Deadline: 6 March 2020
The SADC Innovation and Investment Challenge supports the design of innovative technological solutions that promote use and access to financial services in the region.
The SADC Innovation Challenge provides you with support from mentors and sector experts, through a series of a series of webinars and design bootcamps. Country winners will be awarded cash prizes and incubation support, as well as sponsorship to participate in the Grand Finale.
Developing solutions for:
- SMME Financing
- Women and Savings
- Digital Financial Identity
- Access to Basic Services
Challenge Process
- The challenge will be implemented over a 16-week period, with 8-10 teams selected per country. Three winners will be selected from each country, one for each thematic challenge, to participate in the Grand Finale to be held in in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
- You can expect to develop your data science and entrepreneurial skills through a series of webinars and bootcamps, including a free online course in design thinking from IBM Digital – Nation Africa.
- Successful applicants will receive support and mentorship through a dedicated Slack channel.
What will the SADC Innonvation Challenge Achieve?
- Identify and surface:
- Identify and surface early stage innovations that are relevant to financial inclusion within the 4 thematic areas: SMME Financing, Digital Financial Identity, Women and Savings, and Access to Basic Services.
- Skills development:
- Skills development through webinars, online courses and bootcamps.
- Regional data innovation:
- Support data driven innovation in the region.
- Networking:
- Collaborate and network with ecosystem role-players from across the region
The solutions developed by the winners of the SADC Innovation Challenge will receive incubation towards further development, commercialization and operationalisation.
Eligibility Criteria
Young innovators from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa , Tanzania, Zambia are invited to apply. Participants are tasked with developing innovations that address four key challenges that represent practical community problems, leveraging data and data analytics to design scalable solutions.
Apply if you are:
- 18-35 years old;
- A resident of South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Lesotho, Zambia, Mozambique and Botswana;
- Passionate about tech and innovation.
How to Apply
Applicants can register online via given website.
For more information, visit http://sadcinnovation.org/index.html
