With his company Excel@Uni, he helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds to get university degrees to succeed in life. The company has earned him several awards.  

Lungelo Linda Gumede (photo) is the co-founder and CEO of Excel@Uni, a company that uses technology to help scholarship students from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed in their studies and prepare for the world of work. 

Born in South Africa, he studied at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting in 2012. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Business, where he earned a master's degree in finance in 2015.

While still studying, Lungelo began working at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business as a corporate finance tutor. He soon became a lecturer, teaching corporate finance to students in the MBA program and financial risk management to students in the MCom program.

His most significant impact lies in his role as co-founder and CEO of Excel@Uni. The company was founded, in 2013, by Lungelo Linda Gumede, Ludwick Marishane, and Lesedi Makena. In partnership with several universities, it offers support and development programs for students. It also offers students mentoring, tutoring, scholarship management, skills development, and job preparation services. It is one of the 25 African startups selected for the 2023 cohort of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund program.

In addition to his duties at Excel@Uni, Lungelo Linda Gumede is also a mentor at Akro Accelerate, which provides venture funding and advisory services for entrepreneurs. In 2013, he worked as a business research consultant for South Africa's state-owned Technology Innovation Agency.

With Excel@Uni, he received a lot of recognition. In 2017, the company was selected as a finalist in the SAB Foundation Social Innovation Awards. In 2018, it won second place in the inaugural IBM South Africa Startup Accelerator pitch competition.

Melchior Koba