Humanities student wins ENSPIRE elevator pitch

Centre for Communication and Media Studies (CCMS) PhD student Mr Tigere Muringa recently won first place in the UKZN InQubate student entrepreneurship programme “ENSPIRE” Elevator Pitch Campus Challenge at the Howard College campus. He shares the victory with his business partner and mechanical engineering student Mr Desmond Takundwa Hakurekwi.

The challenge centred on UKZN students pitching innovative business ideas in three minutes to a panel of judges to win prizes including an opportunity to join the ENSPIRE programme to access a business support package up to R100 000.

Muringa’s winning pitch was on a bilingual University Newspaper called Varsity Press (print and electronic) which provides insight to issues affecting UKZN students and staff.  It is published in English and isiZulu with a print version distributed twice a week; complemented by a daily publication on its website www.varsitypress.net.

‘Varsity Press will serve students and staff with UKZN related news, commentary, advice, humour, commercial adverts and national news. It is a practical resource for the University community. The editorial and advertising portions of the Varsity Press are the strategic units for its business. During first year of operation (2018), primary focus will be on the University’s five campuses and expand to attain a national character by 2028,’ explained Muringa.

He sees this opportunity as a stepping stone to achieve his dreams and is keen to undergo training and mentorship to set up his business.

‘I have a 10 year plan for my business. In the first five years (2023) of operation I aim to distribute about more than 20 000 copies of my newspaper on all UKZN campuses, employing a total of 20 student journalists and reporters from the University. By the year 2028 I intend to expand my market and distribute more than 500 000 copies of Varsity Press to all universities and colleges in KwaZulu-Natal. This will allow Varsity Press to gain a regional character,’ said Muringa