TWO students from DUT were named among the outstanding global entrepreneurs and innovators at the grand finale of the Alliance of Guangzhou International Sister-City Universities (GISU) Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition recently. This competition, hosted by DUT, was hosted in Africa for the first time.

Flying the DUT flag high in the grand finale, which was themed: Further Promoting Sustainable Urban Development, were Tiffany Mokoteli, who won the Silver Award, and Hlengiwe Ngubane, founder of Project X, who was awarded a Bronze Award under the Start-Up Teams category. They were active participants in the university’s dedicated incubation programme at the Innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Among their competitors were international students from Guangzhou Medical University and local entrepreneurs from Stellenbosch University. Mokoteli, a third-year Fashion Design student at DUT, said her business model focused on nano-silica finishing, a chemical treatment for sportswear textiles that reduced stains, absorbed bacteria, and extended fabric lifespan, among other benefits.

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“I am grateful that my innovative idea was seen in the same light by people internationally. The competition was tough; it took a lot of changing my pitch slides, adding new information and new research. It took a lot of preparation with my mentors and the industry. I’m so proud of myself that I was able to come up with a concept that was viable and worth exploring,” shared Mokoteli.

Ngubane was excited to be listed among the global winners. She is a Doctoral student in Architecture at DUT who developed Project X, a digital construction management platform that offers real-time site monitoring, material tracking and document co-ordination. Ngubane believes Project X has the potential to transform the construction industry across Africa, with its advanced features such as AI-driven risk alerts, Building Information Modeling (BIM) integration, and circular economy tools for waste reduction.

“Having a platform which encouraged us to be our own bosses and to create job opportunities was what drove me to create a pitch deck as I did not know that there was so much to focus on when it came to a business venture,” she added. With her win, Ngubane indicated that she and her team are finishing the prototype and aim to take it out for testing to gauge the public’s feedback.

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