After varsity each set off in separate directions, Binning working as a youth pastor for Scripture Union and Walmer Methodist Church and then as a Student Co-ordinator at Damelin College while Engelke started as a reporter at the Evening Post and then joined Telkom's Corporate Communications Division.
"I came to study at the NMMU after finishing school at Wynberg Boys High in Cape Town and never left the city, because of the solid connections I made, including my wife a student at the then PE Teachers Training College. Your peers many times shape your life, and I am thankful every day for the calibre of people I met as a student,” says Engelke.
Seemingly on different tangents, a business partnership seemed unlikely. Fast forward 5 years and the two had in fact joined forces at Inkanyezi Events, founded by Binning in 1998. Seventeen years later, the company, which specialises in project management and strategic communications, has grown into a significant national player, under their guidance with Binning as CEO and Engelke as Communications Director.
"The beauty of varsity and especially res, is the close connection one makes with people from around the country and even the world. Some of those contacts become friends many others become professionally significant. In our case, it was both. Other alumni with whom we shared a unique common experience in that era on campus, are among our clients and service providers,” says Binning.
Inkanyezi Events is an award winning company which was named as one of SA's Top 300 Emerging Companies by Impumelelo, publishers of Top 300 in 2003. The company has won numerous PMR and IMM Marketing Awards and in 2012 its automotive tradeshow, South African Automotive Week was voted SA's best Confex by the Exhibition and Events Association of Southern Africa.
Inkanyezi, annually also organises the Working World Career Guidance Exhibition and the annual Eastern Cape Maritime Summit in addition to other trade related events like internationally acclaimed South African Automotive Week. In addition it provides clients with corporate communication, marketing and design services from its studio.