Audience insights on work-integrated learning and the responsibility of universities
Entrepreneurship Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and the Responsibility of Universities brought to the fore, the gaps warranting attention at universities, if entrepreneurship education is to yield better outcomes in future. This engagement followed the thought leadership of three panelists, namely Dr McEdward Murimbika, who had just spoken on The Entrepreneurial University and Formalising Partnership Relationships; Dr Olebogeng Selebi, whose input was on Entrepreneurial Work-Integrated Learning and Universities’ Responsibility, and Mr Ronen Aires, who had just shared a perspective on Graduate Needs and the Needs of Employers.

The panelists in this session were (from far right): Dr McEdward Murimbika, Director: Wits Centre for Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation, and senior faculty at the Wits Business School; Mr Ronen Aires, Co-founder and CEO of Student Village, South Africa’s most prominent student marketing and graduate development specialists; and Dr Olebogeng Selebi, Deputy Director: Centre for the Future of Work (CFoW) and Senior Lecturer in strategy at the University of Pretoria. With them are Professor Thobeka Ncanywa, Economics Professor at the Walter Sisulu University and an active member of USAf’s World of Work Strategy Group, who facilitated discussions in this session; Dr Edwell Gumbo, Director: Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) at USAf, and Ms Lerato Makgonyane, Stakeholder Engagement Administrator for EDHE.
The most common theme emerging from the three presentations was the need for universities to move beyond traditional educational frameworks and to embrace new approaches to entrepreneurship teaching and WIL–to equip students better for the workplace of the future, whether as employees or as owners of business enterprises.
The multidisciplinary entrepreneurship ecosystem
Ms Elona Ndlovu (right), Chartered Coach at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and a PhD candidate whose research is on Entrepreneurial Coaching in Business Incubators, Small Business Development in South Africa, touched on the need to involve students from diverse disciplines in entrepreneurial activities. She highlighted TUT’s move towards a “multidisciplinary entrepreneurship world,” noting how this shift has brought together students from various fields, such as tourism, hospitality, science, and engineering, producing remarkable results. Ms Ndlovu said many students, especially those from non-business faculties, often have valuable intellectual property but need more business acumen to bring their innovations to market.
She emphasised the importance of starting entrepreneurship education early and extending the ecosystem beyond individual institutions, remarking that students frequently move across provinces and need broader support networks. She stated, “Our ecosystem expands to other universities in other provinces because the same students sitting in our class will be in KwaZulu-Natal or the Eastern Cape when they graduate or during the holidays.”
A response from Dr McEdward Murimbika echoed the necessity of collaboration between institutions and the need to break down silos. “A single institution can’t be effective in building capacity if there is no commonality in sharing resources… There is no value in all of us replicating some programmes when we have glaring gaps.” This insight reflects the growing need for universities to work together, pool resources and share expertise to prepare students better for the entrepreneurial landscape.
Bridging the gap between higher education and industry
Another delegate pointed out the limitations of current WIL frameworks, noting that WIL is often reserved for professional degrees rather than general undergraduate programmes. This, the delegate argued, restricts the broader applicability of WIL, which would otherwise benefit students across disciplines.
Mr Ronen Aires reinforced the importance of exposing students to real-world experiences, regardless of their degree. He noted that many students, particularly those pursuing general degrees, face uncertainty about their career paths. He mentioned that internships—both physical and virtual—can play a pivotal role in helping them navigate their options. Aires pointed out, “Positive and negative exposures to the real world are super helpful,” again citing virtual internships that he had seen happening overseas, and were now being emulated locally.” The concept of virtual internships offered students remote practical experience — a flexible and scalable option for connecting more students with industry.

Dr Olebogeng Selebi (above) added that even academics need greater exposure to the industry. She pointed out a common gap in curriculum development, where a lack of direct industry involvement can result in outdated or irrelevant teaching. “We need to bring industry into the classroom. One of the big struggles is that we develop curricula without industry input and teach without much exposure to what’s happening in the industry,” she said.
Adapting to rapid technological and societal changes
Ms Nontokozo Ngcobo (left), Manager at the innobiz Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Durban University of Technology, raised a concern about the adaptability of current higher education curricula to address rapid technological and societal changes. She noted that while many universities had established entrepreneurship incubators and mentorship programmes, the curriculum remained a significant barrier to effectively preparing students for the future. She therefore questioned whether the high number of university students—sometimes over 35,000—were engaging effectively in the current pedagogical approaches.
Dr Murimbika’s response to this concern was candid, challenging the notion of unemployable graduates. He argued that while a university degree certifies that a student has met the academic requirements of their field, it does not guarantee employability or managerial capability. He said, “A university only gives you a paper which proves that you are skilled in that particular discipline… It’s not a guarantee that you will be employed or that you are a great employee.”
He further addressed the importance of redefining failure in entrepreneurship, suggesting that startups should be viewed as experiments. He emphasised that entrepreneurs learn through iteration: “Entrepreneurs don’t fail; they learn and adapt. The more they do this, the better the quality of ventures we are developing.” This insight reflects the evolving understanding of entrepreneurship as a dynamic, learning-driven process rather than a binary success or failure scenario.
The role of family business in entrepreneurship education

Dr Albert Luswata (above), Senior Lecturer and Chair: Centre for Ethics at Uganda Martyrs University, asked how universities can support family businesses, particularly in contexts where these enterprises tend to collapse following the death of their founders. This question opened a discussion on the role of universities in sustaining family entrepreneurship and ensuring that businesses thrive beyond the first generation of ownership.
In his response, Dr Murimbika pointed to the necessity of developing long-term entrepreneurial skills, particularly for family-run businesses. He acknowledged unique challenges of family businesses, underlining that universities also have a role in equipping family enterprises with tools for succession planning and sustainable growth. This was crucial in many African contexts where family businesses played a significant economic role.
In conclusion, the audience engagement underscored the need for an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to entrepreneurship education beyond traditional academic boundaries. The delegates were united in their view that by embracing a broader, more flexible approach to entrepreneurship education, universities could help develop the innovators and leaders capable of shaping the future.
Mduduzi Mbiza is a contract writer for Universities South Africa.