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Cape Town - Those who have a heart for social innovation and change have until October 31 to apply for a scholarship from the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a division of the University of Cape Town (UCT) Graduate School of Business (GSB).
Fin24 caught up with Mandisa Mbaligontsi, a current Bertha Scholar working towards completing her MPhil in Inclusive Innovation, and Mpodumo Doubada, who completed his MBA at the UCT GSB on a Bertha Scholarship.
Mpodumo Doubada, an entrepreneur and founder of Pimp my Book, told Fin24 that he started selling books from his room as an undergraduate, and for three years after graduating he was "just winging and trying new things" on his own.
However his company, which aims to make textbooks more affordable and accessible to students, was at a point where it needed to scale and grow.
"I needed to learn about good ways to grow my company, taking it to the next level and also to innovate within the company.
"The whole programme, both within the MBA and the Bertha Centre itself with its specific social innovative programmes, has allowed us to expand the business beyond Cape Town into Stellenbosch, Bloemfontein (University of Free State) and Johannesburg and we're opening in Pretoria."
Doubaba said as a Bertha Scholar you learn a great deal about yourself, social innovation and social enterprises and how to build businesses that not only make a profit but also have a positive impact on society, "because that’s how your business will be sustainable in the long run".
WATCH: UCT GSB MBA graduate Mpodumo Doubaba shares why social entrepreneurs are needed on the continent
Mbalingontsi said the support the Bertha Centre offers is nothing short of phenomenal.
"There's like a million people holding your hand while you're grappling with the issues ... you are uncomfortable with [and] want to disrupt and so the scholarship helps you to do that.
"[As] a Bertha Scholar you're constantly thinking about how do I make this better, how do I make this more inclusive, how do we bring this to people who really really need it."
The scholarships equip those interested in social innovation, social entrepreneurship and/or building inclusive business models, services and products with the right tools to address social ills through both the human and business lens.
WATCH: Current UCT GSB Bertha Scholar Mandisa Mbaligontsi sees the world differently now
Programmes at the centre include the MBA modular programme, the MPhil in Inclusive Innovation and PhD programmes.
If you would like to study at the UCT GSB towards either an MBA or MPhil, you should apply for a Bertha Scholarship.
Applications close on October 31.
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