University of Mpumalanga crowned as overall winner of Enactus South Africa 2025
The UMP Enactus team has been crowned the overall winner of Enactus South Africa 2025 and the founding vice chancellor of UMP, Prof Thoko Mayekiso, was awarded the Enactus South Africa Champion Award for her extraordinary leadership. The event was held in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Thursday, July 17.
Enactus is a global student organisation that empowers young people to use entrepreneurial action to create positive social and environmental impact in their communities.
The UMP team won the competition ahead of some of the country's leading universities, with Wits obtaining position number two, followed by UCT at number three and NMU at position number four.
ALSO READ: Mpumalanga wins influencers' hearts as Boks thrill in Mbombela
UMP will proceed to represent South Africa at the 2025 Enactus World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 26 to 28.
The UMP Enactus co-ordinator and associate professor of economics, Prof Ferdinand Niyimbanira, said: 'We would like to thank the management of the university for their continued support over the years. To be recognised in such competitive championship is a true honour, and we are thrilled to have been crowned the overall winner of Enactus South Africa 2025. This is a testament to our hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit of our team. It validates our approach, values, and commitment to excellence.'
The UMP Enactus team has won 48 trophies since participating in the national competition in 2017.
Mayekiso was awarded the Enactus South Africa Champion Award for her extraordinary leadership, unwavering passion, and commitment to the Enactus movement.
ALSO READ: Mpumalanga Department of Social Development invests in employees' health
According to the UMP's spokesperson, Tlangelani Ubisi, in the history of Enactus, this accolade has only been awarded on five occasions and previous recipients include Dr Patrice Motsepe.
Since 2014, Mayekiso has led UMP with a clear vision rooted in transformation, innovation and social impact.
'This is a heart-warming moment, UMP Enactus continues to make us proud. Our Enactus team have set the bar very high, and they have demonstrated that our students are some of the best in our country. Their success serves as inspiration to all of us at UMP as we fully understand that when a member of the UMP community does well, the university at large benefits and the UMP brand gets enhanced,' said Ubisi.
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