About Us – Shape Entrepreneurs

SHAPE Agri-entrepreneurship Systemic Action Learning and Action Research (SALAR) initiative for social innovation

Using social innovations to narrow unemployment, improve food security and contribute to alleviate climate change

SHAPE SALAR is a multi-disciplinary programme designed to develop a systemic action learning and action research (SALAR) post-graduate agricultural entrepreneurship curriculum to tackle social innovation within the agricultural sector, youth unemployment and impact of climate change. Powered by a global network partnership merging higher institutions of learning, civil society and industry, the programme develops social innovations to tackle the intersecting crises of unemployment, climate change and food insecurity. The programme is designed and funded by the British Council with the aim of advancing entrepreneurial developments and research partnerships between African and United Kingdom universities.

By strengthening partnerships, inter-sectoral cooperation and increasing grassroot cooperation in the design of a systematic action learning and action research, the programme aims to deliver a post-graduate agricultural entrepreneurship curriculum to tackle social innovation within the agricultural sector, youth unemployment and impact of climate change.

Led by Swansea University (UK), University of KwaZulu Natal (South Africa) with our ESOs as University of Cape Coast (Ghana), Liv-Village (South Africa) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Biorefinery (South Africa), the programme has 4 interlinked objectives:

1: To create a formal research hub, domicile at UKZN and a sub research hub at Swansea University for the purpose of the IAU project and beyond

2: To conduct systemic action learning and action research (SALAR) workshops amongst IAU network partners to deepen understanding of the problem under investigation within a Sub-Saharan African context.

3: To develop an action learning and action research post-graduate programme in agricultural entrepreneurship, with the aim to tackle climate change issues (domicile at UKZN and supported by SU).

4: To collaborate with Network Partners for joint publication of academic articles(s).

With involvement spanning three of the four Colleges at UKZN with partcipation from academics in the School of MITG, the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the School of Education the cross- disciplinary collaboration works to strengthen the role of universities within entrepreneurial ecosystems as well as empowering, capacitating and strengthening the employability skills of young individuals.

Founder of SHAPE in 2013 and the driving force behind business and leadership programs. She has over 15 years of international work experience in the corporate and academic sectors. High profile collaborations with Ambassadors, Municipality Managers, Sheikhs as well as CEOs of multi-national companies all forms part of her portfolio.