Umhlanga Students Pitch Innovative Ideas To Mondelez SA

A group of third year students from The Vega School at Emeris uMhlanga recently stepped out of the lecture room and into the boardroom to present innovative brand concepts to global confectionery leader Mondelēz South Africa. The online presentation opportunity was sparked by lecturer Dudu Zwane, who chose to turn a routine industry conversation into a live demonstration of student capability.

The presentation reflected The Vega School at Emeris uMhlanga’s focus on bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application, preparing students to contribute meaningfully to industry from day one.

Mondelēz South Africa, based in Johannesburg, is home to well known brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Stimorol and Chappies, engaged with the students’ ideas and explored potential opportunities for future collaboration, including guest lecturing.

“Instead of telling industry what we do in the lecture room, I wanted to show them,” said Zwane. She lectures the IIE Bachelor of Commerce in Strategic Brand Management, the IIE Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Brand Communications and the IIE Bachelor of Commerce in Digital Marketing students. “This was a chance for our students to present their thinking, creativity and strategic approach directly to a leading brand,” she added.

Students responded to a brief developed by Zwane which explored the future of chewing gum, presenting forward thinking concepts backed by consumer insight, strategy and brand positioning.

One standout concept, “MindMint”, reimagined gum as a functional product designed to support focus, relaxation, energy and appetite control - shifting it from a simple refreshment to a tool for everyday performance.

“Traditional gum is differentiated by flavour, but MindMint is differentiated by function. This creates stronger relevance, more frequent usage and positions gum as part of everyday performance, not just refreshment,” said Katherine Thomas (third year IIE Bachelor of Commerce in Strategic Brand Management student at The Vega School at Emeris uMhlanga).

Beyond the concept work, students also shared how they are applying their studies in real time, including building and running their own businesses.

Kamryn Phahla (third year IIE Bachelor of Commerce in Strategic Brand Management student at The Vega School at Emeris uMhlanga and co-founder of cleaning services company Smart Clean Solutions) explained how her approach to business has evolved through her studies.

“I’ve learnt to think beyond just offering a service and to focus on how a brand creates meaning and delivers a consistent experience,” she said. “That shift has changed how I position my business, from simply getting clients to building a brand people trust”.

For fellow student Khanyisa Vena (third year IIE Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Brand Communications at The Vega School at Emeris uMhlanga), said the experience highlighted the value of practical learning.

“It was a great opportunity to show how we apply what we’ve learnt, especially as final year students preparing to enter the industry,” she said.