It’s hard not to be deeply impressed and inspired when stepping into a room with the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers during their recent visit to Stellenbosch University (SU) for a three-day-long boot camp. Their eclectic energy and passion for tackling some of South Africa’s—and the African continent’s—most pressing challenges, while advancing the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are contagious. What makes this encounter even more remarkable is that they pursue these ambitious projects alongside their full-time careers.
These young inspirational leaders are part of the Goalkeepers initiative, launched globally in 2017 by the Gates Foundation to accelerate progress towards the UN’s 17 SDGs by 2030. The twenty South African goalkeepers are part of a global collective of collaborative and diverse changemakers combining data, storytelling, and convening power to inspire global leaders and communities to act.
SU is coordinating a community of twenty goalkeepers from South Africa, marking the first time globally this has been done on a national level. SU’s Policy Innovation Lab, led by Prof Willem Fourie, at the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, supported by the SDG/2063 Impact Hub (SU International) has been coordinating the secretariat of the South African Goalkeepers community since 2024.
The Policy Innovation Lab were incredibly privileged to host the South Africa Goalkeepers Secretariat, illustrating our commitment to work with a tangible societal impact. At SU, we were grateful to share the experience and expertise contained in our units and networks with this inspirational group of people,” said Prof Fourie.
The three-day Bootcamp was hosted in Stellenbosch from August 27 to 29 and facilitated by Corina du Toit from the SDG/2063 Impact Hub, with support from Tinashe Chikunichawa, Assistant Project Manager of the GKSA. Nine of the Goalkeepers presented their innovative projects tackling issues from food security and maternal health to STEM education, creative empowerment, and precision nutrition.
To help them formulate and develop their projects using incubation canvases, the start-up incubator SU LaunchLab and the newly established Impact Hub Cape Winelands hosted an energising bootcamp and master class to sharpen their ideas and equip them with practical tools for taking these projects to the next level.
Says du Toit: “We wanted to create an environment where the GKs could come together and do some intensive work towards their projects to contribute to their SDG-related projects. We started with an informative session on aquaponics at the Welgevallen Experimental Farm, hosted by Henk Stander, the principal technical manager from the aquaculture division within the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch. This set the scene for thinking innovatively about how to solve problems like food insecurity with limited resources. ”
Du Toit said the one and a half days they spent with the LaunchLab and the Impact Hub Winelands was so that the members could hear from experts on how to build businesses (extrapolating to projects) in way that focused on identifying human-centered needs and crafting solutions that also speak to social and economic innovation and ‘giving back’ to the communities they operate in by creating value for those they serve.
“We enjoyed the passion and energy of this group of Goalkeepers, and we believe they walked away with a good understanding of shared value creation,” said Marli Goussard, co-founder and director of the Impact Hub, Cape Winelands.
Projects Unplugged
During the workshops, the Goalkeepers, armed with their newly acquired skills and tools, pitched their projects using the impact canvases created to help them accelerate the implementation of their exciting initiatives.
The first group of goalkeepers, Dr Jinal Bhiman, Mike Anthony Skosane, and Thulile Khanyile, focuses on supporting SD3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG17 (Partnership for the Goals), by building a platform to facilitate the commercialization of academic outputs and intellectual property. The platform will assess the commercialization potential of research, identify the use case for these products and will build business teams through skills matching.
To support SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger) and 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), Dr Lawrence Mabasa, an expert in maternal nutrition and child nutrition, and Maboang Matlou, a Moringa farmer, collaborate to develop plant-based products aimed at improving birth outcomes and child nutrition, targeting pregnant women, children under five, and low-income communities. Matlou’s farm is producing Moringa products that address SDGs like job creation, climate change, and nutrition. They are prototyping new product lines, including gummy bears and enhanced tea products, and are currently doing product testing with the input of a dietician. They plan to roll out on a small scale initially, with the intention of expanding and potentially commercialising successful products working with local clinics, and schools. The initiative aims to create local jobs, involve feeder farmers, and use local delivery services. It also plans to educate community health workers and leaders about the benefits of the product. The project will create economic opportunities, job growth, and address climate change. Additionally, it will support research and education, particularly for historically disadvantaged institutions, employing black and coloured women in Master’s and PhD programs. An online platform will help researchers commercialise academic outputs for social impact.
Also aligned with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), Dr Heinrich Cyril Volmink and Bontle Tshole’s project advances good health by integrating precision nutrition with personalised, preventative care pathways. Their solution lies in an entrepreneurial initiative tentatively called NutriReach – a company that will be dedicated to precision nutrition through the development of proprietary nutritional blends that address chronic diseases, which account for 70% of global deaths. NutriReach products will target gut health, brain health, and healthy improvements in energy through adaptogens, all designed with insights from local genomic data to ensure precision and relevance. The primary markets will include health-conscious consumers as well as those at risk of lifestyle-related diseases. Importantly, NutriReach envisions an economic and social impact by embedding community members into the value chain – through initiatives such as aquaponics projects and the inclusion of local small-scale farmers. Distribution will span from major retailers to community-based hubs, ensuring broad access, while a strong emphasis on after-sales support and nutrition empowerment will help communities not only access products but also build lasting capacity for healthier living.
Goalkeepers Ssanyu Sematimba and Anne Chisa’s focus on SDGs 4 (Quality Education) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) in their project, which aims to bridge (what they call) the “creative power gap” by equipping Africans with the tools, visibility and community to shape their own futures. Chisa, a scientist and science communicator, and Sematimba, an educator passionate about creative education, discussed this creative power gap in Africa, highlighting the lack of safe, accessible spaces for young people to test and develop their ideas without financial risk. Their solution is a business coaching platform that enables African youth to innovate and build businesses without fear of failure. It aims to integrate successful local entrepreneurs as coaches, offering both AI-driven and human interaction. Data collected from users will inform AI improvements and potentially lead to investments in successful ventures. This Goalkeepers-derived platform will help young people turn their imaginations into real solutions, bridging the creative power gap and fostering innovation in Africa.
At the end of the programme, Du Toit reflected on the enormous amount of energy and passion amongst the goalkeepers for solving the world’s crucial problems. She believes these programmes will impact our society, as “these community members work across academia (research), and civil society to improve access to food, nutrition, health and well-being, education, and resources. In SA, this speaks to some of the most pressing issues we face in our underserved communities.
What’s next?
“Now the hard work starts,” says Du Toit. “From here, the Goalkeepers will start implementing their ideas and ramp up their contributions exponentially.”
As we celebrate their contributions, we are reminded that the Goalkeepers are more than just project leaders — they are catalysts of change, demonstrating the power of vision, passion, and community in building a better future. Their ideas embody the spirit of social innovation and collective action, proving that with creativity, collaboration, and courage, progress is possible.