Alumni Impact Stories

Steven Banda is the visionary behind Gaphen Projects, an agri-tech company he established after observing the significant challenges smallholder farmers encounter, including limited market access and low yields due to unsustainable farming practices. Gaphen provides extensive agricultural support through its innovative out-grower scheme, offering farmers a competitive market that guarantees fair prices for their produce. They buy crops from farmers at competitive prices and supply them to agro-processing companies, which helps lower transport costs for the farmers. The platform also offers personalized AI farming advice and smart weather resources derived from real-time data, empowering farmers to make informed choices that enhance yields, minimize environmental impact, and ensure long-term success. Gaphen’s comprehensive approach merges market access, training, and digital resources to equip farmers with essential skills for thriving. Currently, Gaphen employs…

Marta Vânia Uetela is an engineering student and the founder of BioMec. A design and construction studio that designs and manufactures prosthesis from recycled plastic collected from the sea in Mozambique.She says her organisation has both a business and ecological commitment. In the next 3 years BioMec plans to reuse up to 20% of plastic residuals from Costa do Sol, one of the most polluted beaches in Mozambique.BioMec has five staff members who builds innovative, stylish and affordable prosthesis within 24 hours compared to the conventional process which takes more than 1 000 hours and has the capacity to produce 20 prostheses per month. The biggest satisfaction for Marta comes from seeing amputees live ordinary lives, experience life without mobility restrictions, and have confidence in themselves.BioMec received the 2nd best…

Julieth’s journey to obtaining her PHD in Law did not come easy. After losing her parents at the age of 7 years, she’s had to face many challenges in her pursuit for education. After living with her grandparents for a few years she ran away from home at the age of 16 to avoid child marriage and crossed the border illegally into South Africa. She spent a few years at a church for refugees and at the age of 20 after missing school for 8 years, UNICEF offered her the opportunity to go back. After passing her Matric with 3 distinctions, and being accepted to the University of Limpopo to complete her LLB, she continued until she graduated with her PHD from the University of Cape Town in 2021. Original…

Kabelo Mahlobogwane and his collaborator Bonang Motsapi’s innovative education improvement project called The Marking App, digitally marks school assessments and provides study resources and support to learners. Since its inception in 2020, Kabelo and his team exhibited The Marking App at international conferences including the 2021 Access Conference and Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2022 among others and took third place in competitions such as the Battle of Minds 2021. Original Story: https://www.facebook.com/trevornoahfoundation More about The Marking App: https://themarkingapp.africa/