South Africa has launched the South African Tech Challenge 2025 sponsored by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSTI) Innovation Bridge Portal, in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The tech challenge is aimed at identifying and providing support to scalable small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) across South Africa’s digital innovation ecosystem with the most impact.
It will provide proper recognition to impactful and exceptional SMMEs, showcase the talent of South Africans on a global platform, strengthen support to innovators and strengthen South Africa’s presence in the G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA) and Startup20 working groups. The tech challenge was launched to also serve as a positioning tool for South Africa as a digital hub focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
The challenge is aligned with DSTI’s mission to drive prosperity in South Africa through innovation, and the 2022 to 2032 Decadal Plan, which plans to establish an environment that fosters innovation, speeds up the development of domestic technology, and gives local innovators the tools they need to expand their influence both domestically and internationally. 
Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct will manage the challenge and will bring together governmental institutions and academic institutions from Department of Communications and Digital Transformation (DCDT), to and the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.
The winners of the challenge in each category has the chance to walk away with up to 1 million Rand, and also have the opportunity to represent South Africa at the G20 DIA Summit in Cape Town from 24 to 26 September 2025 where they will be able to showcase the inventions and solutions to potential investors and experts.
The following categories are open to Applicants
- Digital platforms
- Fintech
- Secured digital infrastructure
- Circular economy
- Innovations for connectivity
- Innovations for development (agritech, health tech, edtech)
Candidates must have been in business for at least a year and generate no more than R250 million annually. Applications are now open and will close on the 30th of June 20025, after which the finalists will be announced on the 31st of June 2025. Below is a link to register
