The SIFE World Cup 2011 event is to be held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) from 3 to 5 October and will bring together a diverse network of approximately 2 500 university students, academic professionals and industry leaders from more than 50 countries to participate in this global competition. The representative countries will compete at this international event and be judged by some of the world’s leading business executives.

The South African team will comprise of eight SIFE presenters from the University of KwaZulu-Natal who walked away as the fourth time National Champion Team in July this year. Also accompanying them will be their Faculty Advisor, Mr Mandla Ndaba, and Ms Joyce Sibeko from the University of Johannesburg, the SIFE SA Faculty Advisor of the Year 2011 and two SIFE Staff members, with Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited as the official travelling sponsor.

Says Letitia de Wet, CEO of SIFE South Africa, “The SIFE World Cup is the ultimate SIFE experience that offers a relevant and meaningful way to engage globally and to demonstrate the great work these students are doing within our communities. It is also an opportunity for companies to have access to highly talented SIFE students and alumni on a global scale through company booths at the Sponsor Fair. Our SIFE students are a leading source of talent and have certainly become sought after.”

The SIFE World Cup brings together top executives from all over the world in support of a shared cause - to help evaluate the effectiveness of the SIFE teams by serving as a SIFE Judge. It also provides networking opportunities to connect with other business leaders in attendance through numerous networking events and activities, including the Top to Top and Top to Future-Top Forums and the SIFE World Cup Executive Reception and Dinner. Other exclusive SIFE World Cup networking events this year, include the inauguration of Doug McMillon, President & CEO of Walmart International as Chairman of the SIFE Worldwide Board of Directors, and a dinner on 5th October hosted by the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

“We are proud to accompany the SIFE South African team to this world class event and hope they will continue to demonstrate the strong entrepreneurial skills that they have learnt and that South Africa, as a country, intrinsically possess. We are confident that the SIFE UKZN Team will do our country proud as we strive to bring the Cup home,” concludes de Wet.