Through innovation intervention programmes, Nunnovation Africa Foundation (NAF) has empowered over 600 hundred unemployed youth who now play significant roles in boosting the South African economy through the City of Johannesburg Educating Digital Intern (COJEDI) programme. NAF has also successfully established programmes such as the #WeInnovate, which has reached over 600,000 youth in rural communities.
“It has been an absolute honour to have been recognised by the peers and competitors globally for the little contribution we are making in the continent. It’s been over 10 years since I first had an opportunity to serve the local communities by steering development of the youth in rural communities through innovative entrepreneurship,” said NAF chairman, Khathutshelo Mashau.
The awards recognise the best practitioners in the world who play a significant impact within their communities and the continent. The WHRDC interviews all stakeholders within a programme including beneficiaries within the value chain of such development and then a committee selects the most impactful programmes. They further review the performance of the drivers behind the development, evaluating their long-term performance, credibility and success rate, which NAF through their milestones have successfully achieved, one being that this is the only programme in Africa to be awarded this honour.
Mashau and the NAF team is credited with conceptualising the establishment of a Construction Supplier Park, which is being implemented in partnership with South African Mining house Sibanye Gold, The Department of Small Business Development and the WestRand District Municipality. The incubation programme will see over 20 manufacturing entrepreneurs produce and supply material to be used in the construction sector. “This is a programme that is aimed at helping South African entrepreneurs to play a significant role in the construction sector and disrupt existing monopoly in the sector value chain,” said Mashau.
NAF is currently providing coding programmes for high school students in partnership with Telkom Foundation.
