The Genesis Project — UCT Entrepreneurship

What is The Genesis Project

Entrepreneurship isn't a theory. It's something you do.

The Genesis Project is an Honours-level Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Cape Town's Faculty of Commerce. In one intensive academic year, students do what most programmes only read about — they build and run an actual business.

From the first week, student teams identify a real problem, develop a product or service, raise their own startup capital, build a brand, manage the finances, and report monthly to an industry board of directors. There are no simulations. No case studies. No pitching competitions.

"This is not a business simulation — you graduate with a degree in one hand and a business in the other."

— Stuart Hendry, Course Convenor, The Genesis Project

The Genesis Project was founded in 1996 with a clear purpose: shift the focus at UCT from building employees to building employers. Thirty years on, it remains one of the most acclaimed entrepreneurship programmes in Africa.

Students at the University of Cape Town — building real businesses since 1996

30 Years of Genesis

Why Genesis is different

Some things simply cannot be learned in a classroom.

Entrepreneurship is about solving real problems with limited resources under real pressure. The Genesis Project creates those conditions — deliberately, and from day one.

Real businesses. Real stakes.

Students raise their own startup capital — beginning with cake sales early in the year — then build actual products and take them to market. The learning is immediate because the consequences are real.

Industry boards. Real mentorship.

Each student venture is overseen by a board of directors drawn from industry — serial entrepreneurs and senior business leaders who work with students across six formal board meetings per year.

Honours-level rigour.

The academic load is equivalent to three years squeezed into one. Students complete twelve honours-level courses while simultaneously running their business — building both intellectual depth and operational capability.

The Genesis Methodology

Action learning, applied from the first week.

The programme runs in progressive cycles — each round building on the last, each challenge more complex than the one before.

Ideate

Identify a genuine problem. Find an insight no one else has acted on.

Build

Develop a product or platform. Make it real, make it local.

Raise

Secure real startup capital. Learn what investors actually need to see.

Sell

Go to market. Price. Brand. Distribute. Report to your board.

Reflect

Extract lessons that only experience can teach. Apply them immediately.

Learning in the real world

Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.

Genesis students learn a defining lesson that stays with them long after graduation: sustainable business begins with a genuine, deeply felt problem — not a cool product idea.

This mindset is built through the Cake Sale model — a progressive, hands-on rehearsal for the full business cycle. Students experience real chaos in round one and emerge structured and competent by round two. By the annual UCT Genesis Product Launch & Expo, they are fluent in pricing, branding, distribution and production.

Annual Product Launch & Expo

Student businesses present and sell to investors, industry leaders, and the public — the culmination of a year of real entrepreneurship.

Innovation with impact

Products must be novel in the South African context and predominantly locally manufactured — building both innovation capability and social responsibility.

Industry board mentorship

Six formal board meetings per year with industry leaders. Students chair the meetings — practising governance alongside entrepreneurship.

Opportunities

Find your path in Genesis.

See all opportunities

Flagship Programme

Postgraduate Diploma in Management & Entrepreneurship

The core Genesis experience. One intensive honours-level year at UCT's Faculty of Commerce. Students build real businesses alongside twelve academic courses. Applications open to UCT postgraduate students with a strong undergraduate foundation.

Apply to the PDE

Everyday Entrepreneur

The Everyday Entrepreneur

A wider entrepreneurship learning opportunity for UCT students across faculties. Applications open annually — watch for announcements from the Genesis Project team.

Learn more

For Institutions

Replicate the Model

The Genesis methodology is being adopted by institutions internationally. Explore collaboration, the Genesis Project book, and the SUNECO partnership.

Read the book

Global Reach

Building entrepreneurial ecosystems beyond UCT.

The Genesis Project is more than a programme at UCT — it is a proven model for action-learning entrepreneurship education that is now being adopted and adapted by institutions around the world.

Through SUNECO — a collaboration between the University of Cape Town and Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL) in Norway — Genesis is helping build sustainable entrepreneurial university ecosystems internationally.

The programme has won the EDHE Award for Entrepreneurship Learning and Teaching Excellence, and its methodology has been documented in book form specifically to help other institutions replicate and build on the Genesis experience.

University of Cape Town (UCT) South Africa

Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL) Norway

SUNECO International Partnership Active collaboration

EDHE — Entrepreneurship Development in HE Award recipient 2022

The Genesis Project book by Stuart Hendry and Anthony Hill

The Book

Three decades of learning. One practical guide.

Co-authored by Stuart Hendry and Anthony Hill, The Genesis Project documents the methodology behind thirty years of action-learning entrepreneurship education at UCT — and provides a practical framework for institutions wanting to build their own entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The book was launched at the EDHE Lekgotla 2022 and is designed for educators, programme designers, and institutional leaders who want to move beyond business simulations and into genuine, consequential entrepreneurship education.

For educators A replicable action-learning framework

For institutions Building entrepreneurial ecosystems

For students Understanding the Genesis philosophy

For partners Grounding for collaboration discussions

Get the Book

Stories & Insights

Genesis in the world.

All stories

Student Story UCT Commerce Faculty

July 2026

Building entrepreneurs for Africa — Genesis celebrates 30 years at UCT

From R20 000 in cake sale capital to nationally recognised ventures: how the Genesis Project has spent three decades turning students into employers.

Venture

April 2026

Smart School Shoes: the Genesis venture that grew with its customers

Charnè Verster's team designed a school shoe that expands as children grow — and won R50 000 at the ABSA Innovation Challenge.

Partnership UCT Upper Campus

2022

UCT wins national Entrepreneurship Intervarsity — Genesis takes EDHE Teaching Excellence Award

Stuart Hendry received the inaugural EDHE Entrepreneurship Learning & Teaching Excellence Award at the 2022 national finals.

The People Behind Genesis

Practitioners who teach from experience.

Stuart Hendry

Course Convenor & Lecturer · Director, DUNE

Stuart has convened The Genesis Project for nearly 27 years. A serial entrepreneur and educator, he is co-author of the Genesis Project book and coordinator of the SUNECO international partnership.

Anthony Hill

Chief Entrepreneur & Coaching Officer · UCT

Anthony Hill co-authored the Genesis Project book and serves as a key mentor and board director within the programme. He leads entrepreneurship coaching strategy across UCT.

Industry Board Directors

Mentors & Governors

Each Genesis student venture is guided by a board of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders drawn from South African industry — providing real governance, mentorship and accountability.

Get Involved

Your next chapter starts here.

Whether you want to study, mentor, partner, or collaborate — there is a place for you in the Genesis ecosystem.

UCT Students

Apply for the PDE or Everyday Entrepreneur programme. Build a real business while completing your honours.

Industry Leaders

Serve as a board director or mentor. Shape the next generation of African entrepreneurs from inside the process.

Institutions

Explore replicating the Genesis model at your university. Start with the book, then connect with the team.

Partners & Sponsors

Partner with Genesis to support student ventures and entrepreneurship education at Africa's top university.

Contact the Genesis Team

From Genesis Graduates

Real impact. Real voices.

Hear directly from Genesis alumni who have gone on to build successful ventures across Africa and beyond.

★★★★★

"Genesis didn't teach me business theory — it taught me how to actually build something. From day one, we were solving real problems with real consequences. That's invaluable."

Thandeka Mthembu

Co-founder, Smart School Shoes

★★★★★

"The industry board mentorship was life-changing. Having serial entrepreneurs actively invested in our success meant we weren't learning from textbooks — we were learning from people who've built actual businesses."

Jabu Ndaba

Founder, EcoTech Solutions

★★★★★

"Genesis graduates aren't typical business school alumni. We've already built a business, managed a team, raised capital, and navigated failure. When we enter the job market or start our next venture, we're already three steps ahead."

Amina Hassan

Founder, Digital Education Initiative

Frequently Asked

Common questions about Genesis.

The Genesis Project accepts honours graduates and exceptional professionals seeking to transition into entrepreneurship. We select candidates based on intellectual capability, drive, and commitment to building real businesses.

Tuition costs are set by UCT. However, Genesis is unique in that students raise their own startup capital, which becomes their operational budget. Many students graduate with positive revenue from their ventures.

No. Genesis students have built ventures in manufacturing, consumer goods, services, social enterprises, and tech. The methodology works for any business that solves a real problem and can generate revenue.

Yes. Genesis attracts students from across Africa and internationally. UCT and South Africa are global hubs for entrepreneurship, and the Genesis Project's international reputation draws top talent worldwide.

Yes. Educational institutions globally are adopting the Genesis action-learning framework. Contact us to discuss customization for your institution, faculty capacity building, and ongoing support.

Failure is part of the Genesis experience. You'll still graduate with your Honours diploma and the operational, intellectual, and leadership capabilities you've developed. Many of Genesis's most successful alumni failed in their first venture.

Stay Connected

Get in touch with Genesis.

Whether you're an applicant, partner, educator, or investor — we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to explore how Genesis can transform entrepreneurship education at your institution.

University of Cape Town

Faculty of Commerce, UCT

Get in Touch

info@genesisproject.uct.ac.za

Ready to transform your entrepreneurship education?

Join 30 years of Genesis impact. Apply now or explore partnership opportunities.