Mr Yongama Skweyiya
Commercialisation Specialist: Directorate of Innovation,
Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, Unisa

Mr Yongama Skweyiya is an accomplished entrepreneur, innovation specialist, venture builder and commercialisation professional with extensive experience in business development, technology commercialisation and investment.

He serves as a Commercialisation Specialist within the Directorate of Innovation, Technology Transfer and Commercialisation (DITTC) at the University of South Africa (Unisa), where he supports the transformation of innovative ideas, research outputs and emerging technologies into commercially viable businesses and solutions.

Mr Skweyiya has extensive entrepreneurial experience as a founder, co-founder and investor across several industries, including Software as a Service (SaaS), GreenTech, AgriTech, FoodTech, mobile gaming and marketing. His expertise includes venture development, business modelling, customer discovery, investment readiness and the commercialisation of early-stage technologies emerging from publicly funded research.

He studied Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Stellenbosch University and has undertaken professional development in private equity, venture capital and venture deal structuring through Coursera and Kauffman Fellows.

His entrepreneurial journey includes founding and developing businesses such as IsimoSethu Investments and Origins Foods Holdings, demonstrating his practical understanding of building and scaling ventures.

Through his work at Unisa, Mr Skweyiya contributes to innovation and entrepreneurship development by facilitating masterclasses, workshops and commercialisation initiatives aimed at equipping researchers, students and entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools to take their innovations from concept to market.

He is passionate about fostering entrepreneurship, unlocking the commercial potential of African innovations and building sustainable businesses that contribute to economic growth and societal impact.