Page 20 - DUT Excellence

MAGUBANE’S BOOK EXPLORES LOVEIN THE ERA OF
assistance of the Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre & Student Desk. “It has not been easy for me to juggle being a student, mother, wife and businesswoman.Through God and the support that I constantly receive from my husband, who is also a businessman, I can endure. Among other challenges that I have encountered, the biggest one was having inadequate resources to start my business. It is also dif cult as a young woman to be in the agricultural space; people hardly take you seriously when you market your business,” she added.
She highlighted that she was thrilled to nd out that DUT offers entrepreneurial skills to students through their entrepreneurship support structures.
“The DUT Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre played a pivotal role in turning my business idea into reality, thus making my dream of being a farmer come true.They provided me with a variety of training sessions, seed fund and mentorship.They are always with me in every step of my business journey,” said Bengu.
Bengu is passionate about learning new things, coaching and mentoring others to become the best that they can be. She is also inspired by challenges because of the feeling that one gets when they have overcome the challenges.
“ ‘Consistence conquers the mind’. People should be mindful of their habits because that is what the mind adapts to. Normalise learning new things to grow yourself as an individual,” she said.
Bengu highlighted that she is elated to see her business doing so well and she believes that it is going far. “Even my con dence has been boosted. All these years, I have been doubting myself, thinking about the resources I will need for my business, not knowing that DUT will be the answer to my worries,” she said.
Bengu encouraged young people to venture into agriculture and to test the soil from their gardens before ploughing.“There are so many opportunities within the agricultural sector. It is signi cant to know that success starts in the garden with the soil. It is very important to test the soil to ensure that you sow the right crops so they can thrive and grow well,” emphasised Bengu.
She further explained that she has never had a problem with nding a market for her produce. Her 1.2 hectares of land have become too small due to the demand for her produce. Furthermore, she urged young people to not only focus on their careers, but venture into entrepreneurship as the high unemployment rate cannot be ignored. DUT’s Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre & Student Desk hosted a virtual launch of its Agri-Hub via Microsoft Teams on 24 February 2021. The hub has recruited 15 students with an interest in the agriculture eld to use the space for practical learning and for growing their skills.
Sindisiwe Ndlovu and Simangele Zuma
18
DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY