MUT is celebrating a major entrepreneurial milestone after third year Accounting student Asanda Sonqishe secured second place in the Innovative Industries category at the KwaZulu-Natal Regional round of the EDHE ABS Entrepreneurship InnoVarsity 2026. The gruelling regional competition was hosted by MUT from 11 to 12 August 2026 at the Coastlands Musgrave Hotel in Durban, bringing together bright student innovators from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the Durban University of Technology (DUT), and the University of Zululand (UniZulu). Following her stellar performance, Sonqishe will now advance to represent MUT at the national round, scheduled to take place from 26 to 27 November 2026 at the Birchwood Hotel in Gauteng.
Reflecting on her unexpected victory, a visibly moved Sonqishe shared her astonishment at seeing her name displayed on the screen. “I honestly couldn’t tell if I was going to win or not. Listening to people’s presentations opened my eyes to the type of generation we are in and the one we are headed to. It was an honour to be competing among them. I was at a loss of words when I saw my name on the screen, I couldn’t believe that I successfully took the first step into making my dream a reality,” Sonqishe said.
Looking ahead to the national stage, Sonqishe is determined to put in the hard work required to elevate her enterprise. “With the opportunity that I have been granted, I will make sure that I work tirelessly to refine my concept, do thorough research and collaborate with people with experience in entrepreneurship, as well as public speaking to improve my skills.”
Sonqishe’s innovation, PrideRide, was born out of a deeply personal and harrowing experience. The concept materialised after a friend called her at 1am in the morning, distressed after being harassed and molested by an e-hailing driver. “Then it hit me that instead of only consoling him, I should find a way to protect him; not only him but people that are in marginalised communities. Taking the first step in creating a society that is evolving,” Sonqishe explained.
PrideRide is designed to address a critical gap in South Africa’s transport sector, where underserved communities routinely struggle to access safe, discrimination-free, and accessible mobility. Key safety and inclusive features of PrideRide include 24/7 panic buttons, installed both on the mobile application and directly inside the vehicle; a live-streaming cameras, which is a real-time video monitoring installed in vehicles for enhanced passenger security; vetted and trained drivers; personalised preferences. These are in-app features allowing users to specify names, pronouns, and accessibility needs; and disability support, which will be dedicated wheelchair-friendly vehicles.
By catering specifically to the LGBTQIA+ community and people living with disabilities, PrideRide fills a vital void in the modern transport market. PrideRide has been architected with a strong commitment to global standards. The enterprise directly aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goals 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 17.