SIGMUND × UCT 2027
Free strategic marketing consulting for tourism entrepreneurs, delivered by University of Cape Town honours business students.
Small teams of UCT students work directly with tourism businesses as consultants — bringing fresh research, outside perspective, and clear recommendations to a business that is ready to grow.
Free to take part · approximately three Zoom meetings over the semester
Students As Your Marketing Consultants
Each team treats your business as a real client. They diagnose, research, and build a strategy — then present it back to you.
Market Research
Who your customer is, what they want, and where the demand is growing.
Competitor Analysis
How you compare with the businesses already in your space.
Marketing Strategy
Practical, prioritised recommendations you can act on right away.
Creative Concepts
One high-quality creative concept built around your business.
Growth Recommendations
A clear roadmap for the next steps the team believes will move the needle.
Every engagement ends in something you can use: a comprehensive written report plus a live final presentation of the team's findings and recommendations.
What The Last Cohort Actually Got
In spring 2026, five tourism businesses worked with five UCT honours teams. Here's who took part and what came out of it.
5
Tourism businesses matched
5
UCT student teams
14
Honours students
5
Countries represented
Dream Catcher
Theresa 'Akua' Powell
Adventure travel retreats integrating personal coaching for women.
Volvero
Marco
AI and blockchain vehicle sharing built to improve safety and trust.
Ecoplore
Prerna Prasad
A curated aggregator for sustainable hotels.
Dinesurf
Martins
A WhatsApp-integrated restaurant booking and management platform.
Tripbalancer
Robin Boustead
Software to track a trip's environmental, social, and economic impact in one place.
Cohort Highlights
Five Open • Source businesses from five countries each got a dedicated student team
Every team delivered market research, competitor analysis, and a prioritised strategy
Each business received one high-quality creative concept plus growth recommendations
Findings were delivered as a comprehensive written report and a live final presentation
Every participating business is still listed on Open • Source, with a permanent public page
What The Semester Looks Like
The commitment is intentionally light — roughly three Zoom meetings across the semester, and it's all free.
January – February
Matching
Sigmund and UCT identify and match approximately 10 businesses with 10 student teams.
Late February – Early March
Kickoff Zoom
Entrepreneurs meet their student team on a kickoff call to set the brief and expectations.
March – April
Research & Check-In
Students conduct their research, with one mid-project Zoom check-in with the entrepreneur.
Late April – May
Final Report & Presentation
Students deliver a comprehensive written report and a live presentation of their findings.
What We Ask Of You
About three Zoom meetings over the semester
A short kickoff conversation to brief your team
One mid-project check-in to keep the research on track
Show up for the final presentation at the end
What You Get
A dedicated team of honours business students
Research and analysis shaped around your business
An outside perspective on your biggest marketing challenge
A written report and live presentation you can act on
Zero cost — it's free to participate
Last semester, students worked with five businesses from our Open • Source community — and the final presentations were genuinely impressive. We're looking for around 10 tourism businesses for the 2027 cohort.
Want a Student Team On Your Business?
Sign up in a few minutes. We'll match selected businesses with UCT teams ahead of the January kickoff.
Sign Up Here