Imagine a Stellenbosch where healthcare is accessible, affordable and inclusive for everyone – the elderly, residents of rural areas, students and everyone in between…
It would be a place where technology doesn’t just advance medicine, but makes a real difference in people’s lives.
This is the vision behind the #Ideasforchange Challenge 2025: HealthTech Edition, hosted by the Stellenbosch Network, LaunchLab, Stellenbosch University, Impact Hub Cape Winelands, Ranyaka Community Transformation and the Department of Science and Innovation’s Regional Innovation Support Programme (RISP).
The challenge invites students, entrepreneurs, researchers and community innovators to share ideas that can transform healthcare in local communities.
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Last year, the #Ideasforchange Challenge focused on social innovation solutions for crime, safety and infrastructure. Its remarkable winner was Tumelo Mokoena, founder of Safeguard Technologies. His idea has already moved beyond concept to a working prototype and registered business, earning him a spot as finalist in the Nedbank YouthX Top 10 competition
Mokoena’s journey shows ideas born in this challenge can become real-world solutions with tangible impact. This year, HealthTech is the frontier.
The 2025 instalment seeks ideas that go beyond technology for technology’s sake.
Think: digital health solutions that reach underserved communities; affordable medical devices or tools; community-focused innovations that improve prevention, treatment, or awareness; inclusive solutions for vulnerable groups, from youth and the elderly to farmworkers and people with disabilities; sustainable approaches that reduce waste or environmental impact; and local vaccine or medicine distribution ideas that ensure equitable access.
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Whether an individual innovator or part of a multidisciplinary team, this is your opportunity to pitch your idea to a panel of health, business, and innovation experts, receive mentorship and support to refine your concept, gain visibility within Stellenbosch’s innovation ecosystem and win prizes to help turn your idea into a reality.
The #Ideasforchange HealthTech Challenge is about impact, possibility and change. If you’ve ever imagined a healthcare solution that could make a real difference in your community, now is the time to showcase it.
- To submit your idea and enter the HealthTech challenge, click here.
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