South Africa’s Innovation Edge, a social fund that identified and supports bold ideas in early learning, will host a panel discussion in Cape Town later this month with the goal of identifying the components of an enabling ecosystem for social innovation.
Disrupt Africa reported last month Innovation Edge put out a call for ideas to revolutionise early learning and development opportunities, offering a ZAR30,000 (US$2,400) prize and the chance to apply for up to ZAR1 million (US$80,000) seed funding.
It is now focusing its attention on the creation of an enabling ecosystem for social innovation, with the free July 21 event set to look at how all sectors of the South Africa’s economy – private companies, government departments and non-governmental organisations – can collaborate to allow innovation to flourish.
“An enabling ecosystem is one that provides a fertile ground for the seeds of ideas to take hold, survive the first vulnerable stages of tentative growth and to flourish across the development landscape,” said Sonja Giese, programme leader at Innovation Edge.
“Innovation Edge aims to play a part in creating this enabling eco-system and hope to engage with other sectors on ways to work together to achieve this.”
The panel will include Impact Hub Johannesburg founder Lesley Williams, Ozyegin Social Investments chief executive officer (CEO) Ayla Goksel, Phindile Tshabangu of the Regional Innovation Network and Economic Development Partnership, PwC Accelerator South Africa head Maija De Rijk-Uys, and D G Murray Trust CEO David Harrisson. It will be moderated by Zachariah George of U-Start.
