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  • The MAD Impact Innovation Challenge.

Welcome

The Cape Town, MAD Impact Innovation Challenge is a city- and province-wide call for individuals or teams of innovators to submit impact projects that could help solve the most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges in the Western Province.  Powered by Madventurefin, the challenge offers funding, support, and global visibility to qualifying and winning seed- and early-stage impact initiatives that are designed to Make-A-Difference.  Madventurefin is a blockchain technology developed for this purpose.

Cape Town is one of the top entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems in Africa.  This challenge is designed to engage and activate impact projects that can make a difference and potentially change the lives of people in the Global South.

What is a MAD Impact Innovator?

At Madventurefin we define an impact innovator as someone:

  1. Who are thinking about making a difference, 
  2. Who have been planning to make a difference, 
  3. Who are already making a difference.  

    They can be working on a for-profit venture, or it can be a non-profit project.   Until now, we have not supported this special group of individuals and we believe they are key to helping with the SDGs. 

    The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global blueprint adopted by the United Nations to address the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges by 2030. However, progress is significantly off track, with only about 15% of the targets currently on course. Impact innovators play a vital role in bridging this gap by designing and delivering scalable, locally rooted solutions that directly address unmet SDG targets and accelerate progress where traditional systems have stalled.  

    Why Cape Town?

    Ecosystem

    500 000+ active pre-seed entrepreneurs across the province, 80% in Cape Town.  

    Students

    50+ tertiary institutions in Cape Town, 300+ Secondary schools across the province.

    Non-Profits

    A changemaker community trying to solve a myriad of challenges in the province.

    Community

    A community who live and experience the challenges and have real, practical solutions.

    Why the Challenge?

    South Africa and many other countries face deep-rooted systemic issues that require bold, innovative, and locally driven solutions to create lasting impact. By identifying and supporting innovators, the challenge helps unlock scalable change, bridge funding gaps, facilitate the implementation of these projects and accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  We are solving the following:

      • Activating the Cape Town Ecosystems for targeted impact
      • Capital for Seed & Early-Stage Impact Innovators
      • Driving Impact Project Execution 

    Who can participate?

    Impact Innovators

    Impact Innovators are everywhere!

    • School Learners - 16 years and older
    • University and College Students 
    • Start-up Entrepreneurs
    • Start-up Entrepreneurs in Incubators, Accelerators and Co-working spaces
    • Any individual, of any gender, of any age above 16 years old, of any ethnic group, of any qualification, who are passionate about solving a problem.
    Ecosystem Partners

    It Takes a Community!

    • Schools
    • Colleges
    • Universities
    • Churches
    • Community organisation
    • Incubators & Accelerators
    • Co-Working Spaces
    • Functional Specialists
    • Coaches
    • Angel and Venture Capital
    • City of Cape Town Departments
    • Provincial Government
    Sponsors

    Lets work together!

    Become a sponsor of the Cape Town Impact Innovation Challenge and help unlock the bold ideas that can reshape communities, uplift futures, and build a city driven by purpose and possibility.

    Official Invitation to Impact Innovators
    Official Invitation to Ecosystem Partners
    Official Invitation to Sponsors

    Important Dates

    Sponsorships Open

    1 Jun - 15 Nov '25

    Project Submissions

    1 Sep - 20 Nov '25

    Awards  Evening

     27 Nov '25

    Orientation Training

    1 - 15 Dec '25

    1st Project Funds

    2 Jan '26

    Implementation

    Jan '25 - Dec '30

    ⏳ Countdown to Project Submissions

    Submissions open on 1 September 2025