Eendrag hosted its annual Koos Bekker Entrepreneurship Competition on 21 July 2025. The competition was started by Koos Bekker, an Eendrag alumnus, and has been running since before 2020. The initiative is believed to promote innovation among students and guide small startups towards greater success.
Charl Coetzee, an Eendrag alumnus, currently serves on the Babylonstoren,wine estate in the Drakenstein Valley, Board of Directors and oversees a few business units on Babylonstoren; Christell Colman, who is well-known in the insurance industry for her entrepreneurial flair and expertise in underwriting and insurance management. Colman has occupied a few managerial positions in Ami Underwriting Managers, Elite Risk Acceptances (part of Old Mutual Group), Europ Assistance South Africa, and MUA Insurance Acceptances. Colman’s latest entrepreneurial venture, Ami, encapsulates her goal for a positive change in the personal lines insurance market in South Africa. Finally, Alwyn Rossouw, an Eendrag alumnus, is the CEO and founder of Marathon Group, a Cape Town-based management consulting and financial services group that helps clients achieve their business and financial goals through innovative thinking.
Koos Bekker donated R350 000 for the competition, and the amount was distributed among the top three winners. Francois Dercksen, the winner, started RFX 3D Printing, a business that designs 3D-printed objects from the Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD) high school curriculum. Dercksen believes the competition is an excellent initiative as it inspires entrepreneurship at a young age and provides entrepreneurs with capital so their visions can materialize.
In second place was SAND3D, who manufactures customized keychains for personal and corporate use throughout Namibia. It was started in 2015 by Sybrand de Waal and his sister, Anita. De Waal encourages any aspiring entrepreneurs to try, as he says,” you might as well just do it, you lose nothing when you try.” .
Two businesses were tied for third place. AgriTrekker, started by a group of students from Eendrag; and StudySmart, founded by Reece Frankfort. Frankfort appreciated the judges and his competitors.
“The judges offered insightful and innovative questions and answers, speaking volumes about their experience in the field. We also learned a lot by watching other competitors – seeing how different business models operate and how creative problem-solving can be,” said Frankfort.
The winners all plan on using their funds to further expand their businesses and continue developing their entrepreneurial skills.
Rudolf Louw, Eendrag’s 2025 Primaria, believes the competition aligns with Eendrag’s value of Excellence. He believes it motivates ‘Eendragtes’ to start enterprises and explore their potential.
By Lavinia Shapumba
