Maseru – The National University of Lesotho hosted government and university partners from an EU funded project on university industry co creation this week, bringing together stakeholders from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini to design a joint entrepreneurship micro credential for the Southern African Development Community.
The four day workshop under the UNIICo create project ran until Tuesday and formed part of a curriculum design process that will continue over the next three months before the credential is piloted across the region. Eswatini’s inclusion places the kingdom among the founding group of countries shaping how entrepreneurship training will be delivered to students across SADC universities.
Delegates at the workshop reflected on entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems in their respective countries, shared institutional experiences and worked collaboratively on a framework meant to equip students with entrepreneurial skills and competencies needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Dr Makhapa Makhafola, Chief Operating Officer at the South African Qualifications Authority, said entrepreneurship micro credentials can strengthen economic development across the SADC region by closing critical skills gaps and empowering young people. “For the UNIICo-create project, true success lies in transforming SADC universities from primarily theoretical institutions into active entrepreneurial hubs that reduce graduate unemployment and drive regional economic growth.”
Through a series of interactive sessions, participants crafted the module’s learning outcomes, credit structure, delivery format, assessment approaches and implementation strategy. The discussions covered the entrepreneurship and innovation landscape across the SADC region, building a shared understanding of micro credentials, identifying key areas of focus for the pilot and reaching agreement on the piloting plan.
Dr Sershen Naidoo, the project manager, said the co created entrepreneurship micro credential has the potential to strengthen economic resilience and regional integration across SADC by aligning higher education with the needs of industry and government. He said the collaborative approach will ensure graduates develop practical, market relevant entrepreneurial skills while empowering young people to create employment opportunities rather than rely solely on the formal job market. He added that a regionally recognised micro credential would establish a common standard for entrepreneurial skills, enabling greater mobility, cross border collaboration and trade across the region, a point that carries weight for a small economy like Eswatini that depends heavily on regional trade links.
The module aims to bridge critical skills gaps by equipping students with flexible, cross disciplinary and experiential problem solving capabilities required in a rapidly evolving labour market.
“In some cases, students will benefit directly through interactions with academics and experts from other SADC countries,” said Dr Ratakane Maime, workshop facilitator and lecturer at NUL. “More broadly, they will benefit indirectly as lecturers who have collaborated with regional colleagues bring new knowledge, teaching approaches, and practical insights back into their own classrooms. Ultimately, the module will equip students with entrepreneurial competencies that are relevant across the region, foster a broader understanding of regional markets and opportunities, and prepare graduates to create innovative businesses and contribute to economic development throughout SADC.”
Dr Makhafola said that while micro credentials present significant opportunities for expanding access to flexible learning, several barriers must still be addressed. “In South Africa and across the region, existing regulatory frameworks are largely designed around structured, full time qualifications, making it challenging to integrate micro credentials while maintaining the integrity of the National Qualifications Framework.”
The workshop was organised under THENSA, a consortium of technology focused higher education institutions working to promote relevant, impactful and globally competitive qualifications, skills, research and innovation in collaboration with businesses and industries across Africa. More information on the UNIICo create project is available at www.uniico-create.org.
Leave a comment