Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) 2021 Youth Challenge for Young People

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is a leading development finance institution (DFI) operating across the African continent. We provide infrastructure financing in the energy, transport, water and Information Communications and Technology (ICT) sectors, with a secondary focus on the education, health and human settlements sectors. We believe that financing infrastructure is about improving people’s lives and growing the economy. With the inaugural DBSA Youth Challenge, we are inviting youth legally residing in South Africa to submit their ideas and solutions that improve the lives of our communities by addressing infrastructure challenges in new and innovative ways that build Africa’s prosperity.

Eligible Field(s):

• Energy: Your idea will contribute to economic and environmentally sustainable energy generation, storage and/or distribution.
• Health: Your idea improves access to quality affordable primary healthcare in marginalised communities in urban and rural areas of the country.
• Water: Your idea reduces water pollution and/or increases access to clean potable water.
• Human Settlements & Housing: Your idea offers a solution to the need for affordable, environmentally sustainable housing in informal settlements and/or rural areas of the country.
• Transport: Your idea improves access, safety and/or the experience of public commuters, or reduces traffic congestion and air pollution or increases the efficiency of moving goods.
• ICT: Your idea solves the challenge of access faced by many, breaking down those barriers to digital accessibility and connectivity.
• Education: Your idea solves the need of access to quality education for every child ensuring that they’re equipped for the future.

• Table of Content
• About Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
• DBSA Youth Challenge
• Aim and Benefits of DBSA Youth Challenge
• Requirements for DBSA Youth Challenge Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

The DBSA is a government-owned development finance institution, established in 1983, with the mandate to promote economic growth as well as regional integration for sustainable development projects and programmes in South Africa, SADC and the wider Sub Saharan Africa.

DBSA Youth Challenge

Aim and Benefits of DBSA Youth Challenge

The total prize pool will be R1.5 m and the winner will be awarded prize money for their winning innovation idea and if the first prize winner is female, there is an additional R 50, 000.00 to incentivise female entrepreneurship and innovation.

The winners and finalists will also be awarded a 12-month mentorship programme to assist with executing their innovative ideas and building them into successful businesses.

Requirements for DBSA Youth Challenge Qualification

The DBSA Youth Challenge is an invitation to youth legally residing in South Africa between the ages of 18 and 35 to come up with new solutions to the infrastructure problems we see every day. We are looking for innovative ideas and solutions, big and small that address the challenges we face in infrastructure within the transport, water, energy, Information Communications and Technology (ICT), education, health and human settlements sectors.

Selection Criteria: 

Ideas will be selected according to:

• Originality
• Relevance
• Technical feasibility
• Quality of the submission, motivation and presentation
• Scalability

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit DBSA website.