Eight weeks and dozens of innovative ideas later, Stellenbosch Network has announced the top three finalists for the fourth edition of the #IdeasForChange Challenge – a competition on the hunt for new solutions to help transform Kayamandi into South Africa’s first Smart Township.
Now, it is up to the people of Kayamandi, Stellenbosch and surrounds to vote for which idea they think holds the most potential to improve the quality of life of residents, and be named the winner of this year’s R30 000 prize pool.
Organised in partnership with Lunttu, Ranyaka, Stellenbosch University, the Regional Innovation Support Programme, and Stellenbosch Municipality, the challenge aims to discover and incubate the development of innovative ideas, business models, process flows, and technology to help transform Kayamandi into a modern hub of economic growth and activity.
The winner will receive a R20 000 cash prize, with second and third place receiving R6 000 and R4 000 respectively.
“Smart Kayamandi” is an initiative born of Lunttu founder, Wesley Diphoko, who grew up in Kayamandi and sees technology and digital skills as a catalyst to transform the township into an inclusive micro-economy.
As Diphoko explains, the idea is to integrate low- and high-tech solutions into the community to improve how people in Kayamandi access and experience everything from healthcare, housing, safety and security to education, public services, and civil life.