Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina: Grassroots Innovation Awards

The Chairperson of the TIA Board, Mr Loyiso Tyra.
The Director General of the Department, Dr Mlungisi Cele.
Deputy Directors General of the DSTI.
Executive members of the Technology Innovation Agency.
Our distinguished innovators who are the champions of the night.
Distinguished guests.
Ladies and gentlemen.

It is with great pleasure to once again have this opportunity to speak at this very important event in our Departmental calendar. The grassroots innovation awards are very close to my heart because they debunk the notion that innovation is for the high-heels elite, and not for rural and people in our townships. When government emphasizes the point that no one must be left behind in our empowerment, this is one demonstration to that commitment.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me first take this opportunity to acknowledge one of our innovators, and a board member of the Technology Innovation Agency, Prof. Keo Motaung who recently passed away.

Prof. Motaung defied all the odds to become, not only a successful academic, but an accomplished leader and a tech entrepreneur who showed that our rich heritage of indigenous knowledge, can indeed become a source of livelihood. Although her life was cut short, her legacy continues to live.

Ladies and gentlemen, a few days ago, South Africa successfully hosted the G20 Summit. The convergence of leaders of the world in our shores carries more meaning that just having leaders of the most powerful economies sit under one roof. For the very first time, not only in our country, but in the whole continent, we welcomed the whole world to deliberate matters of common interest and indeed great importance. 

South Africa was deliberate in in choosing the theme: Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability. Solidarity because we want an inclusive future centred on people, Equality because we strive for fair treatment and equal opportunity for all, and Sustainability because we want to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Today, as we gather to celebrate a special group of people — our grassroots innovators, we stand to reaffirm the fact that the theme for our G20 Presidency is deeply rooted in our commitment and not just a slogan. We are celebrating individuals who, often without formal laboratories, large budgets, or global platforms, no budgets, and often no technical support, find creative solutions to the everyday challenges of their communities. They innovate not for recognition, but out of necessity.

They innovate because they and their communities depend on it. And they innovate because they believe in a better tomorrow.

Across our country, and across the continent, we have seen extraordinary creativity emerging from places often overlooked— from our villages, our townships, our farms, and our informal settlements. They themselves are people generally marginalised, overlooked, and in many ways forgotten. These innovators remind us that brilliance is not confined to boardrooms or research institutes. It lives in lived experience, in persistence, and in the power of imagination.

It was this understanding of the meaning of inclusion that as a government, through the White Paper for Science, Technology and Innovation, we saw it fit to have Innovation for Inclusive Development as an area of priority.

I want to especially honour the women innovators whose courage continues to shift the boundaries of possibility. Women who turn household challenges into enterprises. Women who lead climate-smart initiatives, design low-cost technologies, and build networks of knowledge-sharing and mentorship. They carry not only the burden of caregiving but also the hopes of their communities—and yet they continue to break barriers. As a country we are mindful that for us to progress, like we do in rugby, we need every single citizen’s shoulder on the scrum. For too long, we have left our critical resource out of the equation and by recognising and rewarding our women innovators, we complete the missing puzzle.

We also celebrate the rural innovators who turn resource scarcity into remarkable ingenuity. Their solutions—whether in sustainable farming, water harvesting, renewable energy, or community health—speak to the heart of true innovation: creating value with what you have, for the people around you.

They remind us that innovation is not about advanced tools, but about deep understanding of local challenges. Here, we also celebrate the richness of our indigenous knowledge system which is beginning to take its rightful position in production of nutritious food, cosmetics and nutraceuticals. Through our support, we are truly seeing new industries emerging out of indigenous innovations.

To the innovators with disabilities: your creativity, resilience, and leadership inspire us all. You are rewriting the narrative from one of limitation to one of possibility. Whether designing accessible technologies, innovating in education, building the bridges of communication where such exist due to one or the other form of disability, or building enterprises, you show us that diversity is not just an inclusion target—it is a powerful catalyst for innovation.

And to the youth our catalysts, our dreamers, and our disruptors: your energy gives us hope. You are fearless in experimenting with digital technologies, social entrepreneurship, biotechnology, and green solutions. You are proving that Africa’s future will not be defined by what we lack, but by what we create. As a young continent, we want you to know that the future belongs to your youthful creativity and exuberance. In you, we look forward to a wave of unicorns of the future emerging from our country and our continent.

On our part, we pledge to do our best to create and be part of an enabling ecosystem. We know every well that for grassroots innovators to thrive, you need more than applause.

They need:

• access to finance and markets,
• opportunities for training and mentorship,
• supportive policy environments,
• partnerships with universities, industry, and government,
• and platforms like this one to showcase their work.

Our responsibility—particularly as leaders in science, technology, and innovation—is to ensure that talent never goes unnoticed simply because of geography, gender, age, or disability. As Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, I am working to develop new and to strengthen existing partnership with industry. This way, we can also open opportunities for market access, facilitate integration of some of your enterprises into supply chains of established industries and of course unlock funding opportunities.

We are clear in our minds that when we uplift grassroots innovators, we uplift entire communities. When we empower women, rural communities, persons with disabilities, and youth, we accelerate inclusive development. And when we democratize innovation, we unlock a future where every citizen knows that their idea matters.

Let us commit today to nurturing the spark of innovation wherever it exists—whether in a rural workshop, a community garden, a micro-enterprise, or a young person’s imagination. To innovators, let us not tire to dream, because when we stop dreaming, we become dead. To those who have ideas but have yet to bring their dreams to life, never allow your dreams to die.

Thank you.
 
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