A fifth-year medical student from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Keaton Harris, has been selected as one of the Top 100 Brightest Young Minds (BYM) on the African Continent.

BYM is an initiative that was launched in 2001 in South Africa. Its vision is to inspire and mobilise leading young entrepreneurs to contribute positively to their world, according to their unique passions and strengths. It has a strong alumni network, enabling the 100 annual recipients of this award to stay in touch with one another in years to come.

Every year a summit is held where these young leaders can engage with one another and exchange ideas. In 2021 the summit was held virtually and on 15 and 16 October.

This annual event is aimed at showcasing the potential of Africa's brightest young minds with regard to leadership and entrepreneurial ventures, which have to be for the benefit of the African continent.

These ventures can range from educational interventions, to new inventions, to developments in the field of medical technology – and everything in between.

Before joining the FMHS, Harris completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree in 2016 and subsequently started a company called InforMED Global. This is an offline mobile healthcare application that focuses on breaking language barriers between healthcare professionals and patients. Communication is often a stumbling block in countries such as South Africa, where many different languages are spoken.

The BYM award is not Harris's first achievement: he was one of 21 people chosen worldwide for the Young Sustainable Impact (YSI) project, and also won the South African Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) Competition, as well as the 2020 EDHE Studentpreneur Intervarsity Competition. Harris also represented South Africa at the Global Engagement Summit, at the Kectil Leadership Conference, and the International Thinkers Model UN. He is also an Abe Bailey Fellow, and one of the Top 200 under-30 Young South Africans chosen by the Mail & Guardian.

"I aspire to change the medical narrative within a poverty-stricken country, establishing equitable access to basic healthcare," says Harris.

He adds that it has been difficult to run his own business, as well as continuing to tend to academic commitments.

​"I could not have been happier, when I heard the news of my selection for the BYM initiative. I found out about this while I was running on the treadmill. I was elated and it made me feel that my hard work was paying off," says Harris.

"The summit enabled me to establish connections with trailblazers in their respective fields, and it has opened up doors to countless possibilities. Being able to tap into the knowledge and experiences of the other participants has motivated me to continue to try and make a difference," adds Harris.

When asked about his future plans, he says: "I want to complete my medical studies, and then specialise in either neurosurgery, trauma surgery or emergency medicine. I plan on finding a way to do this while still attending to my business commitments."