The SAB Basis has opened functions for its 2026 Social Innovation and Incapacity Empowerment Awards, inviting South African innovators who’re actively creating sensible options to social and disability-related challenges.
The awards provide funding starting from R300 000 to R1.3 million, alongside tailor-made mentorship, technical help and enterprise growth help to assist strengthen and scale early-stage ventures.
The programme is geared toward entrepreneurs and social enterprises whose merchandise, providers or enterprise fashions reply to actual obstacles confronted by ladies, youth, individuals dwelling in rural areas and individuals with disabilities. Candidates should exhibit that their innovation has progressed past the thought stage and is already being developed, examined or applied.
“Our focus is on options which are already being constructed and examined,” says Itumeleng Dhlamini, Head of Programmes on the SAB Basis. “South Africa’s financial actuality requires sensible innovation that may translate into sustainable companies and significant financial participation. When an innovation positive aspects traction, its influence can lengthen far past the unique drawback it got down to handle.”
The Social Innovation Awards recognise innovators with prototypes or early-stage companies tackling social challenges throughout sectors corresponding to well being, housing, rural livelihoods, power, water and monetary inclusion. The Incapacity Empowerment Awards focus particularly on options that broaden financial entry and participation for individuals with disabilities, together with assistive applied sciences, inclusive employment fashions and income-generating initiatives.
Current winners illustrate the vary of domestically developed innovation. In 2025, Sum1 Investments was recognised for its asset-financing mannequin enabling stokvels to speculate immediately in township and rural small companies. Within the incapacity class, White Cane was awarded for producing white canes domestically by the employment of blind and partially sighted people, whereas the Dassie X all-terrain energy wheelchair was acknowledged for addressing mobility challenges in rural environments.
Since 2015, the programme has invested over R88 million in funding and enterprise growth help, backing greater than 200 innovators. These ventures collectively make use of greater than 4 000 individuals and help over 16 000 livelihoods.
Purposes for the Social Innovation and Incapacity Empowerment Awards shut on 16 March 2026 at noon, and winners will probably be introduced later this yr. South African residents aged 18 and older are eligible to use through the SAB Basis web site.
For full eligibility standards and software particulars, go to:
https://www.sabfoundation.co.za/social-innovation-awards
