North-West University (NWU) 2021 Leopards Lair Undergraduate category winner Johann van Rooyen competed in the national finals of the 2022 Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Entrepreneurship Intervarsity.
The competition took place on 17 November, followed by the EDHE Awards event on 18 November at the Premier Hotel OR Tambo.
Johann, a third-year student, is studying for two degrees simultaneously: a BCom in international trade and a BCom in forensic accounting.
He competed in EDHE finals in the category Existing Business: General.
Johann’s business – All Green Fresh Farming (Pty) Ltd. – produces and distributes microgreens and edible flowers to local restaurants and retailers such as Pick n Pay, Spar and Mugg and Bean.
“Together with my business partner, Wouter Dreyer, we grow our microgreens vertically in a controlled indoor growing room under LED lights. This way we can produce 365 days a year regardless of the weather,” says Johann. He adds that microgreens also grow very fast, and their average growing period is between 7-14 days from plant to harvest.
Johann says winning the NWU’s Leopard Lair competition allowed them to expand their production and to move to a bigger location. They also started to employ more people to keep up with the growing demand for their products.
“The mentorship and guidance of Annelie Steenkamp from NWU bhive Enterprise Development Centre has also been of great help in growing our expanding business,” he adds.
More about EDHE Awards
The EDHE Awards 2022 event is aimed at announcing and celebrating the 24 national finalists in the 4th annual EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity. The purpose of this competition is to identify the top student entrepreneurs at each university, showcase their businesses and invite investment into this cohort of start-ups.
In the process, universities have the opportunity to demonstrate their entrepreneurship talent and how they support and grow the next generation of business leaders. They aim to continue showcasing a diverse cohort of studentpreneurs as role models from across institutions in the country.
Johann van Rooyen
