University of Zululand  (UNIZULU) is located within the Umhlathuze Municipality, the fastest growing industrial hub and employer in northern KwaZulu-Natal. We are dedicated to being embedded in the local context and dedicated to developing local talents and entrepreneurship, with local industry (including partnerships and the maritime sector). The Research and Innovation Office promotes developmental and collaborative research and research-support initiatives, within and outside the academic community, at institutional, provincial, national and international levels.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a multi-campus, residential, teaching and research-led university located in the picturesque province of KwaZulu-Natal. We have a proud and rich heritage of academic excellence and innovation. The establishment of the UKZN’s tech transfer office is part of an initiative to promote and support innovative development programmes. There we assist staff and students to protect their IP as well as develop strategies to market and license the resultant technologies.

Based in the coastal city in Durban, the Durban Technology Hub which trades as SmartXchange, is an innovation node and a dynamic young business incubation center established to support and promote the regions vision to be the technology hub of Africa. SmartXchange aims to support and promote Media, Information Communication Technology and electronics (MICTe) entrepreneurs in South Africa through incubating small businesses. With fruitful partnerships, SmartXchange has continuously managed to deliver on its mandate of SMME development via the vast range of support services offered to SMME's

The Durban University of Technology is a tertiary institute of learning that has seven campuses in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. We aim to be the preferred university for developing leadership in technology and productive citizenship. To achieve this DUT is promoting excellence in learning and teaching, a sense of community, extending technology transfer and applied research and encouraging the external engagement which promotes innovation and entrepreneurship through collaborations and partnerships.

A national public entity that serves as the key institutional intervention to bridge the innovation chasm between research and development, for higher education institutions, science councils, public entities and the private sector. TIA’s vision is to be a world-class leading technology innovation and commercialisation agency that stimulates and supports advances to improve the quality of life for all South Africans. We facilitate the translation of local knowledge resources into sustainable socio-economic opportunities.

Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) is an agency of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD). SEDA serves to promote entrepreneurship and develop small enterprises by providing customised non-financial business support services that result in business growth and sustainability in collaboration with other role players. 

Seda Offerings:

  • Co-operations 
  • Incubation 
  • Enterprise Development 
  • Technology Transfer