If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an ecosystem to build an entrepreneur. In response to a lack of a cohesive, integrated support system for young entrepreneurs, Wits University established the Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship in 2024, drawing on the university’s own development and training ecosystem, as well as the support of public-private partners in the Johannesburg CBD.

One of the first ecosystem partners to come on board with a generous financial grant was the Services SETA. The funding, totalling R84 million, was instrumental in both developing programmes and transforming existing infrastructure into a world-class training facility at 47 Main Street, a building donated to Wits University by Anglo American.

The shared vision of the Wits-Services SETA partnership - to create a new wave of empowered and supported entrepreneurs - became a reality on 18 February 2026 when the first cohort of students graduated from the Entrepreneurship Capability Development Programme (ECDP), designed and delivered in partnership with WBS Executive Education.

Sibusiso Dhladhla, the Services SETA's acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), attended the graduation which he described as a pivotal and inspirational moment for entrepreneurship skills and development in South Africa.

“The opportunity to get involved with the Wits Crucible has enabled the Services SETA to reaffirm its role in driving sustainable skills growth, strengthening partnerships and creating pathways for youth and workers in an evolving economy. It is a privilege to partner with an institution like Wits, which brings with it strong research capability, institutional credibility, and social responsibility,” he said.

The ECDP is an intensive16-week course designed for young, unemployed graduates with technology-driven ideas. It combines classroom sessions, simulations, and mentorship.  The aim is to equip young entrepreneurs with the skills, mindset, and tools needed to turn a concept into a viable business. The fifteen graduates of the inaugural ECDP successfully pitched their venture ideas and are now ready for the next stage – incubation.

The Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship was established in 2024 as a strategic initiative within Wits Business School. An accelerator for new tech ventures that add value to society, the Centre forms part of a university-wide ecosystem, which includes other entrepreneurial development nodes such as Tshimologong, the Wits Innovation Centre, Wits Plus, and Wits Commercial Enterprises. 

“Part of the training we provide at the Crucible is an understanding of South Africa’s socio-economic landscape and the role that entrepreneurship can play in bringing about change. We challenge our students to identify how their business ideas can become part of the solution, creating lasting impact, generating employment, introducing innovative solutions and contributing to South Africa’s economic growth,” says Dr McEdward Murimbika, director of the Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship.

He commended the Services SETA for its decisive commitment to the realisation of the Crucible’s vision. 

“It was largely through Services SETA’s support that we have been able to make a transformative leap forward in South Africa’s entrepreneurship development landscape, fulfilling the bold vision that brought our organisations together in this groundbreaking initiative,” says Dr Murimbika.

He called on other ecosystem partners to co-invest in the scaling of the Centre which will welcome another 250 entrepreneurs in 2026.