MASERU - Nkau Matete, the kind hardworking former Metropolitan Lesotho managing director played a significant role in the advancement of the National University of Lesotho (NUL) Innovation Hub as we know it. One former NUL student who is part of the Innovation Hub says this about him, “his extraordinary generosity makes him, not one in a million, but one in two million.”
business
Oct. 31, 2019
STAFF REPORTER
4 min read
One in two million
That is, if you believe that Lesotho has a population of two million. “When I provide funding, nothing encourages me more than seeing progress when I come back,” Mr Matete used to say. “I don’t want to keep funding the same thing.” Today, we are going to give details of the evolution of the hub.
We will show how the hub was carefully crafted over the past ten years and the role played by Mr Matete and Metropolitan Lesotho in its evolution. You will then agree with us that Mr Matete is not one in a million. No! He is one in two million. That is because, when it comes to issues of innovation, the best we can do in Lesotho is to say, “hee bana ba Basotho ba bohlale hleee!” and then go on to spend money in things that don’t really matter. Mr Matete was willing to be different. “Two routes diverged in a wood,” said Robert Frost, “and I took the one less travelled by, and it made all the difference.”
Of course Mr Matete was not alone in this road. We will soon give details of another local businessman in the name of Katiso Sello of Lesotho Funeral Services who poured millions in the NUL research that will transform the way Lesotho sees its natural stones and rocks. Much will also be said about Mohato Seleke of the LNDC and many more. By now, we all know the NUL Innovation Hub. Nearly twenty businesses are being incubated under the hub and more are coming.
For those who confuse innovation for invention, they still don’t understand why it is called the “innovation” hub. That is because, well, it is neither producing self-driving cars, nor does it exist within fancy (and futuristic) buildings. It is only when you meet the hardworking young people therein and see what they do, that you will immediately have a feeling, “at last, something is happening in Lesotho.”
Many things happen by chance. The NUL Innovation Hub is not one of them. It's true foundations were laid down in 2010 when Matsobane Putsoa, the then NUL Bursar, provided half a million funding to a group calling itself Technology Incubation Group (TIG). It could be said that Mr Putsoa’s bold decision got the ball rolling. TIG was hosted in the Faculty of Science and Technology under the direction of Professor Spirit Tlali, now the Rector at Lerotholi Polytechnic.
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The Group would later be called NUL Research and Innovations Committee (NULRIC) in 2015, the name it holds to this day. It now reports to the Pro-Vice Chancellor’s, and Vice Chancellor’s Office. And it draws its membership and promotes innovation from all Faculties. The aim of the TIG and NULRIC was one, and it is still one - to commercialise university generated ideas. In line with this aim, a roadmap for the NUL Innovation Hub was made in 2013-2014.
Come 2015, Professor Nqosa Mahao, the then NUL Vice Chancellor entered the scene and made the NUL Innovation Hub one of his top priorities. The hub became part of the strategic plan of the university. In the same year, the NUL was going all out to demonstrate tangible ideas it was developing to the nation.
Almost immediately, one product under development caught the attention of Mr Matete. It was to be known as Sebabatso Yogurt (Those who love this yogurt call it Sbabi). He put funding into it. Hence Sebabatso is now a household name in Maseru. This company, which is still being incubated under the hub has expanded to producing fresh and sour milk. One Sbabi enthusiast told us, “when they say, “why are you making yogurts? As a university, you should be thinking about going to the moon,” we tell them, “we will go to the moon - when every belly is full.”Mr Matete then did the unthinkable.
After Professor Mahao refurbished the old laundry building and the old book store and turned them into incubation centres of the Innovation Hub, Mr Matete through Metropolitan Lesotho, poured more money as a start-up funding to assist each of the many start-ups within the hub. He even bought a van that is now assisting the hub to take its products from NUL to Maseru. All in all, Metropolitan Lesotho poured more than 2.5 million maloti into the project. That money has proven to be a game changer. NUL innovation is now on another level.
He may have left Metropolitan Lesotho, but history will judge him favourably for the role he played while he was there. The man who was willing to do so much for innovation in Lesotho is not one in a million. No! He is one in 2 million!
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