SA Innovation Summit - SAIS

SA Innovation Summit - SAIS Driving African innovation! 🌍 Connect. Collaborate. Create. Join us at ! 🚀

https://linktr.ee/sa_innovation_summit

18/07/2025

Big ideas often start small but they need support to grow.

Grassroots innovators often have ideas with real potential, but no way to cover basics like data, transport or the daily costs of building something new.

The Grassroots Innovation Programme includes a stipend to help close that gap, so innovators can focus on the work instead of worrying about survival.

Living Labs take that further, providing community spaces with tools, mentorship and practical infrastructure so small ideas don’t stay stuck.

Support like this turns ideas into income, jobs and local change.

What would it take to make this possible for more innovators?

Watch the full Next Studio episode, link in bio

17/07/2025

Only 8% of South Africans speak English at home.

Botlhale AI is changing how businesses engage with the other 92%.

Co-founder Thapelo Nthite is building voice and language tools that help businesses speak to customers in their language, literally.

Their platforms support 13 African languages (and counting), offering tools from call centre analytics to AI-powered virtual assistants on WhatsApp.

Because when you remove the language barrier, you unlock digital access.

How can African businesses make their platforms more inclusive?

11/07/2025

A child’s first classroom can shape their future.

Meg Faure, Co-Founder of Play Sense, shared a reality we can’t ignore during her pitch at the Venture Stage. Early childhood education doesn’t just open young minds, it helps mothers return to work and helps teachers do what they do best, nurturing and guiding young children during their most important years.

Play Sense is doing this with a play-based curriculum, ongoing teacher training, an AI assistant and systems that make running a small school simpler and more sustainable.

Better early learning builds stronger families and more resilient communities.

What would it take to make early childhood education a priority where you live?

SAIS'24 was hosted at Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)

From R200M to R3.2B. South Africa’s venture capital ecosystem has evolved—fast. - In 2009, there was only one VC fund i...
30/06/2025

From R200M to R3.2B.
South Africa’s venture capital ecosystem has evolved—fast.

- In 2009, there was only one VC fund in the country.
- In 2024, we’re seeing R3.2 billion in deals and R1B in dry powder waiting to be deployed.

As Patrick Krappie, Executive at Technology Innovation Agency said during the SAIS24 Opening: There’s money in the system. They are waiting for you guys with ideas to come to them.

The capital is here. The opportunity is real.
What would your startup build if access to funding was no longer the barrier?

SAIS24 was hosted at Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)

Youth have always been the spark. But real revolutions need support.On Youth Day, we honour the students of 1976 whose c...
16/06/2025

Youth have always been the spark. But real revolutions need support.

On Youth Day, we honour the students of 1976 whose courage changed the course of South African history. Their uprising laid the foundation for the freedoms we build on today.

That same energy lives on—in young founders tackling today’s toughest challenges in climate, health, education, finance, and more.

But innovation doesn’t scale alone.

That’s why at SAIS, we exist to connect bold, emerging changemakers with the partners, investors, and networks they need to grow.

The courage of ’76 lit the fire.
The creativity of today is building the future.

Tap the link to explore our Youth Innovation programmes and get involved:
https://linktr.ee/sa_innovation_summit

Journeys that start with a pitch, but don’t end on stage. After pitching at SA Innovation Summit last year, Mogale Malek...
06/06/2025

Journeys that start with a pitch, but don’t end on stage.

After pitching at SA Innovation Summit last year, Mogale Maleka went on to win first prize at the GCIP-SA Awards, hosted by the Technology Innovation Agency and UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

His startup, AB Farms, is transforming agriculture with a hydroponic system that uses 90% less water and 10x less land than traditional methods.

This is one of the stories that reflect why SAIS exists—not just as an event, but as an ongoing platform that connects African founders/start-ups to capital, partners, and real momentum long after the Summit ends.

Mogale shares more about his journey in his Next Studio episode → link in bio

22/05/2025

Building a fintech in Africa?
You’ll need more than an app.

​​Gregory Andrews and Donel Chihoma of Tata Imali break down what it really takes:
1. R50 million in capital
2. Legal & regulatory mentors
3. Strategic partnerships to speed up market entry​

They’re solving for South Africa now—with plans to expand into Africa and South America next.

Catch the full Next Studio episode – link in bio.

19/05/2025

Everyone’s chasing funding.
But are we teaching young founders what to do after they get it?

Commissioner Joseph Ndaba calls for more focus on skills, mentorship, and incubation—so African entrepreneurs are funding-ready, not just fund-hungry.

Catch the full Next Studio episode – link in bio.

15/05/2025

Tired of paying just to store your money?

Gregory Andrews () and Donel Chihoma (), the team behind Tata Imali (), are flipping the script on traditional banking.

They sat down with Melt van der Spuy () to talk about how their startup is creating a low-fee, user-first alternative for the millions priced out of Africa’s financial systems.

Full episode from SAIS 2024 – link in bio.

14/05/2025

70% of the world’s maternal deaths happen in Africa.
But Africa only makes up 15% of the population.

Jude Gumbor shares how Dima Health is rallying experts across the continent to tackle one of Africa’s most urgent, complex challenges.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution—but there is momentum.

Watch the full Next Studio episode – link in bio.

12/05/2025

“Not every innovation needs to go to Mars.”

Rodwyn Grewan and Commissioner Joseph Ndaba call for innovation that actually solves the problems we face on the ground.

Let’s shift the spotlight from moonshots to mindsets—where social impact and community resilience lead the way.

Watch the full episode from SAIS 2024 – link in bio.

09/05/2025

Cement-free 3D printing? Yes, it’s happening - and it started with a housing problem and a team of young engineers ready to fix it.

Cullen Gilfillan and his team didn’t wait for permission. They built South Africa’s first modular cement 3D printer to respond to rising housing costs, proving that when systems break down, innovators build something new.

Watch the full story on Next Studio. Link in bio.

Buntu Majaja | Tall Giraffe Video | 🎙️ Hosted by Melt van der Spuy | Guest: Cullen Gilfillan

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