• The challenge focusses on building an effective supply chain while mitigating the risk of climate change;
• Human-Animal conflict poses a challenge for farmers, particularly in Botswana;
• Enabling agri-tech adoption to ensure future successes.

Johannesburg, 8 August 2019– Currently, sixty percent of the world's unused land is in Africa. Even within South Africa, in the north of Limpopo, smallholder farmers are responsible for 90% of the production in Africa. In South Africa alone, 90% of production comes from commercial farms; indicating major opportunity to ensure food security by tapping into the potential of the land and the farmers themselves.

The Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS), along with their Batswana partners; The Botswana Institute for Technology, Research, and Innovation (BITRI) and Brynston Creations, have specifically crafted the latest SAIS open innovation agriculture challenge to address food insecurity. The challenge focusses on four key areas; Building an effective supply chain, mitigating the risk of climate change, resolving human-animal conflict, and enabling agri-tech adoption.

“Through this challenge, entrepreneurs and businesses who are capable of solving the issues will gain access to market, valuable business training and be introduced to relevant players in their fields. We will do all we can to make successful challenge participants a success through entrepreneurial training, a 3-month incubation, accelerator programs and wherever possible, network opportunities and market access,” said RIIS Executive Clen Cook. 

More information around this latest initiative can be found on https://www.oiregionalconnect.com/

Contact: Alana Kruger
Project Manager
Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) 
Switchboard: +27 12 012 5015
Cell: +27 72 607 0332
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.