INNOVATE™ South Africa

Innovations of the World

INNOVATE™ South Africa

South Africa is a country rich with innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. INNOVATE™ South Africa is a showcase of all the innovators and thought leaders who are making a positive difference across the region, reinforcing South Africa’s position as a growing hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

INNOVATE™ South Africa is a unique 350+ page premium coffee-table book featuring the top home-grown innovators and innovation enablers who are shifting the landscape across South Africa. INNOVATE™ South Africa is also available as an e-book and an online platform, representing a network with a common goal of ensuring the region’s top innovators connect and succeed. In the spirit of innovation, the book is embedded with augmented reality video, delivering true convergence of offline and online platforms, enabling the book to literally come alive in your hands, much like Harry Potter’s newspaper!

For further information please contact Anne Kirkpatrick: [email protected]

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Innovators

Featured Innovators

RESPEK NATURE

RESPEK NATURE-PLANTS SPEKBOOM

PLANTS SPEKBOOM, A CO2 CAPTURING INDIGENOUS SUCCULENT, ON TRACTS OF DENUDED LAND NEAR GRAAFF-REINET AND IN THE LARGER KAROO REGION OF SOUTH AFRICA. LAUNCHED IN AUGUST OF 2020, RESPEK IS A BLENDED DIGITAL AND BOTANICAL CARBON OFFSET PROGRAMME.

The hardy spekboom is considered a pioneer species within the Karoo thicket biome. This means that the plant itself can assist in the regeneration of the indigenous brush, with many other species benefitting from its shade and the nutrients it brings into the soil. As a succulent, spekboom is the...

MAHLAKO A PHAHLA

MAHLAKO A PHAHLA - AN ORGANISATION THAT IS AFRICAN WOMEN-OWNED

AN ORGANISATION THAT IS AFRICAN WOMEN-OWNED, MANAGED AND INSPIRED, THAT PROMOTES AFRICAN AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EXCELLENCE

Mahlako a Phahla, founded by sisters Makole Mupita and Meta Mhlarhi, is named after our mother Mahlako to pay homage to her pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit in building a successful family business at a time when it was difficult for many black people to do so.   Mahlako is an...

OSCARS ARC

OSCARS ARC- DOG ADOPTION. INSPIRED ADOPTION RATES IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE LESS THAN 10%. WOOF PROJECT IS CHANGING THE STATUS QUO

DOG ADOPTION. INSPIRED ADOPTION RATES IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE LESS THAN 10%. WOOF PROJECT IS CHANGING THE STATUS QUO

WOOF Project is a dynamic ‘pop–up’ mobile dog adoption initiative by Oscars Arc, a NPO born to inspire dog adoption and to save dogs’ lives. It was founded by Joanne Lefson in honour of Oscar, the adopted dog with whom she travelled around the world, visiting 43 countries across 5...

FLOW

FLOW- IS FLIPPING THE PROPERTY INDUSTRY

IS FLIPPING THE PROPERTY INDUSTRY

FLOW IS DEMOCRATISING THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY’S ARCHAIC OPERATING MODEL FOR AGENTS, EMPOWERING THEM IN A DIGITAL WORLD AND GIVING BUYER, SELLER AND AGENT THE BENEFIT OF A BETTER, MORE TRANSPARENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE PROCESS. THE FACE OF TECHNOLOGY CAN STILL BE HUMAN – AND FLOW MAKES SURE THAT ESTATE AGENTS...

WESGRO

WESGRO-THE CAPE TRADE PORTAL

THE CAPE TRADE PORTAL

Building Resilience Builds CompetitivenessWesgro is the official tourism, trade, investment and film promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. It serves as the first point of contact for foreign investors and local companies. In addition, this agency attracts and facilitates national and international investment, works to grow the...

BAZ ART

ART SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS -BAZ-ART CREATES PUBLIC INTERACTION THROUGH URBAN ART

Co-founders Alexandre Tilmans (Sales, Marketing and Financial Director) and Melissa Cucci (Operations and Art Director) started the company in 2016 with the vision to make South Africa a flagship and main actor in the public art and marketing sector....

MASICORP

MASICORP -SUPPORTING EDUCATION IN MASIPHUMELELE – REAL CHANGE IS A TEAM EFFORT

SUPPORTING EDUCATION IN MASIPHUMELELE – REAL CHANGE IS A TEAM EFFORT

It all began with a visit to the Masiphumelele township in Cape Town, in 1999, when John and Carol Thompson from the US, were holidaying in South Africa, and ventured inside what was previously known as ‘’Site 5’’. Like most townships in South Africa, Masi (short for Masiphumelele) was established...

PROMMAC

PROMMAC- LEADS INNOVATION IN THE PROJECT SERVICES INDUSTRY

LEADS INNOVATION IN THE PROJECT SERVICES INDUSTRY

Leading South African multidisciplinary technical services business, Prommac, has been excelling in the petrochemical and heavy industry sectors since 2012 providing mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and welding services in execution of maintenance, shutdowns and turnarounds, as well as construction projects. If this sounds like just another company, think again. For a...

MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA

MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA - Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing

Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing

Mixed reality continues to grow exponentially because of its ability to help businesses and their employees complete crucial tasks faster, safer, and more efficiently. It also creates new ways to connect to customers and partners by blending the physical and digital worlds so that they coexist and interact in real-time....

EVERYDAY SPEAK

EVERYDAY SPEAK CREATIVITY WILL MAKE THE 21ST CENTURY AFRICA’S CENTURY

CREATIVITY WILL MAKE THE 21ST CENTURY AFRICA’S CENTURY

Founded in 2017, by Melusi Tshabalala (creative professional, entrepreneur, author, speaker, humourist, language & culture activist), Everyday Speak is a culture, dialogue, language activism, advertising and design company. Driven by the ethos – Creativity can make the 21st century Africa’s century – Everyday Speak develops ideas and solutions that touch...

HEAVY CHEF

HEAVY CHEF -THERE’S A SAYING THAT GOES NEVER TRUST A SKINNY CHEF. THIS GOES FOR BUSINESS ADVISORS

THERE’S A SAYING THAT GOES NEVER TRUST A SKINNY CHEF. THIS GOES FOR BUSINESS ADVISORS, CONSULTANTS, AND EXPERTS, TOO

A Heavy Chef is someone that speaks authoritatively about a specific subject because they have vast experience in that area. Some of our Heavy Chefs are not internationally known but still making a notable impact in their spaces, or who’s been performing notable work in the background. It is someone...

CARBON1

CARBON1-PIONEERING SOUTH AFRICA’S DIGITAL MARKETING TRANSFORMATION

PIONEERING SOUTH AFRICA’S DIGITAL MARKETING TRANSFORMATION

Let’s start at the beginningBack in 2009, Programmatic ad buying was in its infancy locally, despite its success being celebrated internationally. This spurred on the birth of Mark1, a company that would go on to pioneer technology and data-driven media buying in the South African market. Fast forward to 2020,...

THE GOOD THINGS GUY

THE GOOD THINGS GUY - KNOWN AS A SOURCE OF GOOD NEWS AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES.

BEST KNOWN AS A SOURCE OF GOOD NEWS AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES BY SOUTH AFRICANS FOR SOUTH AFRICANS. SPARKED BY AN ONLINE VIRAL MOVEMENT, THE GOOD THINGS GUY IS NOW A GLOBAL MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA COMPANY DELIVERING GOOD NEWS DAILY TO SOUTH AFRICANS

Kindness is the only thing that mattersSouth Africa’s news feeds are filled with hard news, stories of murder, corruption, robberies, and failing state-owned enterprises. Is there a space for good news – and do South Africans have an appetite for it? Brent Lindeque founded the Good Things Guy on 1...

DISCOVERY

DISCOVERY - CAN A COMPANY REALLY MAKE PEOPLE HEALTHIER?

CAN A COMPANY REALLY MAKE PEOPLE HEALTHIER?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were already a priority on the global health agenda, responsible for 70% of deaths at a significant and escalating cost to the international economy. The pandemic has magnified the importance of addressing lifestyle-related risk: global research demonstrates that more than 50% of COVID-19...

DYNAMIC BRANDS MANUFACTURING (PTY) LTD

DYNAMIC BRANDS MANUFACTURING (PTY) LTD

Birthed from humble beginnings within the Eastern Cape, Dynamic Brands Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd began its journey when current CEO, John Kew, identified a unique gap in the dilutable dairy blend market. Like many great entrepreneurial minds before him, John believed in the power of ideas that at first may not...

Sasol’s Green Hydrogen is set to transform the South African energy economy

Sasol’s Green Hydrogen is set to transform the South African energy economy IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY SEEK TO TRANSFORM ECONOMIES IN A WAY THAT ENABLES A SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE ENERGY FUTURE.

IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY SEEK TO TRANSFORM ECONOMIES IN A WAY THAT ENABLES A SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE ENERGY FUTURE.

Having placed climate change at the centre of our strategy, Sasol has committed to bold targets that will enable South Africa’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) by reducing our emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2050. The innovative commercialisation of Hydrogen is a core lever in enabling...

WHC

SAVING WATER AND MONEY FOR THE FUTURE

WHC stands for Water, Hygiene, Convenience....

GOOGLE

GOOGLE - LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

Google’s mission is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful with a firm commitment to improving people’s lives with technology. Africa is a hub of innovation and innovative uses of technology. As a land of opportunity, Africans can shape and solve the challenges they face...

GOODBYE MALARIA

GOODBYE MALARIA-IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, TO MALARIA

Mosquitoes. For most people around the world, their buzzing is merely an irritation and a disruption to sleep. For many in Africa, it is a deadly killer. Of all the beautiful, awe-inspiring and scary animals across this continent, one of its smallest insects wreaks the most tragedy and pain. To...

OGILVY

OGILVY-HOW FEARLESS PARTNERSHIPS DRIVE BRAND GROWTH

HOW FEARLESS PARTNERSHIPS DRIVE BRAND GROWTH

BRAVE IDEAS ARE WHAT ENABLES A BRAND TO RELENTLESSLY CAPTURE THE ATTENTION AND LOYALTY OF CONSUMERS.   Creating a partnership based on shared responsibility enables clients and their agencies to build brands that become permanent fixtures in the hearts and minds of consumers. It is a philosophy and way of...

AWCA INVESTMENT HOLDINGS

AWCA INVESTMENT HOLDINGS- AFRICAN WOMEN CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS (AWCA) PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE ENTRY OF YOUNG WOMEN INTO THE HISTORICALLY ALMOST IMPENETRABLE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY (CA) PROFESSION

AFRICAN WOMEN CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS (AWCA) PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE ENTRY OF YOUNG WOMEN INTO THE HISTORICALLY ALMOST IMPENETRABLE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY (CA) PROFESSION

Having overcome exactly the struggles with which AWCA exists to assist, inspirational Founder, Sindi Mabaso-Koyana talks us through some of what makes the organization so special and valuable to aspirational women who are mentored and supported throughout their journey of becoming and CA and even beyond, to ensure their successful...

AUREX CONSTRUCTORS

AUREX CONSTRUCTORS - HAS BEEN PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY CONSTRUCTION

HAS BEEN PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY CONSTRUCTION, TURNAROUND AND MAINTENANCE PROJECT SERVICES TO BLUE-CHIP CUSTOMERS WITHIN THE ENERGY SECTOR IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS

With experience in oil & gas, mining & metallurgy, infrastructure, petrochemical and clean power our team of experts perform structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, piping, platework (SMEIPP), tank, fabrication and management services for projects of all sizes and complexities within the company’s two business units, Construction and Turnarounds & Maintenance. The...

Bank Zero

A SIMPLE YET ADVANCED DIGITAL BANK, FOR BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS

Bank Zero is a unique and powerful App-based bank with Zero fees and a patented secure card. It caters for both individuals and businesses. Digital, social and financial connectedness is a reality and it’s also a very human trait. Bank Zero supports this directly in its innovative design. By friending...

CINEVATION

CINEVATION -ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR BUSINESS! IT BEGAN WITH A DINNER. AND A DREAM

ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR BUSINESS! IT BEGAN WITH A DINNER. AND A DREAM

Throw in some “What if…” blue sky thinking, a good dollop of youth and passion and Cinevation was born. It was 1997 and cinemas were 35mm which meant advertising took months to produce and was so expensive that it was reserved only for the big guys. Over a glass of...

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The Publisher

Debbie Ihlenfeldt

Debbie has extensive experience in the advertising and media industry with a strong emphasis on purpose-driven communication. Aside from working alongside many multi-nationals and homegrown South African organizations, she has also helped shape communications at various NGOs within the healthcare sector. Debbie has a wide network and is a master at coordinating messaging and aligning... click to read more

Anne Kirkpatrick

Anne has a rather unique ability to connect people and their projects.  For the last 30 years she has immersed herself in the business of recognition and, besides a slight detour to run a media monitoring company in the mid-nineties, has devoted much of her career to recognising and rewarding talented individuals and their remarkable... click to read more

The Publisher

Debbie Ihlenfeldt

Debbie has extensive experience in the advertising and media industry with a strong emphasis on purpose-driven communication. Aside from working alongside many multi-nationals and homegrown South African organizations, she has also helped shape communications at various NGOs within the healthcare sector. Debbie has a wide network and is a master at coordinating messaging and aligning... click to read more

Anne Kirkpatrick

Anne has a rather unique ability to connect people and their projects.  For the last 30 years she has immersed herself in the business of recognition and, besides a slight detour to run a media monitoring company in the mid-nineties, has devoted much of her career to recognising and rewarding talented individuals and their remarkable... click to read more

Other Ecosystems