Joburg offers R1 million ‘bounty’ for ideas to fix the city
The City of Johannesburg is calling on residents to submit ideas to enhance municipal service delivery through its Smart City Community Innovation Challenge and Awards 2024 – which will reward good ideas handsomely.
Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city and economic hub, is experiencing a decline in basic service delivery. This highlights a stark contrast between its wealth and the deteriorating conditions of its residents.
Home to major multinational corporations and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the city’s failing infrastructure and inadequate services reveal a governance crisis that threatens its sustainability.
In response, the City’s Smart City office is running an initiative “to inspire fresh ideas and foster collaborative problem-solving that engages residents and stakeholders.”
“These innovations will focus on modernising service delivery and addressing critical community challenges,” they added.
It invites individuals, teams, and local organisations across Johannesburg’s wards and regions to submit their ideas and the focus is on addressing everyday issues that impact residents, whether through service improvements, technological innovations, or empowering communities.
The challenge, running from October 7 to November 29, 2024, offers a total of R1.1 million in funding for pilot projects that address everyday municipal issues.
Innovations that identify specific problems and provide unique, practical solutions can compete for three categories of awards:
- First Place: One winner will receive a pilot project valued at R300,000.
- Second Place: Two winners will each receive projects worth R200,000.
- Third Place: Four winners will each receive projects valued at R100,000.
The city said that the initiative seeks to foster a culture of innovation by encouraging collaboration between residents and the City, ultimately driving economic development and improving citizen engagement.
Key criteria for submissions include:
- Impact: Must visibly improve residents’ daily lives.
- Reach: Should address widespread issues affecting large groups.
- Service Enhancement: Must improve public services.
- Proactive Community: Should empower communities to solve their own challenges.
- Innovation: Must present novel solutions to existing problems.
- Usability: Solutions should be feasible and beneficial for the community.
- Implementation Phases: Outline necessary steps for execution.
- Itemised Costing: Budget must be under R300,000 for the pilot phase.
- Intellectual Property: Must be original or properly licensed.
- Submissions: Must be electronically completed and signed.
Finalists will receive support from local experts to refine their ideas and will be promoted on the City’s social media platforms, where community votes will influence the selection of winners.
“This is more than just an awards event — it’s a call for bold, practical ideas that reimagine urban management,” said Nelson Sekgota, the Project Manager at Wits University’s Tshimologong Precinct, underscores the key criteria for submissions.
He said innovations must solve a specific problem, improve residents’ experiences, and demonstrate scalability and usability. Importantly, the solutions should be low-cost, easy to implement, and designed to enhance the City’s service delivery.
The awards will be presented by the Executive Mayor and other officials.
“We want to merge creativity with collaboration to unlock new opportunities. Central to our approach is the City’s comprehensive Innovation Framework, a strategic roadmap that fosters a culture of innovation where residents and stakeholders can generate real-world solutions,” said Mayor Dada Morero.
“Winning ideas won’t just receive recognition but will also be piloted to improve specific areas of City services,” he added.
For more information and to submit entries, residents can access the challenge details electronically until the submission deadline.
Interested individuals and stakeholders can visit the City of Johannesburg’s website at www.joburg.org.za, to register and participate in the Community Innovation Challenge.
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