South Africa

Applications are open for companies in the agro-processing sector to participate in the South African Pavilion at Gulfood - the largest food and beverage trade exhibition in the Middle East. Gulfood 2026 will showcase food and beverage products from around the world. South Africa will participate in the Fine Food Pavilion, which showcases agro-processing products and services, excluding beverages and meat.

The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK Foundation) provides early-stage capital and intensive capacity-building support to bold social enterprises tackling the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.

DRK funds mission-driven organisations that serve vulnerable, marginalized, or underserved communities through scalable, systems-oriented solutions. The Foundation invests in entrepreneurs building innovative models that can grow exponentially and directly impact at least 10,000 lives within five years with ambitions to reach far beyond that.

The National Cleantech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) Gauteng – Smart Mobility Cleantech Challenge 2026 is a flagship initiative under South Africa’s Just Transition to the Future programme. Hosted by the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, this challenge seeks scalable, post-proof-of-concept digital cleantech solutions to address Gauteng’s growing urban mobility crisis.

The Nkulo Community Partnership Trust has issued a Call for Proposals inviting impactful, community-centred projects that create sustainable social and economic value in communities connected to Thungela operations and designated labour-sending areas.

The Trust seeks to partner with organisations delivering measurable, long-term outcomes in areas that strengthen local resilience, economic participation and community wellbeing.

This call prioritises initiatives that:

The Genomics in Context Awards 2026 support transdisciplinary research teams working at the intersection of genomics, humanities, social sciences and bioethics. These awards are designed to catalyse bold, discovery-led research agendas that integrate diverse disciplinary expertise and wider societal stakeholders from the earliest stages of research design.

IBM has opened applications for the IBM Impact Accelerator - Education and Workforce Development Cohort 2026, a global, two-year collaborative programme designed to support organizations developing practical, human-centered solutions that expand access to education and workforce opportunities.

The programme invites proposals focused on strengthening learning systems, improving career navigation pathways, and building resilient workforce ecosystems. While AI-driven solutions are strongly encouraged, the core selection criterion remains measurable community impact.

The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) has opened applications for the 2026 Collaborative Research Programme (CRP) – ICGEB Research Grants, a long-standing international funding mechanism designed to support high-quality, original research projects in ICGEB Member States.

Established in 1988, the CRP programme aims to:

Applications are now open for the 2026 SAB Foundation Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards, a national funding and business support programme aimed at strengthening early-stage social innovations that address systemic barriers faced by vulnerable and underserved communities in South Africa.

The programme supports entrepreneurs, social enterprises, institutions, and innovators whose products, services, technologies, or business models respond to real socio-economic challenges affecting: