RE:SOLVE Challenge

Posted on: 29. October 2021

The RE:SOLVE Challenge is a unique combination of learning programme, incubator, and grant fund, which calls on South African entrepreneurs to help unlock new, or facelift existing, products, services and solutions, through a fast paced eight-month Design Thinking programme.
The Challenge was launched on 20 September 2021 and is funded by the City of Cape Town.

With South Africa facing numerous social and economic issues, many exacerbated by COVID-19, there is a real need for new ideas and innovative solutions to be fast-tracked. RE:SOLVE is a purpose-led challenge designed to help South Africa’s innovative entrepreneurs to take their next steps.
In South Africa, COVID has brutally exposed the fault lines that pre-existed before the pandemic. Instability and volatility are high; inequalities are growing. There is a clear and present opportunity to re-evaluate, re-formulate and re-set. In this context, there is huge space to develop new ideas or fast-track and elevate existing equitable solutions.

“We are looking particularly for solutions that can improve the lives of the most vulnerable in our society. It’s a Challenge not just for designers, but for anyone who is passionate about contributing to finding solutions to some of our biggest problems and has ideas for products or services – new or already tried and tested in some way – that they want to get traction with,” says Erica Elk, Group CEO of the CDI.

Applications close on 31 October 2021.


Find further information here.

The CDI is a craft and design sector development agency with a mission to develop capable people and build responsible creative enterprises trading within local and international markets. The CDI is a non-profit company with over 20 years of success in developing creative people, small businesses and the craft and design sector at large in South Africa. The CDI is a catalytic agent of change in the sector, and passionate about developing appropriately skilled, resourced and digitally proficient practitioners who can successfully leverage opportunities for growth and development.