for the climb. The businesswomen are paying their own way and are fundraising in earnest as part of the #Trailblazing campaign. They aim to raise R250 000 each. To date, the initiative has raised R2 million.
SANTIE BOTHA
The marketing pioneer and social entrepreneur said she was fortunate to receive a sport scholarship from Stellenbosch University, enabling her to read for a degree in bachelor of economics to honours level.
In her honours year, her professor suggested she apply for a post with Unilever. She did so, was accepted and specialised as a marketer in South Africa and London. She then moved to Absa, where, at 34, she became the youngest board member. She joined MTN in 2003 as chief marketing officer and has gone on to win a slew of awards for her business acumen. She became South Africa’s youngest university chancellor at 48.
“The 160 final-year students for whom we are climbing Machu Picchu have all achieved a 60% plus aggregate. It is unthinkable that they should not be given the opportunity to graduate because of a lack of finances,” she said.
She said bursaries and scholarships were limited, and many students were unable to secure loans from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme or the banks.
ROJIE KISTEN
The social and renewable energy entrepreneur holds an undergraduate degree in public administration from the then University of Durban Westville (now University of KwaZulu-Natal), an honours degree in business administration from Stellenbosch University and a general management postgraduate qualification from Harvard Business School in the US.
“Having been a student and bursary holder, I know how difficult it is to raise enough money to finish your studies. I live my life knowing that somebody gave me a break and I want to do the same for others,” said the Port Elizabeth-born Kisten.
She is currently involved in wind energy projects in the Eastern Cape, including the Cookhouse Wind Farm community trust, which benefits four rural communities – Cookhouse, Adelaide, Bedford and Somerset East. It has an education flagship initiative that offers leadership programmes to principals, teachers and pupils in 28 local schools to help foster quality education and governance.
DR BRIDGETTE GASA
Armed with a master’s degree in construction project management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a PhD in construction management from NMMU, Gasa was part of the first cohort of only three black architecture students at NMMU in 1994, when its department of architecture was officially recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Her achievement is all the greater since the school she attended in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, never offered subjects such as technical drawing. She also had to overcome the language barrier as a student because subjects were taught in Afrikaans at the time.
Gasa is participating in the #Trailblazer campaign because “South Africans need to help deserving students to graduate and to create opportunities for them after they graduate – from mentoring them to become entrepreneurs to offering them a job to set them on their life path”.
NANDIPHA JACK
In her final year of study, Jack (23), who hails from New Brighton, has been selected as the flag bearer for students. She has applied to do her honours degree next year. “One day, I would like to start a foundation called Black Girls Matter to help young girls from disadvantaged communities believe in themselves and achieve their goals in life through sport and education.”
- Find out more on NMMU’s #Trailblazing website – trailblazing.nmmu.ac.za
