Atoofah Gierdien at Allan Gray Orbis Foundation’s Project X Demo Day in November. Image: Supplied

What started as a simple act of support for her younger sister during late-night Matric study sessions two years ago has grown into an online classroom reaching thousands of learners across South Africa.

UWC postgraduate student and entrepreneur, Atoofah Gierdien, who is completing a Master of Commerce in Information Systems, recalled how exhausted and overwhelmed her sister was during her exams.

“When she struggled with understanding her class notes, she turned to TikTok for explainer videos,” Gierdien, who hails from Cape Town, explained. 

This sparked the creation of Crash Course Central, a now-popular TikTok-based learning platform that helps learners understand schoolwork in a clear, accessible, and engaging way. The platform has reached  reached 29.500 learners, mostly underserved, across South Africa and beyond.  “This revealed that many other learners were already using digital platforms to fill learning gaps, but the content was often fragmented, inconsistent, and not aligned to the curriculum. I began creating CAPS-aligned explainer content on TikTok to support her learning,” she said.

The AI-powered education platform uses a proprietary intelligence engine called SAYLi to provide instant tutoring, explanations, curated study notes and quizzes designed around how SA youth learn. Recently, a pitch for her business venture was recognised as one of the most innovative ideas and selected for the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation’s Project X Demo Day 2025, a showcase for young entrepreneurs to start or grow businesses. The competition, held at the end of November, aimed to build an entrepreneurial culture by challenging students to use digital platforms and live pitches to turn concepts into viable businesses. Gierdien won first prize in the New Ideas and Ventures category, alongside fellow UWC postgraduate student Buhlebethu Mazibuko, who took first prize in the Existing Businesses category.

UWC postgraduate student Buhlebethu Mazibuko Image: Supplied

Mazibuko, who is pursuing a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Law, State and Multilevel Governance degree, is the founder of S3 Funerals, a Nquthu-based burial services business. The enterprise focuses on meeting community needs by providing affordable, dignified and culturally sensitive funeral services in Nquthu.

Gierdien and Mazibuko (who is from Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal) were selected from a pool of 30 postgraduate students chosen for the inaugural Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Postgraduate Fellowship, also known as Project X. The 10-month programme began in 2025 and aims to develop future leaders who can build high-impact ventures to address pressing social and economic challenges. The fellowship attracted more than 2 300 applicants from universities across South Africa. Their journey concluded with a national pitch competition held in November, where candidate fellows presented their business ideas to a panel of judges at the end of the programme.

Mazibuko became an entrepreneur as a child, getting involved in informal trading. He said being part of the fellowship was “deeply affirming” and recognised his entrepreneurial intent and long-term vision. Networking with other entrepreneurs equipped him with structured business knowledge that strengthened his business knowledge.

“I come from a family where business has long been a way of life. The Fellowship did not create this identity, but it refined it. It gave me the language, tools, and strategic framework to formalise what I had already been practising intuitively,” he said.

During the fellowship programme, Mazibuko received mentorship from some influential leaders, including Andile Dube and Graham Coulson. Dube is the Creative Director and founder of the Young Hustla Initiative, which uses education and entertainment to teach entrepreneurship to underprivileged youth across South Africa. Coulson, a Finance Director at The Walt Disney Company, brings over 20 years of experience in financial management and leadership, supporting the company’s strategic growth and financial planning.

For Gierdien, being selected from over 2,300 other applicants and going through a rigorous process of assessments, interviews and pitching, “validated that my venture addressed a real and urgent problem, and that my venture is investable”.

“Beyond validation, it offered world-class entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and a community of impact-driven founders, helping me transition from building fast to building sustainably,” she said.

While the programme didn’t make her an entrepreneur, it gave her the confidence to step into that identity fully. “Before the fellowship, I was already building like an entrepreneur, but I did not always claim the title with confidence. This experience reframed how I see myself. It affirmed that entrepreneurship is not about having all the answers, but about committing to solving meaningful problems and learning relentlessly along the way, she said.

Of students who still want to pursue entrepreneurship, Gierdien believes the journey is not about having the perfect idea or chasing profit. For her, it began with noticing the problem and caring deeply about it.

“Many students, especially at UWC, already have entrepreneurial instincts; they just have not recognised them yet. I have learned that life will meet you at the level of your audacity. The moment you allow yourself to think bigger, take ownership of your ideas, and act despite uncertainty - then new opportunities, support, and clarity will begin to emerge,” she said.