OnTap Magazine

The beer industry represents a significant part of the South African economy. One in every 66 jobs is sustained by the industry in some way or another. As such, it takes its wider social and empowerment responsibilities very seriously. South African Breweries (SAB) Foundation has been one of the leading lights in this regard. At the 13th annual SAB Foundation Social Innovation and 8th annual Disability Empowerment Awards held in Johannesburg, Luvuyo Sume and Riaan Knight, founders of Prosthetic Engineering Technologies, clinched the top honour in the Disability Empowerment category. Bevlen Sudhu took home first place in the Social Innovation category with his innovative solution, Re-Purpose. Each of the winning innovators were awarded R1.3 million in grant funding. Luvuyo and Riaan’s ground-breaking innovation is a high- quality silicone prosthetic liner for amputees. This liner acts as a shock absorber while walking and, whether worn above or below the knee, ensures comfort while aiding users in maintaining limb hygiene. Bevlen’s sustainable solution offers a waste management approach that aids schools, residents, businesses, buy-back centres, and communities to segregate recyclable waste, which can then be transformed into market-ready products. Christiaan Van Den Berg and Marius Erasmus are founders of Job-Abled, a recruitment platform for persons with a disability. They were awarded second place in the Disability Empowerment category. Their innovative solution involves partnerships with corporate and educational institutions that provide job shadowing opportunities and community project involvement for people with disabilities. During the ceremony, the SAB Foundation awarded more than R15million to 17 remarkable entrepreneurs. These awards stand as a testament to the Foundation's prestigious flagship Social Innovation Awards programme and its unwavering commitment to fostering entrepreneurial development in South Africa. The Foundation defines social innovation as innovation that demonstrates a sustainable business model while solving a social problem, with a particular emphasis on innovation that benefits women, youth, people with disability or those in rural areas. In his keynote address at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Buti Manamela stated, "Both government and the private sector are deeply committed to working with communities to drive essential and urgently needed change. We are excited about the prospect of various initiatives that encourage and empower individuals to take the lead in developing social innovation." SOUTH AFRICAN BREWERIES ONCE AGAIN CLINK A GLASS ON SOCIAL INNOVATION ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2023 | 11