Deadline: 8 August 2025
The Moses Kotane Research Institute (MKRI), through its Commercialising Innovation and Research (CIR) Programme, in partnership with local municipalities, invites youth, SMMEs, cooperatives, schools, and informal traders from the Zululand District to participate in the upcoming Grassroots Hackathon.
The dynamic grassroots innovation challenge offers a platform for community-led problem solving and idea development, focusing on practical, affordable, and locally driven solutions.
Objectives
- Identify and showcase grassroots innovations addressing local challenges.
- Discover and develop homegrown solutions to local challenges.
- Promote inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas.
- Strengthen collaboration between youth, SMMEs, academia and government.
- Align innovation efforts with district development goals.
- Develop local solutions to address socioeconomic challenges.
Theme
- “Zululand Innovates – Empowering Local Minds| Transforming Rural Futures” is the hackathon theme that encourages community-driven innovations in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and other relevant sectors. It focuses on low-tech, indigenous, frugal (economical) and service-based solutions.
Focus Areas
- Agriculture and Food Security: Manual or solar-powered tools, frugal irrigation systems, composting solutions
- Tourism and Cultural Preservation: Indigenous artefacts, rural hospitality models
- SMMEs and Manufacturing: Product/process innovations, low-cost vending systems
- Sustainability and Waste-to-Value: Recycled material tools, clean energy devices
- Youth and Community Services: Mobile community services, rural training models
Prize Information
- In-kind support (equipment, tools, training) and any other relevant support to the solution/idea.
- Access to MKRI’s CIR and other Innovation Programme
- Mentorship and pilot project opportunities
Eligibility Criteria
- Local youth and community
- Local inventors, creatives and makers
- Informal traders, schools, cooperatives, and SMMEs
- Elders and traditional knowledge holders from the following municipalities: AbaQulusi, eDumbe, Nongoma, Ulundi and Pongola.
Judging Criteria
- Relevance to local problems
- Cost-effectiveness and simplicity.
- Use of local/recycled materials
- Scalability and replication potential
- Community benefit and inclusivity
Submission Details
- Interested participants must submit their proposal topic ideas, which should include:
- A brief background,
- A clear problem statement, and
- A proposed solution.
For more information, visit MKRI.
