The partnership between Sol Plaatje University (SPU) and the University of Notre Dame (USA) was established following Dr Gail Motlhaudi-Banda’s participation in the Experiential Classroom Conference in 2024, where she received the Best Case Study Teaching Award. Subsequent engagements with internationally renowned entrepreneurship scholar Dr Mike Morris led to SPU joining the Urban Poverty Business Initiative (UPBI), a global entrepreneurship development network operating in more than 50 cities worldwide. The partnership aims to leverage entrepreneurship as a tool for poverty alleviation, economic inclusion, job creation, and sustainable community development, while providing local entrepreneurs with access to world-class expertise, resources, and mentorship.
A key outcome of the partnership has been the launch of the Rise Kimberley Enterprise Programme through SPU’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Research (CEDAR). The programme commenced in June 2026 with more than 30 local SMMEs participating in a six-week entrepreneurial bootcamp focused on mindset development, financial management, strategic planning, resource mobilisation, marketing, and business growth. The programme also welcomed Dr Mike Morris to Kimberley as a facilitator, demonstrating the partnership’s commitment to translating global knowledge into meaningful local impact and positioning SPU as a catalyst for entrepreneurship-led development in the Northern Cape. Beyond the bootcamp, SPU will continue implementing the broader UPBI model, which consists of approximately 80 structured action steps designed to support entrepreneurs over the longer term. These include mentorship, business diagnostics, student consulting projects, community networking, access-to-finance pathways, entrepreneur tracking, and ecosystem-building activities. The implementation of these steps will strengthen the sustainability and impact of the programme while contributing to the development of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kimberley and the Northern Cape.
