Following a rigorous adjudication process which saw the top eight finalists presenting their business concepts to a panel of judges, Trever Colvelle from Bulwer in KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands region took first position in this year’s Inkunz’isematholeni Youth in Business Competition.
Ithala Development Finance Corporation, which spearheads the programme, said in a press release today that the decision was largely influenced by the social impact of the innovation.
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Out of a total of 198 entries, Colvelle was selected for his invention of the Solar Nexus, a foldable solar charging device that can power a heater, radio, TV and lights in your home, thereby eliminating the need for batteries, paraffin stoves and open fire cooking which can be hazardous.
The waterproof device opens up into the shape and size of a golf umbrella which can be used for protection from adverse weather conditions and simultaneously to charge your power bank as a ready-to- use power supply by the time you arrive home.
Colvelle was selected for his invention of the Solar Nexus, a foldable solar charging device that can power a heater, radio, TV and lights in your home
Colvelle walked away with R250 000 worth of business support such as intellectual property (IP) protection and mentoring, product development, mentorship and marketing services and products.
Themba Mathe, Acting Group Chief Executive at Ithala said the organisation’s strategic partner Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), provides aftercare support and much-needed business mentorship to capacitate entrepreneurs.
Two special awards were also presented. Lloyd Gordon from Pietermaritzburg, the creator and owner of Vula Maths, received a R50 000 marketing voucher to help him market his existing innovation – an app that allows students to learn mathematics freely without incurring any costs.
Simangaliso Zungu from KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal was also honoured for his power extending (PoEX) module, which is designed with integrated mobile power harvesting technology to assist with extending the battery life of cellphones and tablets.
Featured image: Trever Colvelle, inventor of Solar Nexus (Supplied)
