South Africa's best on the world stage.
Nominate through Innov8SA.

Open to individuals, academic institutions, corporations, NGOs and government authorities. Examples include extending ICT and internet access to inner-city, rural or underserved communities in developing and least-developed countries, and programmes supporting people with disabilities or others facing long-standing barriers to inclusion.

WITSA looks for solutions that make technology accessible to those who have not traditionally benefited from it, or that create meaningful employment for under-represented groups — with particular interest in solutions designed for inclusion from the start rather than retrofitted.

Recognises outstanding smart-city solutions from industry and outstanding projects from government. Relevant areas include digital administration; civic engagement and transparency (open data, city portals, emergency services); digital equity and accessibility, including public Wi-Fi; building automation and energy efficiency; water loss and utility management; and transport — connected vehicles, smart public transit, smart parking, intelligent traffic management and journey planning.

Strong entries show how technology improves the quality and responsiveness of urban services, reduces cost and resource use, and brings citizens and government closer together.

Focuses on excellence in Zero Trust architecture, ransomware mitigation and/or data privacy. Open to individuals, academic institutions, corporations, NGOs and government entities that have substantially improved the security posture of organisations and individuals.

WITSA seeks innovative approaches that answer the evolving threat landscape, defend robustly against attack and ensure sensitive data is handled responsibly.

Open to individuals, healthcare and academic institutions, corporations, NGOs and governments using telehealth, mobile health, electronic health records, eLearning, big data, AI or other digital tools to promote health.

Solutions can range from keeping citizens informed and healthy, to supporting community public health, care systems in health facilities, and the data that informs health managers and policymakers — including logistics and digital certification solutions and technology that enables safe, productive workplaces.

Recognises a large-scale programme or project in which a government authority has successfully procured and implemented public information infrastructure and/or services using private-sector resources and expertise. Partnerships share risk and responsibility, letting government focus on policy, planning and regulation while partners handle day-to-day delivery.

Relevant areas include modernising ageing infrastructure, inclusion of persons with disabilities, combating cybercrime through multi-stakeholder cooperation and responsible vulnerability disclosure, transportation breakthroughs, building local innovation ecosystems quickly, and softening the impact of trade and technology change.

Celebrates initiatives that significantly advance digital skills — technical proficiencies such as coding and data analysis, alongside digital literacy and adaptability to emerging technology.

Judges look for demonstrable impact on participants and organisations, contribution to closing the skills gap, creative and scalable training methods, reach into diverse populations, long-term sustainability, relevance to current and future demand, and alignment with business goals.

Recognises early-stage or established companies with new, scalable digital solutions that can improve the wellbeing, prosperity, connectivity or productivity of others globally.

Areas considered include humanitarian work, health, social justice, rule of law, sustainable growth, commerce, education, and effective, transparent public services. Winning solutions should be ready to present to policymakers, investors and corporates who can accelerate their deployment.

Recognises VC firms and technology ecosystem development authorities that have shown exceptional foresight in identifying and backing breakthrough technology, and in building environments where it succeeds — through startup programmes and incentives, job-creating foreign or domestic direct investment, or other demonstrable contributions.

Beyond financial returns, strong candidates mentor, share knowledge, build community and invest responsibly.

Governments play a critical role in startup economies through better policy, lighter tax burdens, easier movement of skilled talent, infrastructure, and programmes and institutions that grow talent and research — often most effectively at local and provincial level.

The award recognises a government authority or venture capital accelerator that has made its startup ecosystem a success.

Open to individuals, academic institutions, corporations and NGOs. Recognises exceptional achievements and contributions in AI, demonstrating commitment to innovation, real-world impact and overall contribution to the field.

Celebrates AI that delivers clear, positive impact on communities, individuals or the environment. Solutions must align with ethical AI principles — fairness, transparency, accountability and privacy — be innovative, effective and sustainable, and have potential to scale.

Submissions must include quantifiable data and evidence of social impact.

Cloud migrations, post-merger integrations, digitisation programmes and partnerships are all eligible, whether a single project or an overall strategy. The winner will show how technology delivered cost benefits, better internal processes and new opportunities.

WITSA believes a gender-balanced workforce makes the technology sector stronger, more competitive and more innovative. This award recognises the most influential women technology leaders who have led innovation and become role models — or the most impactful initiatives fostering the inclusion and advancement of women leaders in tech.