Our University Seed Fund started as a collaboration with the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business’ Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, with the designing and implementing of a social enterprise seed fund, open to both current students and recent University of Cape Town’s alumni.

Thanks to the impact achieved through this fund, we have expanded this programme to the University of Limpopo, University of Zululand and University of Venda.

The SAB Foundation then partnered with the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Entrepreneurship Intervarsity. The competition aims to identify top student entrepreneurs at South African public universities and affords them an opportunity to pitch their innovative business ideas. In the process, universities are provided a platform to showcase their entrepreneurial talent and demonstrate the ways in which they support and grow the next generation of business leaders.

As at December 2021, the SAB Foundation had invested over R280 000 in the Entrepreneurship Intervarsity Social Impact category and supported five projects. Through the SAB Foundation’s support, the this competition introduced a mentorship programme for the winners.

Since 2015, SAB Foundation has also partnered with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in hosting an annual competition, coaching, and training event for social entrepreneurs called the Festival of Ideas.

The festival provides a platform to showcase sound businesses and business ideas that drive a social or environmental mission to achieve social change. Aspirant social entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their unique businesses or business ideas to a panel of experts for a chance to win mentorship and start-up funding. As at December 2021 the SAB Foundation has invested over R1.2 million to support 46 ideas.

The seed fund is an excellent pipeline for the Social Innovation Awardsprogramme and to date, four students from the University of Cape Town have joined the Social Innovation Awards programme with one of them (Regenize) being awarded first place (R1.3 million) at the Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards 2019.