Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Innovation and Commercialisation Division, also known as Innovus, is pleased to announce two new team members who joined in October 2025. Saberi Marais has come on board as a Technology Transfer Specialist for the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and Mihlali Gotyana as a Communications Specialist for the Division.
The TTO works with and supports SU staff and students to identify, protect, manage and commercialise their inventions. and the addition of Saberi and Mihlali will amplify these efforts. Both bring enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the team, and we warmly welcome them.
Saberi Marais brings over 20 years’ experience in research commercialisation. He joins Innovus from the University of Cape Town where his role was the Innovation Commercialisation Manager. Here he focused on helping life sciences, engineering and health sciences researchers and innovators turn their ideas into market-ready products, facilitating the engagement with industry collaborators and raising funding for technology development, spinouts and projects. In that role Saberi brought his extensive skills and experience in licensing university inventions and creating and mentoring spinning out startup companies.
His expertise in Innovation management and industry engagement will support SU’s own technology transfer activities. Saberi is no stranger to Stellenbosch University as he was a member of Innovus team until 2014, before moving on to head up the Technology Innovation Agency’s office in the Western Cape and being the Head of the TIA Seed Fund Programme. He also completed his MBA at the Stellenbosch Business School and looks forward to working with the Innovus team, engaging with the researchers and the Launchlab incubatees to help the University achieve its research and impact goals.
Mihlali Gotyana is a talented communicator with a strong background in science outreach. She holds a BA in Communication from North-West University. Mihlali previously worked at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research where she worked closely with the Communications team, helping the organisation achieve its communications goals through traditional, social and digital communication platforms. In other words, she is adept at using digital media and storytelling to highlight research and innovation. At Innovus, she will help craft and share the division’s news and success stories, raising the profile of SU innovations.
The Innovation and Commercialisation Division looks forward to Saberi’s and Mihlali’s contributions. Their combined expertise in technology transfer and communications will help Innovus support SU’s inventors, spin‑outs and entrepreneurs. We wish them every success in their new roles and celebrate their arrival on the team.