Namhla Dotwana Shines at 2025 Grassroots Innovation Awards in Pretoria

Dr Gina said Motaung’s journey demonstrated that “South Africa’s rich indigenous knowledge can be transformed into sustainable livelihoods”, and that her life’s work continues to inspire grassroots innovators nationwide.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina, has praised Eastern Cape entrepreneur and sustainable beauty pioneer, Namhla Dotwana, for her remarkable achievements at the 2025 Grassroots Innovation Awards, where she emerged as one of the most celebrated innovators of the evening.

Dotwana, the founder of Namhla Collection, walked away with multiple top honours, including the inaugural Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung Grassroots Innovator of the Year Award, accompanied by a R100 000 cash prize. The prestigious award recognises innovators working at community level to solve societal challenges using indigenous knowledge and sustainable technologies.

Honouring the Legacy of Prof Keolebogile Motaung

This year’s event carried special significance as it marked the launch of the award named after the late Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung, an acclaimed biomedical scientist, entrepreneur, and champion for women in science. Motaung, who passed away earlier this month, leaves a strong legacy of combining cutting-edge research with community upliftment and indigenous knowledge systems.

Dr Gina said Motaung’s journey demonstrated that “South Africa’s rich indigenous knowledge can be transformed into sustainable livelihoods”, and that her life’s work continues to inspire grassroots innovators nationwide.

Dotwana’s Rise: From Rural Eastern Cape to National Recognition

Hailing from Tsolo in the Eastern Cape, Dotwana has built a rural enterprise that transforms local plants—especially imphepho (African sage)—into eco-friendly skincare, haircare, and home spa products. Her business model is rooted in sustainability, circular rural economies, and the revival of traditional knowledge systems.

Her enterprise engages community members in the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and packaging of the indigenous plants used in her range. This localised production approach not only preserves cultural heritage but also stimulates grassroots economic participation in the village of eGotyibeni.

At the awards event, Dotwana won in several categories:

• Outstanding Youth Grassroots Innovator – 1st prize

• Outstanding Women Grassroots Innovator – 3rd prize

• Social Innovation Award – 3rd prize These accolades underscore her broad impact across youth development, women empowerment, and social innovation.

Celebrating Innovation for Inclusive Development

The ceremony, hosted by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), took place at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria as part of the annual Science Forum South Africa.

Deputy Minister Gina said the Grassroots Innovation Awards are vital in rewriting the national innovation narrative.

“These awards debunk the notion that innovation is for the high-heeled elite and not for rural people in our townships. Innovation is for everyone, and no one must be left behind,” she said.

She highlighted innovators living with disabilities and those based in rural communities, saying their achievements “shift the narrative from limitation to possibility”.

The Impact of Grassroots Innovation in South Africa

The DSTI’s Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) Programme, implemented by TIA, supports hundreds of emerging innovators across the country. Currently:

• 292 projects are active

• 50 projects have been commercialised

• 52 companies have been established

• 148 jobs have been created

• An additional 400 projects receive structured innovation support

This year’s awards also coincided with TIA’s 15th anniversary, celebrating its role in nurturing innovation ecosystems—from early-stage technologies to fully developed enterprises.

TIA Board Chairperson, Loyiso Tyira, emphasised that grassroots innovation is a national priority: “Innovation is not a luxury; it is a national imperative. We honour innovators whose solutions address real community challenges and drive inclusive development.”

Other Category Winners

Outstanding Women Grassroots Innovator:

• 1st prize: Paula Maseko (Buhle Bomqhele), North West

• 2nd prize: Lineo Sibisi (Moruo wa Basadi), Gauteng

Outstanding Youth Grassroots Innovator:

• 2nd prize: Gaoagwe Jeje (Kgosi BioTech Drone), North West

• 3rd prize: Iviwe Notununu (Archaea Eco), Gauteng

Disability Innovation Award:

• 1st prize: Landile Mabele (Navwok), KwaZulu-Natal

• 2nd prize: Mfundo Shozi (Efolweni Holdings), KwaZulu-Natal

• 3rd prize: Swelihle Magubane (Kubongekile Prosperity Garden), KwaZulu-Natal

Social Innovation Award:

• 1st prize: Mzomhle Mapatwana (Mifano Ya Mvua Investments), Eastern Cape

• 2nd prize: Alisia Rautenbach (Soldevco), Western Cape

• 3rd prize: Namhla Dotwana (Namhla Collection), Eastern Cape

Outstanding Lab Supporting Grassroot Innovators:

• Innovate Durban – 1st prize, KwaZulu-Natal

• MLab Limpopo – 1st prize, Limpopo

• Bhongweni CLC Living Lab – 2nd prize, KwaZulu-Natal

Labs/Centres for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

• Sakhile Youth Empowerment Centre (SAYEC) – 1st prize, Mpumalanga

• Disruptors in Digital Spaces (DIDS) – 2nd prize, KwaZulu-Natal

• Mcebo Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – 3rd prize, Mpumalanga

A Celebration of Creativity, Indigenous Knowledge, and Rural Innovation

The achievements highlighted at this year’s event reflect the crucial role of grassroots innovators in strengthening local economies, protecting indigenous knowledge systems, and driving community-led development.

For Dotwana, her accomplishments signify more than personal success—they represent what is possible when rural creativity, indigenous technology, and women-led entrepreneurship receive national support.