THE TECHNICAL JUDGES
Technical Experts for 2026
Our Technical Judges bring deep expertise in diagnostics, medical device manufacturing, assistive technology, and biomedical engineering. Their role is to independently assess the technical merit, innovation, feasibility, and potential impact of each submission.
Ms Sarah Cohen
Sarah Cohen is the Executive Officer of SALDA, the association representing laboratory medicine and the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) supplier and manufacturing sector across Southern Africa. She brings sector-wide insight into diagnostics, regulatory pathways and industry collaboration, having led SALDA’s engagement with regulators, health-sector bodies — public and private — and both local and multinational diagnostics companies. Sarah has over 30 years’ experience in laboratory testing and research, specialising in IVDs and clinical trials. She is a SteerCo member of the MedTech Master Plan, focusing on support for local manufacturing of MedTech.
Ms Shona McDonald
Shona McDonald is the founder and Executive Director of ShonaquipSE, Africa's leading ISO 13485-certified designer and manufacturer of paediatric assistive technology. Since 1992 she has built ShonaquipSE into a multi-award-winning enterprise serving under-resourced settings across Southern Africa.
Ms Simone Rudolph-Shortt
Simone Rudolph-Shortt is an accomplished industrial pharmacist with extensive experience across production, R&D, regulatory affairs, quality management, validation, intellectual property and operational excellence. She is Chairperson of the Manufacturing of Medical Devices Association of South Africa (MDMSA); a prior Chair and Vice-Chairperson of the Medical Device Professional Group (MDPG); a member of SAFHE and SAAPI; and was active in SAMED for over 20 years. She contributes to SABS Technical Committees and serves as a SANAS Technical Expert for medical devices, and advises industry on regulatory affairs, GMP and quality management systems through her own consultancy practice.
Prof. Sudesh Sivarasu
Professor Sudesh Sivarasu is the DSTI/NRF South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Biomedical Engineering & Innovation and is a Director of UCT’s Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, and head of UCT MedTech. A prolific inventor and internationally recognised leader in medical-device innovation, he conceived the award-winning FrugalBiodesign™ methodology for accessible, affordable medical devices and contributed to the South African National Ventilation Project during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Grace Baloyi
Ms. Baloyi has over 23 years of experience in project sourcing, funding, deal structuring, and innovation management. She has supported companies, including Citrogold (producer of Clemengold©), to unlock value from their IP and gained finance experience at Quartile Capital (now Tysys Capital Group). At TIA she led initiatives in Medtech, the FACTS Clinical Trial, and the Technology Stations Programme. She is currently a Senior Programme Manager at the SAMRC, leading the Medical Diagnostics and Devices Innovation Cluster Programme (MeDDIC). Ms. Baloyi holds an MBA from GIBS, a BSc Hons. from Wits and is a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow.
THE PANEL
The Panel for 2026
The Panel brings strategic, programme and policy perspective to the final adjudication, complementing the technical judges in selecting innovations with the greatest potential for imapct.
Mrs Brigitte Binneman
Ms Brigitte Binneman is an innovation investment professional with over 17 years’ public-sector experience in innovation finance, commercialisation, ecosystem development and policy instrument design. At the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, she develops initiatives that help innovators, researchers and technology enterprises progress from research and ideas to investment, commercialisation and scale, while strengthening innovation capabilities and evidence-based policymaking.
Ms Michelle Harding
Michelle Harding is the Programme Manager of the Innovation Support and Enablement Programme (ISEP) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She has extensive experience in innovation ecosystem development, programme management, technology commercialisation support, and stakeholder engagement, working to strengthen pathways that enable innovators and entrepreneurs to translate ideas into impact.
Ms Sarah Cohen
Sarah Cohen is the Executive Officer of SALDA, the association representing laboratory medicine and the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) supplier and manufacturing sector across Southern Africa. She brings sector-wide insight into diagnostics, regulatory pathways and industry collaboration, having led SALDA’s engagement with regulators, health-sector bodies — public and private — and both local and multinational diagnostics companies. Sarah has over 30 years’ experience in laboratory testing and research, specialising in IVDs and clinical trials. She is a SteerCo member of the MedTech Master Plan, focusing on support for local manufacturing of MedTech.
Ms Simone Rudolph-Shortt
Simone Rudolph-Shortt is an accomplished industrial pharmacist with extensive experience across production, R&D, regulatory affairs, quality management, validation, intellectual property and operational excellence. She is Chairperson of the Manufacturing of Medical Devices Association of South Africa (MDMSA); a prior Chair and Vice-Chairperson of the Medical Device Professional Group (MDPG); a member of SAFHE and SAAPI; and was active in SAMED for over 20 years. She contributes to SABS Technical Committees and serves as a SANAS Technical Expert for medical devices, and advises industry on regulatory affairs, GMP and quality management systems through her own consultancy practice.
Ms Gillian Christians
Gillian Christians currently holds the position of Deputy Director in the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Directorate within the Industrial Competitiveness and Growth Branch of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Genetics as well as post-graduate qualifications in Molecular Genetics and Development Finance from the University of Stellenbosch. She has worked as Researcher doing HIV and agricultural related research at the University of Stellenbosch Virology Division and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Bioscience division, respectively. She has also gained experience as the National Technical Manager for Laboratory Specialist Services, a distributor of molecular research consumables, in Sub Saharan Africa. Her experience in the public sector includes the position of Registrar of the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act within the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Other industry experience includes a Consulting position in the mining industry (Botswana) with Alexander Proudfoot, Clinical Data Co-Ordinator with Quintiles and Registration Manager at the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) prior to joining the Pharmaceutical desk within the dtic.