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Emerging Digital Sovereignty Champion Award

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South Africa’s next generation of digital capability is being built now, often by people in their twenties working with very little.

What this award recognises

Recognises rising innovators in the public service working with emerging technologies.

Who may enter

An individual working in a South African national or provincial department, municipality, state-owned company or public entity.

What this award looks for

Something that exists and works, built locally, aimed at a problem worth solving.

How entries are judged in this category

C1, the work. What they built, and how good it is for someone at this stage.
C2, the difference it made. Who is using it and what has changed for them, even at small scale.
Local ownership and national relevance. Built here, owned here, and solving a South African problem.

The three questions

What did they do?
What changed as a result?
How was this built and kept in South African hands, and what South African problem does it solve?

If you have any of these, they will strengthen your entry

A link to the product, a short demo video, or a few screenshots.
User or download numbers. A letter from a pilot client or partner. Revenue, if there is any.
Anything showing it was built here and is owned here: a code repository, a patent, or a short note on who built it and where.

One item proving the work is real is required. Email it to nominations@cut2black.co.za, with the award category and the name of the person or organisation you nominated in the subject line, at any time before 17:00 on 28 August 2026. Anything further on this list is welcome but not required.

Nominate a deserving candidate for this Award!

Award Category
Entrant Details
Award Submission
Declarations & Submission

Award Category

Which award are you entering?

▼

Digital Sovereignty Leadership Award

Sovereign Cloud Excellence Award

Data Sovereignty & Governance Award

Emerging Digital Sovereignty Champion Award

National Digital Infrastructure Award

Connectivity for Digital Inclusion Award

Indigenous Innovation Award

Disability Inclusion Technology Award

Digital Skills Sovereignty Award

Digital Woman Award

Choose the GovTech 2026 award category you are entering.

Are you entering yourself / your organisation, or nominating someone else?

Self-entry Nominating someone else

Entrant Details

Name of person or organisation being nominated

Institution or company

Contact email

Contact phone

Nominator name

Complete this only if you are nominating someone else.

Nominator Email

Complete this only if you are nominating someone else.

Award Submission

Short title for the work

Give the work or initiative a short, clear title.

What did they do?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

What changed as a result?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

How has this reduced reliance on outside providers, and what capability does the state now own and keep?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

Where does the data sit, who controls it, and what can your own people now run without outside help?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

Where does your institutional data live, and who is able to reach it?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

How was this built and kept in South African hands, and what South African problem does it solve?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

How does this keep the client institution in control of its own data, and what South African skills did it build?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

Who can now get online, or reach a service, who could not before, and how will this keep running?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

Where and by whom was this built, who owns it, and what South African problem does it solve?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

How were persons with disabilities involved in building it, and how will it reach more people?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

How does this build the skills South Africa needs and keep them here? Tell us what it costs a learner to take part, and how learners who could not afford it are funded or supported.

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

How is she a role model to others, and what will carry on after she steps back?

Tell us in approximately 250 words. Plain language is fine – you do not need technical detail.

Anything else you would like to add?

Optional — use this space for anything else you would like us to know.

Optional link

Optional — provide a link to any relevant online information or resource.

Declarations & Submission

Works in the South African public sector. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

The work described is real and operating, not planned. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Is a South African public sector institution. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

The environment is live and carrying real workloads, not a pilot. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Is a South African public sector institution. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

A data governance approach is in place and operating. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Works in the South African public sector. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

The work described is real and operating, not planned. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Something working exists: a demonstration, pilot or product. Not an idea. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Registered as a company in South Africa. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Deployed with at least one South African public sector institution. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

A South African operator, connectivity partner, public entity or municipality. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

The network or service is live and serving South Africans. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Registered in South Africa and mainly South African owned. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Turnover of R10 million or less in the last financial year. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

In use, not a concept. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

A South African individual or organisation. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

In use by, or available to, persons with disabilities in South Africa. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

A South African registered or accredited education or training institution. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

The programme ran with learners during 2025 or 2026. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

A woman. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

South African. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Active in a digital or digitally enabled environment. I confirm that this entry meets this eligibility requirement.

Nominator Confirmation I confirm that I have told this person I am nominating them, and to the best of my knowledge they do not object.

SITA Employee Declaration I confirm that this is not a nomination for/of a SITA employee.

Consent I consent to the processing of the personal information in this entry for the purposes of adjudication, publication of results and prize payment, and I understand that non-confidential information in this entry may be published on the GovTech website and in industry publications.

Terms and Conditions I accept the Terms and Conditions.

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The Awards are managed on behalf of SITA by Cut to Black Media (Pty) Ltd. GovTech 2026 is held under the theme Building Towards Digital Sovereignty.

© 2026 SITA — State Information Technology Agency

Nomination and entry enquiries

nominations@cut2black.co.za

Telephone

011 482 3580

Supporting documents

nominations@cut2black.co.za. Put the award category and the name of the person or organisation you nominated in the subject line.

Conference registration

Registration for GovTech 2026 is handled separately by SITA at govtech.gov.za.

The Awards are managed on behalf of SITA by Cut to Black Media (Pty) Ltd.

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