When an idea, sacrifice and support come together, lives can change. A law student at the North-West University (NWU) used her savings from her NSFAS living allowance to buy a maize-grinding machine and created a business employing nine people.
Thando Masutu, a fourth-year LLB student, is a co-founder of IntelliJus Law Society at the NWU and also the co-founder and CEO of SoMphalali Maize-Milling. The business, based in KwaNdebele, was started to provide milling services to farmers, create jobs and support local food production. In July 2026 it placed third in the Harmony Food and Health Security, Employability and Entrepreneurship Enactus Challenge.
Thando founded the business two and a half years ago together with her two close friends, Jabu Gift Masombuka and Sbusiso Petrus Skhosana. Jabu, a third-year BSc computer sciences student at Nelson Mandela University, serves as the company's chief financial officer. Sbusiso, a former student of Sedibeng College where he studied towards a diploma in mechanical engineering, is the company's chief innovation officer.
The idea grew from the challenges Thando identified in her community. Farmers had to travel out of the area to process their maize with transport costs placing pressure on households. Unemployment among young people was another concern.
In January 2024, Thando approached Chief Bongani Mahlangu, known as uSoMphalali, about access to land. The chief asked her to develop an idea for its use and gave the three partners permission to establish the business on 16 hectares of land.
The partners also drew on the entrepreneurial experience of Thando’s grandmother, Lina Masombuka, who has operated the Shuku-Shukuma Bakery in KwaNdebele for more than 40 years.
“As much as we had our eyes on the future, history still had its eyes on us,” says Thando. “Innovation does not always begin with new technology. Sometimes it begins by listening to those who came before us.”
A step up with the NWU
The business gained momentum after Thando joined the NWU’s Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP) programme in March 2025. The programme helps students identify opportunities, plan businesses and use available resources.
“STEP transformed the way I viewed entrepreneurship,” she says. “It gave structure to my vision and encouraged me to stop waiting for the perfect moment. The biggest lesson I learnt was simple: start.”
That lesson was tested when Thando and her partners saved up their NSFAS living allowances to buy their first maize-grinding machine.
“We joked that we had just spent our entire savings on a single machine,” she says. “It was the greatest investment we had ever made.” They now operate two maize-grinding machines in their mini-factory.
Their faith in their project was recognised when the venture won third place in the national Harmony competition.
The power of nine
The business now employs nine people.
“Nine jobs may seem like a small number to some,” says Thando. “To me, they represent nine families, nine opportunities and nine reminders that entrepreneurship has the power to restore hope.”
Dr Kezell Klinck, an NWU STEP trainer, says the venture shows what can happen when students apply what they learn.
“Thando brought the vision, the lived experience and the determination,” she says. “Through STEP, the NWU was able to provide structure, encouragement and practical support that helped her move forward.”
What does the future hold for Thando, and what about her studies?
“For me, the future is about learning from the world and bringing that knowledge back home to build. I want to become well-travelled, not simply to see different countries, but to learn from different economies, technologies and approaches to solving problems, and return to South Africa with ideas that can contribute to our economy through local ownership, innovation and economic retention. I want to see more solutions being developed, owned and sustained here in South Africa,” says Thando.
“My LLB remains a very important part of that journey. I am currently in my final year and I have always put my studies first. Balancing my degree with co-founding IntelliJus Law Society and building SoMphalali Maize-Milling has required discipline, consistency and strong time management. I live by the principle of consistency, I always show up, I keep on showing up,” she adds.
Thando says law has taught her to think critically, negotiate, understand systems and approach problems from different angles.
“More importantly, it has taught me the power of application: knowledge becomes meaningful when you can take what you learn and use it to solve a real problem. IntelliJus has given me the opportunity to apply my legal knowledge by supporting students in disciplinary matters, promoting human rights and advocating for justice, while entrepreneurship has allowed me to apply the same problem-solving mindset in business.
“I want this degree, and I am going to have it. My philosophy is simple: ‘Not knowing the law is too expensive’. This year I want to leave university not only with an LLB degree, but also with the ability to use that knowledge practically, to build businesses, solve problems, negotiate better, create opportunities and ultimately bring value back to South Africa,” she concludes.
Fourth-year LLB student Thando Masutu is the co-founder and CEO of SoMphalali Maize-Milling.
