Common Pitch: winner, additional sponsorship by MTN announced

This year's Design Indaba has joined forces with US-based Common, an initiative that accelerates social entrepreneurship. Common Pitch focuses on driving positive change by encouraging social entrepreneurship and connects entrepreneurs, designers and creatives to accelerate socially beneficial businesses and ideas using the power of rule breaking-innovation.

Eight social entrepreneurs from all over the world made presentations on how they intend to affect positive change in Africa through innovative social business models.

The judging panel comprised MTN's chief marketing officer, Serame Taukobong, CEO of Woolworths, Ian Moir and Google Africa's policy and government relations manager, Ory Okolloh, Carlo Ratti, director of Senseable City Lab at MIT in Boston USA and John Bielenberg, co-founder of Common.

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Vision for Africa

Dry Bath is a world-first patented germicidal bath-substituting lotion designed by social entrepreneur Ludwick Marishane through his company Headboy Industries. The product aims to combat the spread of Trachoma in Africa, an infection of the eye caused by not washing the face, affecting millions of Africans who do have access to water.

Dry Bath has created a demand in certain commercial industries, including airlines and hotels. Part of the proceeds from sales are invested into donating Dry Bath to people who do not have access to water to combat the spread of Trachoma.

Ludwick Marishane

"Without taking away anything from the brilliant minds that were showcased this evening, MTN believes Dry Bath deserves to be given a chance," said Taukobong when making the surprise donation. "It is a brilliant concept that has the potential to create demand and address some of the social ills that we face as a continent. As a responsible corporate citizen that sees itself as a catalyst for social change, we see him as a social entrepreneur that must be supported, despite not winning the grand prize tonight. MTN is delighted to donate R100 000 towards helping him realise his and the business' full potential."

Marishane says, "I am an honoured and humbled that MTN is affording me the opportunity grow the idea further and make it a success. The donation will help me market the business further and finalise negotiations to license the product to retailers and distributors. As the saying goes 'you are only as good as the company you keep' I also want to thank the people around me who spend sleepless nights with me supporting my dream."

EarthBag

EarthBag Construction System uses specially designed and patented polypropylene bags that are developed and manufactured locally, resulting in housing structures that are environmentally friendly and recyclable, reduce carbon footprint by 70% and are non-toxic and fire resistant amongst many other benefits.

"EarthBag has the potential to help address the housing shortage we are faced with in the continent," said Taukobong. "It also bodes well for the vision of a greener society and MTN is delighted to be part of the panel that awards the groundbreaking innovation with R200 000 to roll out to other projects to more communities that need it."

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