South Africa

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, SAVax Programme, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union in partnership with the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), is pleased to launch the Innovation Challenge. SAVax is implemented as part of the Team Europe Initiative manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa (MAV+).

Creating pathways from ideas to opportunity through collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship. With youth unemployment remaining one of South Africa’s most pressing challenges, many young people are looking beyond traditional employment pathways and building their own businesses.

Supporting positive masculinity and challenging harmful were the focus of the second annual international day of the boy child commemoration led by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and supported by the GIZ Violence Prevention for Peaceful and Inclusive Communities Programme (VPPIC).

South Africa continues to face high levels of interpersonal violence especially among women and children, and the evidence supports a shift towards stronger prevention efforts rather than response to address the issue.

As youth unemployment continues to place pressure on Eswatini’s economy, a renewed focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is emerging as a key solution.

Programme Manager Romina Kochius spent a week in South Africa, focusing on getting to know and understanding the people, partnerships, and progress shaping the Employment Promotion for Women for the Green Transformation in Africa – (WE4D) programme on the ground.

WomHub, a Weaver in the IYBA-SEED programme in South Africa, recently hosted the “Pitch to Purse, Give to Gain” financier ecosystem event, aligned with this year’s International Women’s Day theme.

uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal — In a region facing increasing water insecurity, a three-day learning exchange between the uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership (UWASP) and the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuSWI) highlighted how collaboration, good governance and community-led action lie at the heart of building long-term water resilience.

What does supplier diversity look like in action? As part of the Project’s MEAL onboarding workshops, the South African country team visited the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) to find out. The visit opened a window into how SASDC is transforming South Africa’s supplier development landscape — building inclusion, innovation, and opportunity from the ground up.