The National University of Lesotho (NUL) recently hosted the government and university partners involved in an EU-funded project focused on UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY CO-CREATION (UNIICo-Create)to build entrepreneurial universities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) The partners came together to workshop the curriculum for a joint entrepreneurship micro-credential that will be offered across the SADC. The co-creation of the joint micro-credential which involves a collaborative curriculum design process that will continue over the next three months and involves stakeholders from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini.
During the four-day workshop delegates reflected on entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems, shared institutional experiences, and collaboratively developed a framework for a micro-credential that will equip students with the entrepreneurial skills and competencies needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
According to Dr Makhapa Makhafola: Chief Operating Officer at SAQA, 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. This was informed by robust discussions on the entrepreneurship and innovation landscape across the SADC region and building a shared understanding of micro-credentials, identifying key areas of focus for the pilot, and reaching agreement on the piloting plan.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Dr Sershen Naidoo, Project Manager, said that the co-created entrepreneurship micro-credential has the potential to strengthen economic resilience and regional integration across the SADC by aligning higher education with the needs of industry and government. He noted that 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 SADC region.
The module’s aim is 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 Workshop Facilitator and Lecturer at NUL, Dr Ratakane Maime. “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 also highlighted 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,” he explained. This highlights the pioneering efforts of the UNIICo-Create partners and the significant impact that the micro-credential will have across the region.
For more information about UNIICo-Create, go to: www.uniico-create.org/
