A team of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students from the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) claimed the top prize at the Geneva Challenge 2024.
The annual contest encourages master students to bridge the gap between their studies and real development policy by developing innovative and practical proposals for effecting change.
It was launched in 2014 by the Geneva Graduate Institute, with the support of ambassador Jenö Staehelin and patronage of former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. The challenge encourages interdisciplinary problem-solving analysis among master students globally.
For the 2024 edition of the Geneva Challenge, teams of graduate students from academic programmes all over the world presented innovative and pragmatic solutions to address the challenges of youth empowerment.
Out of 91 project entries submitted by 362 students, 15 teams were chosen as semi-finalists. A jury of policymakers then selected five finalist teams, one per continent, who defended their projects at the Geneva Graduate Institute on 19 November.
Competing against 222 teams from 94 countries, the UCT team’s project, Mntase Cares – Mobile Clinics for Youth Empowerment, emerged as the winning innovation. It addresses SA’s teenage pregnancy crisis by providing underserved youth with holistic reproductive health-tech services, education, mentorship through mobile clinics and the latest telehealth services.
The UCT GSB winning project was presented at a gala in Geneva, Switzerland, where the all-female UCT team – Dr Marisse Venter, Vaylen Kirtley, Noludwe Ntsangani, Dr Genevieve De Ponte and Lynette Tasaranarwo – received international acclaim.
By incorporating cutting-edge telehealth services and a GPT-based tool for on-demand information and support, the project ensures youth are informed and connected to a larger care network.
“This remarkable achievement highlights the UCT GSB’s commitment to addressing critical global challenges with African-born solutions,” said Dr Catherine Duggan, director of the UCT GSB.
“Our students continue to demonstrate the power of innovation and collaboration on the world stage. This accomplishment adds to the UCT GSB’s recent recognition in the Better World MBA rankings, where its MBA programme ranked seventh globally for sustainability.”
By integrating healthcare and education, the project aims to combat teenage pregnancy, reduce health risks, minimise educational disruptions and promote gender equality, thereby contributing to SA’s socio-economic development, says UCT.
“This recognition allows us to shine a global spotlight on the crisis of teenage pregnancy and the urgent need for solutions,” adds Dr Venter.
“Our initiative seeks to empower vulnerable girls, offering them a safe space and the tools they need to build brighter futures. Guided by Ubuntu − I am because we are − we aim to break cycles of hardship with the support of leaders, communities and partners.”
The project’s name, Mntase Cares, derives from the isiXhosa word for sibling, symbolising a supportive network for young people in need.
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