With determination in his heart and innovation as his fuel, Wits student Navhani Tshikosi has transformed a simple student service into a tech-powered business changing lives nationwide.
Johannesburg, South Africa (18 November 2025) – When Wits student Navhani Tshikosi first helped a friend move their belongings, he wasn’t trying to build a business or change anyone’s life, he was just being helpful. But sometimes that’s exactly where the magic starts. One small favour grew into a service, the service grew into a company and that company has now carried a young South African all the way to the global innovation stage.
And in a country where unemployment remains one of our biggest challenges, this kind of story matters deeply. It shows us what happens when young people don’t just wait for opportunity… they build it.
Navhani, a final-year BSc Civil Engineering student at Wits University, is the founder of HRA Transportation (Pty) Ltd, a student-born logistics company that has grown from a simple campus hustle into a tech-driven service with real social impact.
What started as “helping mates on moving day” now offers affordable moving services, secure storage, and fridge rentals, solving the everyday challenges students face while creating opportunities for those trying to make ends meet.
Under his leadership, HRA Transportation has already achieved more than many established companies:
- Supported over 200 moving clients
- Rented fridges to 25 students
- Created jobs for 7 young people
- Won 1st place at the Enactus South Africa National Exposition 2025
- Advanced to the Top 16 globally at the Enactus World Cup in Bangkok
- Earned the titles of Wits Student Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 and Tech Entrepreneur of the Year 2025
For a student-led business to reach that level is extraordinary. For it to happen in South Africa, where young people often don’t get the chance to dream this big, is even more powerful.
Competing against innovators from 32 countries was a milestone Navhani will never forget.
“Standing on that global stage and sharing how our student-led company is transforming logistics for South Africans was one of the proudest moments of my life. It reminded me that innovation doesn’t need to start big, it needs to start with purpose.”
And that purpose is woven through everything he does.
Instead of slowing down after the World Cup, Navhani came home even more energised. He aims to scale HRA Transportation into universities and TVET colleges nationwide, providing more students with access to affordable logistics and increasing the number of young South Africans with job opportunities.
Back at Wits, the recognition he received felt deeply personal.
“Being recognised by my university is deeply meaningful. It motivates me to continue building a company that empowers students, creates opportunities, and drives positive change in South Africa.”
That’s what sets his story apart.
It’s not just about business growth or awards. It’s about a young South African who saw a problem, solved it and then opened the door for others to rise with him.
In a country where youth unemployment can crush even the brightest spirits, Navhani’s journey is proof that possibility still exists, that ideas born in small rooms on busy campuses can reach global platforms, create jobs and inspire a generation hungry for hope.
And as he continues to grow HRA Transportation, one thing becomes clear: South Africa’s future is shaped by young people who don’t wait for change… they create it.
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