The SAB Foundation has awarded ZAR12.6 million (US$860,000) in funding to 17 of South Africa’s most promising social innovators at its tenth annual Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards.
The Social Innovation Awards are aimed at innovators, entrepreneurs and institutions with prototypes or early-stage businesses that solve a social problem through a sustainable business model.
Digital crowdfunding Agricool Finance and Meat Naturally, which supports communal farmers in building a sustainable farming model, were joint winners of the Social Innovation Awards, while Leafline Washable Sanitary Wear scooped first place in the Disability Empowerment Awards.
All three winners were awarded ZAR1.3 million (US$89,000) in grant funding, while further funding went to a host of other award winners. Third place in the Social Innovation Awards went to Invisio Al, which uses machine learning to identify, segment and predict breast cancer type by means of ultrasound images and algorithms.
