Wits postgrads earn global innovation nod
- Wits University
A strong showing at a pan-African Makerthon secured students both a top prize and entry into a prestigious tech incubator.
Postgraduate students from various Wits Faculties recently made their mark at the African Engineering and Technology (AFRETEC) Makerthon.
Hosted at the University of Nairobi’s Chiromo Campus, this pan-African initiative, led by Carnegie Mellon University – Africa, brings together the continent’s brightest minds to develop innovative solutions under the network’s Entrepreneurship pillar.
Representing Wits with distinction were Zanele Dira (Wits Business School), Cuan Pienaar (School of Law), and Nish Parus (School of Electrical and Information Engineering). The students were placed into interdisciplinary teams tasked with tackling real-world problems through collaborative engineering and entrepreneurship. Through their hard work and creativity, one of the teams featuring Wits students secured the overall bronze prize.
More significantly, both teams involving Wits postgraduate students received an exclusive invitation to join the Carnegie Mellon University Africa’s Innovation Hub Tech-incubator. This prestigious opportunity includes financial support as well as access to specialist consulting services to help bring their visionary projects to life. The two winning projects addressed critical challenges: tackling the stigma surrounding women’s health issues, and navigating the structural paradox of Africa’s high-growth mobile economy to ensure inclusive, uninterrupted digital participation for all.