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Bulawayo Bureau
MANGWE Rural District Council Proportional Representation councillor and innovator Simphiwe Vuyelwa Mguni (29) made an impressive showing at the BRICS+ Youth Innovation Summit 2024.
The worldwide summit brings together young innovators and entrepreneurs from BRICS countries and beyond to explore collaboration opportunities and develop innovative solutions for shared challenges, as well as provide a platform for young people to connect and learn from each other.
The summit hosted by the South African BRICS+ Youth Association aims to promote youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development.
At least 60 youths participated in categories such as digital transformation and industry, sustainable development and green innovation, inclusive innovation, health technology and biotechnology, among others.
Clr Mguni, daughter of the late Mangwe legislator and prominent businessman Obedingwa Mguni, was named the first runner-up in the education technology category.
At the same time, Mr Justice Mukaro won first runner-up in the digital transformation and industry category for his company, Strateji, which specialises in building Afrocentric Data for artificial intelligence.
Clr Mguni’s project, which she pitched during the education technology category, is called Flexie.travel, which offers virtual reality tours of tourist destinations in Zimbabwe to learners in primary and secondary schools.
Youths from 12 countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, the United States of America, Cameroon, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia attended the summit.
Clr Mguni said the summit was eye-opening, and she learned a lot which she plans to impart to communities in Mangwe District and Zimbabwe at large.
She expressed her excitement and pride to represent her country among such brilliant and like-minded youth from across the globe and win an award.
She also appreciated the chance to connect with other young innovators from BRICS countries and beyond.
“I became a delegate through an application process and according to the chairperson of SABYA, Mr Raymond Matlala, over 400 participants applied and 60 of us were selected to pitch under the categories for this year,” said Cllr Mguni in an interview.
“My project was Flexie.travel where I am the co-founder and chief operations officer. Flexie.travel specialises in creating virtual reality content and conducting virtual reality tours of various tourist destinations in Zimbabwe to learners in primary and secondary schools,” she said.
“I pitched on day two under the EdTech category, and my takeaway is that BRICS has another meaning besides the acronym we know it to be. It is changing societies.”
Online Reporter