South Africa

Opportunity Type: Expression of Interest / Market Access Programme

Application Deadline: 6 April 2026

Eligible Region: Africa

Number of SMEs Selected: 30 Agribusiness SMEs

Overview

The AfCFTA African Agribusiness SME Matchmaking Program 2026 is inviting export-ready agribusiness SMEs across Africa to apply for a market access and business growth support programme.

Opportunity Type: Research Funding / Seed Grant

Funding Organisations:
South Africa–Sweden University Forum (SASUF) & National Research Foundation (NRF)

Application Deadline: 10 June 2026
Project Duration: Up to 2 years (Starting 1 August 2026)
Number of Projects Funded: Up to 20 projects

Overview

Opportunity Type: Challenge Submission / Collaboration Opportunity

Organisation: South Africa–Sweden University Forum (SASUF)

Submission Deadline: 27 March 2026

Event Dates: 26–27 May 2026
Format: Virtual Event
Cost: Free Participation

Overview

Applications are now open for the 2026 FINCA Ventures Prize Competition and the CLIC Agrifood Investment Connector Program, two complementary opportunities designed to support impact-driven enterprises operating in financial inclusion and sustainable agriculture and food systems across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) has opened applications for the 2026 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA).

These awards aim to recognise and celebrate outstanding women scientists and researchers, while also profiling them as role models for young women entering science, technology and innovation fields. 

The 2026 theme is:
"Placing Women at the Centre of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)" 

The Moonshots for Development (M4D) Open Innovation Challenge is now open for growth-stage enterprises developing innovative solutions to support smallholder farmers, rural communities, and indigenous populations.

This global initiative is powered by leading international organisations including:

The L’Oréal Green Sciences Incubator 2026 is now open for startups developing sustainable, bio-based, and green science innovations aimed at transforming the cosmetics industry. The programme is delivered in collaboration with L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Genopole, and Hello Tomorrow, providing startups with incubation, technical expertise, and potential collaboration opportunities. 

2026-Brochure-LOreal-GSI-2026

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a call for applications for AgriTech startups to join the timbuktoo Pan-African Incubation Network, anchored at the timbuktoo AgriTech Hub in Ghana.

This global Grand Challenge seeks innovative solutions to significantly reduce the cost of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) used to treat Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. 

The objective is to enable more children to access life-saving treatment by improving cost-efficiency across formulation, production, and supply systems. Proposals must demonstrate a minimum 30% reduction in the ex-factory unit cost of RUTF, while maintaining nutritional quality and regulatory compliance. 

This global Grand Challenge seeks to fund breakthrough innovations that significantly reduce the cost of diagnostic and screening tools for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The focus is on developing scalable, high-impact technologies that can deliver diagnostic results at approximately USD 1 per test or near-zero incremental cost, while maintaining quality, speed, and usability in low-resource settings.