This is what we can learn from them: after doing a nose dive, pick yourself up by your boot strings and try again. This was also the message from alumna and guest speaker Mickey Maliti-Ntshwe during a cocktail event held on 11 September 2018 at the Steve Biko residence on the campus in Mahikeng.

Mickey said a major shortcoming for many entrepreneurs is failure to continue after an unsuccessful business venture. She would know, as she is an entrepreneur who has also overcome a few failures.

This Mahikeng-based, Zambian-born entrepreneur is the owner of the Starz N’ Angels kiddies hair salon and Hands of RU furnisher manufacturers.

Mickey talked to NWU students about the need to “engineer their mindset” to become employers instead of banking on securing permanent employment after graduation.

Reflecting on her own failures, she appealed to graduates to follow their passion. “No idea is too stupid or too small. In fact, if your idea is not too crazy, change it because then it is probably a repetition of someone else’s idea. The question is: how do you differentiate yourself from the rest?”

It seems as if having the courage to stand out from the crowd and turn your setbacks into successes is a sure way to set you on your way to entrepreneurial success. Who knows, perhaps the next Walt Disney, Thomas Edison or Steve Jobs is already among our alumni.