University of Pretoria (UP) alumnus and entrepreneur Stephanus Marais has been flying high since founding Maravion, an enterprise support company that aims to industrialise innovations to stimulate economic growth in Africa and eradicate poverty, unemployment and inequality.

“The word ‘Maravion’ is derived from my last name and the French word ‘avion’, which means ‘to fly’– so the name of the company literally means ‘Marais flying’,” he explains.

Stephanus graduated with a BSc degree in Natural and Agricultural Sciences (1984), a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry (1985), an MSc in Chemistry (1990) cum laude and an MBA (2003) cum laude. This last qualification is what changed his life and inspired him to become an entrepreneur.

Maravion provides specialist business and commercialisation services, business analysis, mentorship to SMMEs, contract and IP management and conducts feasibility studies. 

“Maravion invested and started several other biotech companies such as Applied Protein Biotechnologies, a specialised enzyme company, and Innovon Technologies, a company that is closely involved with UP and that sponsors students and research,” Stephanus explains.

Prior to becoming a businessman, he began his career at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and after three years, joined chemical group AECI (1989), where he headed the Fine Chemicals Group in the Research and Development Department.

Stories about his university experiences persuaded his children to take up their studies at UP too.

His daughter Giséle, who completed her BSc Computer Science and honours cum laude in the same filed, is a research assistant at UP and is completing a master’s degree in Computer Science at the University. His son Julien, is in his final year of a BSc degree in Human Physiology and Pharmacology, and hopes to enrol in an honours degree in the same field next year.

Giséle says that while the Computer Science programme was quite challenging, it benefitted her in the long run as she learnt how to work well under pressure. But she expected this, she adds, as her father had always told her stories of his own experiences at UP.

“It felt as if this set me apart from other graduates in my field as they often underestimated the workload and ended up procrastinating, which inevitably led to them struggling when exam time came,” she says.

Giséle says she finds education to be one of the most valuable aspects of her life.

“The knowledge you obtain in your lifetime can seep into every aspect of your life, and gives you a much broader perspective on the world,” she says. “The pursuit of knowledge has always been my main goal in life and I constantly look for ways to learn new things; this is why I decided to pursue a PhD as well.”

Julien, who is on his way to becoming a UP alumnus, believes that alumni should serve as mentors for students by sharing their experiences, providing career guidance, offering insights into the real world and helping students make informed decisions about their future.

He envisions himself actively contributing to the public health field and making a meaningful difference through his work.

“As someone with a deep passion for human anatomy, pharmacology and public health, I hope to see myself engaging in projects that address crucial public health issues, advocating for policies that promote health equity, and collaborating with diverse teams to devise innovative solutions to the greatest health issues facing our country,” he says.