EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge

Deadline: Jul 25, 2025

undergraduate

partially funded

To Apply

Please visit the application link below to apply.

Opportunity Overview

The EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge is a strategic initiative aimed at catalyzing innovation and entrepreneurship within South Africa’s 26 public universities. This program is designed to identify, nurture, and support the transformation of student and alumni innovations into viable, scalable ventures that address pressing societal challenges.

📖 About EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge

The EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge is more than just a competition. It offers a structured platform for the development and commercialization of high-potential ideas, equipping participants with the tools, mentorship, and exposure needed to navigate the entrepreneurial journey.

Key Objectives

Foster a culture of innovation and stimulate entrepreneurial mindsets.
Accelerate the translation of research and creative solutions into impactful enterprises.
Address graduate unemployment and contribute to South Africa’s economic development.

Goals

Promote innovation among university students and alumni.
Support entrepreneurial skills development among university students and alumni.
Create a pipeline of innovative solutions to pressing societal issues.

🎯 Ideal Candidate

This competition seeks ideas that:

Demonstrate innovation and originality.
Address problem-solution fit and solution-market fit.
Showcase transformative impact and radical creativity.
Offer feasibility and development potential.
Provide sustainable solutions to emerging or overlooked problems.
Reimagine industries, communities, or systems.
Focus on future-oriented thinking, scalability, and replicability.
Go beyond technology to deliver impactful innovation.

🏆 Benefits of EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge

Winning Prizes

1st Prize: R500,000
2nd Prize: R250,000
3rd Prize: R150,000
4th Prize: R100,000
5th Prize: R50,000

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Currently enrolled university students across South Africa’s 26 public universities.
Alumni who graduated between 2023 to 2025.

📅 Application Date and Process

Application Deadline: 25 July, 2025
Apply via the official registration portal.

🌐 Contact Information

For more details, visit the EDHE Absa Innovation Challenge website.

This competition is an incredible opportunity to transform innovative ideas into impactful ventures while contributing to South Africa’s economic development. Don't miss your chance to participate!

Benefits

1st Prize: R500 000
2nd Prize: R250 000
3rd Prize: R150 000
4th Prize: R100 000
5th Prize: R50 000

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