SA Urged to Strengthen IP Protection for Township and Rural Innovators as WIPO Summer School Gets Underway

Gina referred to the high-profile case of “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate, describing it as both inspirational and cautionary.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina, has called for stronger awareness and protection of intellectual property (IP) among South African innovators — particularly those from township and rural communities — saying many continue to lose ownership of their ideas because they lack knowledge about IP rights and legal protection.

Speaking at the 17th World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) South Africa Summer School on Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer held at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) in Durban, Gina stressed that South Africa must intensify national efforts to ensure innovators are not exploited or sidelined due to a lack of legal understanding.

Gina referred to the high-profile case of “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate, describing it as both inspirational and cautionary. While Makate’s battle for recognition and compensation has encouraged many young inventors, Gina said it also highlights the risks faced by innovators who fail to secure patents and ownership early in the development process.

The Deputy Minister expressed concern that many grassroots innovators — including university students, community researchers and informal entrepreneurs — continue to generate valuable ideas but remain vulnerable because they cannot afford or access legal support, IP training or patent-writing services.

She emphasised that capacity-building programmes like the WIPO Summer School are critical in closing this knowledge gap. The programme, which brings together participants from across Africa and beyond, focuses on IP law, technology transfer, licensing, innovation commercialisation and the global IP landscape.

Gina noted that South Africa is among a select group of countries trusted to host the programme, reflecting global recognition of its growing innovation ecosystem. She added that efforts led by the National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO) have already resulted in more patents, technology licence agreements and university spin-off companies — demonstrating progress in research commercialisation.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the importance of protecting Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), saying South Africa must ensure traditional herbal medicines, cultural remedies and heritage assets are formally documented, legally protected and owned by the communities they originate from. She noted that government is working to expand the Indigenous Knowledge Act and support commercial pathways that benefit original knowledge holders.

Mangosuthu University of Technology, the host institution, reaffirmed its commitment to innovation development. MUT’s Deputy Director for Technology Transfer and Innovation, Dr Mandla Hlongwane, said that hosting the internationally recognised WIPO programme positions the university as a driver of research excellence and a contributor to South Africa’s knowledge economy.

The 2025 WIPO Summer School commenced on 24 November and will conclude on Friday, 5 December, with participants expected to form part of a growing network of African IP specialists and innovation leaders.