Scale: Desert Green founder Tumelo Chiloane. The start-up connects farmers to traders.
Five South Africans who have started enterprises that solve social problems are heading to Dublin with the dream of expanding their businesses after winning the Irish Tech Challenge South Africa 2023.
The winning entrepreneurs are: Thato Schermer of Zoie Health, who has built Africa’s first digital women’s health clinic; Neo Hutiri, whose Pelebox Smart Lockers enable people to avoid hospital queues by collecting their chronic medication from a secure locker; Vuyo Pakade, who started Foonda Africa, which connects young people with scholarship opportunities and graduates with businesses globally; Benedicta Durcan, the founder of AfroBodies, which produces antibodies used in life sciences research, food safety, diagnostics and therapeutics; and Desert Green founder Tumelo Chiloane, who is connecting small-scale farmers with traders through an agri-technology platform.
Apart from scooping €10 000 for winning the tech challenge, the entrepreneurs will participate in Irish Immersion Week, a mentoring and acceleration programme that will expose them to investors and insights from global technology and business giants such as Google and Deloitte.
Hesus Inoma, entrepreneur in residence at Dogpatch, said: “As both Ireland and South Africa become important players in the global economy, it will become increasingly important for entrepreneurs from both sides to learn from each other’s challenges and opportunities.”
Pakade, who started Foonda Africa, said he was inspired to start the business when he noticed the disparity between opportunities for youth and how they were expected to fund them. He hopes to acquire new customers and strategic partnerships and attract potential investors to expand into Ireland.
Durcan, chief executive of AfroBodies, whose antibodies were among the world’s first to undergo laboratory testing against the Covid-19 “SA variant” 501Y.V2, said the business’s success lies in collaborations and partnerships. “Together with scientists from across the world we can develop and validate antibodies to many different targets and collaborate to develop test kits with entities to design and or manufacture the devices,” she said.
She said she hoped the trip would help her understand the fundraising ecosystem and provide a chance to evaluate a possible Ireland expansion model by visiting laboratories near Dublin and the Galway Innovation Centre at the Galway University. Durcan added she hoped to find opportunities for research and development collaboration and to acquire new customers to buy the company’s custom-made nanobodies service to supply researchers at universities in Ireland and the UK.
Chiloane, co-founder of Desert Green, launched GreenKart in 2022, and said his suite of services enhances security, saves time and money, and provides a debt facility that is otherwise unavailable to informal businesses.
He said the Irish tech ecosystem is one of the fastest-growing in the world and an important gateway for businesses into euro markets.
Chiloane said the Irish tech ecosystem is one of the fastest growing ecosystems in the world and an important gateway for businesses into euro markets.
“This was an opportunity for us to expose our business for further growth. This challenge is also a good opportunity for us to gain networks in local government through partnerships such as TIA, to foster collaborations with the government for future opportunities,” Chiloane said.
The Irish Tech Challenge South Africa is a partnership between the Irish embassy in South Africa, the department of science and innovation, the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), and implementing partners Tshimologong Digital Precinct in South Africa and Dogpatch Labs in Ireland. Piloted in 2022, the challenge seeks out effective South African start-ups that have developed innovative solutions aligned to the UN’s sustainable development goals.
Ireland’s ambassador to South Africa Austin Gormley said, “This initiative is testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing global challenges through South African-developed solutions combined with Irish expertise. The solutions promoted by these entrepreneurs have the potential to create a positive and lasting impact in South Africa and beyond, supporting the broader goals of sustainable development.”
Department of science and innovation deputy director general for international cooperation and resources, Daan du Toit, said the partnership was instrumental to implementing the framework for the new white paper on science, technology, and innovation.
“Through joint efforts in science, technology, and innovation, both countries can contribute to long-term sustainable development. This includes advancements in green technologies, healthcare solutions, and other areas crucial for the well-being of their populations,” he said.
The Irish Tech Challenge South Africa encourages applications from women, young entrepreneurs, people from historically disadvantaged communities, and start-ups aligned with the UN sustainable development goals.
Comins was sponsored by the Irish Embassy in SA to attend the event.