UnLtd South Africa made its first awards in November 2009.  Since then we have made several further awards and have been working with potential applicants to help refine their ideas and business models. 

Here are some examples of our award winners: 

Name: Joshua Cox
Project: TRADE-MARK
Location: Somerset West

In 2005, Joshua made business cards and wrote a reference for Simon, a local expert tiler/paver from Diepsloot township, outside Johannesburg. These simple resources enabled Simon to secure over R30,000 in paving contracts. This success formed an idea in Joshua's head - if he could find a way to provide good, reliable skilled tradespeople with credibility beyond a poster on a street pole, they would have a greater chance of securing ongoing contracts. TRADE-MARK markets skilled tradespeople from the township. The rigorous selection process and ongoing quality monitoring will help build credibility for all tradespeople registered with TRADE-MARK.  Joshua plans to charge a small fee to both the customers and the tradespeople in time to ensure the organisation becomes self-supporting.  Joshua's idea has the potential to break the cycle of poverty by addressing the issue of unemployment, ultimately contributing towards the socio-economic development of South Africa.

Name: Phindile Mangwana
Project: Khayelistha Environemental Educaiton Programme (KEEP)
Location: Khayelistha

Phindile is a passionate environmentalist with a particular interest in the social dynamics of environmental management.   KEEP is a multi-faceted programme which aims to improve enviromental awareness in the local community through delivering training and running programmes in waste-management and recycling.  UnLtd South Africa is supporting Phindile in fine-tuning his idea and developing an income generation model.    

Name: Greer Valley
Project: 'Hands On' Art Workshops
Location: Cape Town

Greer graduated from UCT with a bachelors' degree in architecture and moved into a career as a visual artist and designer. She also spent much time working with social development agencies using visual arts as a platform to inspire change and awareness in youth. It was through this work that Greer was inspired to create 'Hands On' - providing art workshops to youth development agencies, NGOs and local companies. Through funding from UnLtd South Africa Greer started a new ‘Hands On’ project working with Etafeni (a local NGO in Nyanga) and a group of HIV positive teenagers. While Etafeni provides counseling services for the teens, Greer will be helps the teens use their artistic skills as a way to make a living and support themselves.  She has brokered an agreement with Truworths to get their high-end fabric remnants and will work with the teens to make high quality handbags to sell at local shops in Cape Town. 

Name: Siphiwe Rengqe

Project: Imvotho Tech
Location: Gugulethu

Siphiwe’s idea is to build walls at key transport junctions that will serve a dual purpose: create advertising space for business customers and offer householders a safe boundary wall for their yards. He sees these walls as a chance to enhance the local environment and would like to extend this to tree planting in the future. The walls could also carry lighting which would improve safety in the area.                                                                                                                                  

Name: Winston Pietersen
Project: S.P. Can Projects
Location: Stellenbosch

Winston is a keen nature convervationist and worked for many years removing alien vegetation for local goverment.  S.P. Can Projects offers alien plant removal to local councils and farmers in Stellenbosch and the surrounding areas.  This service is crucial for water mangement in the area. The wood produced is then sold on for firewood or used in furniture manufucature or for composting.  

Name: Lauren O'Donnell 
Project: Greenpops
Location: Western Cape 

Greenpops mission is to improve the environments of township schools by planting trees. It pays for this by ‘selling’ each tree to a corporation or individual. Organising planting days for companies is an additional income stream. Greenpops offers any school that makes contact 20 trees. Planting days are intended as joint enterprises in which Greenpops staff and volunteers work together with school staff and students. Additional education is provided for the school. Greenpops works with the schools to use resources effectively (i.e. grey water ) and to set up a tree caring roster with different classes. Trees are monitored regularly and currently the majority of the trees are doing well - they have planted several thousands trees since starting in 2010.  

Name: Alida Jones
Project: Drive More Safely 
Location: Fishoek/Masiphumelele 

Drive More Safely was started by Alida Jones when a motor vehicle accident claimed the life of her eldest son.  Since then she has dedicated her life to road safety in a bid to bring down the accident rate in South Africa. The main focus of the organisation is to empower communities through providing the skills and knowledge required to be safe and responsible when using the road.  Drive More Safely run a number of initiatives including a learner licence training centre that is the only centre in the Western Cape that offers affordable learner licence training on computers.