The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Centre for Social Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CSERI) recently welcomed its new cohort of 121 DUT alumni and community entrepreneurs to start the incubation programme. The induction ceremony took place on Friday, June 9, 2023, at the Botanic Gardens and was led by Mr Solomon Nyamurima, the Managing Director of the CSERI.
Mr Nyamurima extended his congratulations to the newly selected entrepreneurs and expressed his confidence that the programme would equip them with the necessary skills and resources to thrive in their businesses.
The purpose of the induction was to warmly receive the entrepreneurs who have joined the DUT-CSERI. Aligned with DUT’s statement of intent, which emphasizes creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and adaptability to changes in the world, these newly recruited entrepreneurs will be incubated for a period of 12 months within DUT CSERI.
“They will receive invaluable skills training across various business domains and gain direct access to the dynamic market landscape. Moreover, they will benefit from exclusive opportunities such as funding and networking, market access, technology transfer, mentorship, and intellectual property registration (IP) for those with innovative ideas that require protection. The cohort will also be introduced to and trained in creativity design thinking, enabling them to establish distinctive businesses that positively impact people’s lives without replicating existing market offerings,” he said.
Mr Nyamurima further commented that the primary motivation behind the induction was to familiarise the entrepreneurs with DUT’s values, principles, and the incubation programme framework.
“The aim is to foster a culture of entrepreneurship at DUT by providing the entrepreneurs with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to succeed in their ventures, as well as connecting them to the relevant support systems for business growth,” he replied.
Mr Nyamurima then highlighted that the Centre strongly aligns with the ENVISION2030 Living Values and Principles, with transparency, fairness, and excellence standing out.
“At CSERI, these values and principles are integrated into daily operations, ensuring integrity, accountability, and equal access to resources, support, and opportunities for all entrepreneurs in the incubator. A fair selection process, equitable resource allocation, and unbiased evaluation of progress and milestones are implemented to prevent favouritism, bias, or discrimination,” he said.
Pictured: Mr Solomon Nyamurima, Managing Director of the CSERI, at the event.
Photographer: Dumo Xaba.
Snelisiwe Hlongwane
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