Joburg hosted global entrepreneurship challenge

More than 4,000 local and international university students converged on the Sandton Convention Centre from Wednesday, 14 October to Friday, 16 to participate in the 2015 Enactus World Cup, which gives young minds the world over the opportunity and platform to come up with entrepreneurial ideas that have the potential to positively change their communities and the world.

Enactus is an international non-profit organisation that seeks to inspire students to improve the world through entrepreneurial action.

The three-day event was officially opened by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau; 36 local and international teams battled it out for the much sought-after Alvin Rohrs World Championship Trophy, presented to the winning team at a prize-giving ceremony on Friday October 16.

“Enactus provides a platform for teams of outstanding university students to create community development projects that put people’s own ingenuity and talents at the centre of improving their livelihoods,” says Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development Councillor Ruby Mathang.

About 2,500 students from countries around the world and 1,500 from various South African universities took part in the challenge. Enactus is one of the global events that Joburg Tourism’s Convention Bureau team had successfully bid for.

“Johannesburg has successfully hosted a multitude of international events covering economic, environmental and sport sectors. It has a proven track record in respect of its capacity, capability and successful execution of international events. We are immensely proud as the City to host the Enactus World Cup 2015,” said Joburg Tourism’s Laura Vercueil said.

Some of the events that the City has hosted this year include the EcoMobility World Festival, which ends on October 31, Healthy Ageing Congress, International Public Relations Association’s World Congress, 63rd annual World Congress of the Comité International d’Esthétique et de Cosmétologie and the 10th edition of Meetings Africa, the continent's tourism lekgotla.

The city will round off the year by hosting the International Symposium on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection (8-11 November) and Africities Summit (November 29-December 3).

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