TIA and W&R SETA are joining forces to create more pathways for young people, entrepreneurs and emerging businesses to develop ideas, access support and contribute to SA’s digital economy.
The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&R SETA) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at linking skills development with technology innovation, entrepreneurship and enterprise growth.
The partnership comes as SA grapples with a mismatch between academic qualifications and employer requirements, according to the latest Pnet Job Market Trends Report, and as higher education and training minister Buti Manamela has called for stronger collaboration between government, business, skills institutions and start-ups to expand opportunities for young people.
The partnership is intended to create clearer pathways for young people, entrepreneurs and emerging businesses, taking them from skills development and training through to incubation, commercialisation and employment.
The collaboration will focus on developing sector-relevant qualifications, innovation hackathons, internships, start-up incubation, commercialisation support and research initiatives. It will also explore bursaries for master’s and doctoral students, entrepreneurship programmes and skills development initiatives targeting youth, women and persons with disabilities.
The organisations said the partnership would seek to improve access to innovation infrastructure and markets for emerging enterprises, while also creating opportunities for international collaboration, investment and enterprise development.
The agreement builds on work between TIA and W&R SETA during South African Innovation Week 2026. W&R SETA sponsored the participation of innovators at the event, giving them opportunities to showcase technologies, engage with potential investors, attend commercialisation masterclasses and pursue business development opportunities.
Dr Titus Mathe, CEO of TIA, said stronger links between the skills development, innovation and start-up ecosystems were needed to help SA turn its innovation potential into economic opportunities.
“Through this partnership with W&R SETA, we are creating pathways that enable innovators, entrepreneurs and young people to transform ideas into sustainable businesses, quality jobs and solutions that contribute to economic growth and improved livelihoods,” he said.
Mathe added that the partnership supported TIA’s mandate to accelerate technological innovation and assist enterprises addressing national priorities, while improving SA’s position in the global innovation landscape.
Tom Mkhwanazi, CEO of W&R SETA, said the agreement would help prepare the wholesale and retail sector for an increasingly digital economy.
“The future of the wholesale and retail sector depends on a workforce that is innovative, digitally enabled and entrepreneurial,” he said.
Mkhwanazi said working with TIA would expand opportunities for young people and emerging entrepreneurs to access skills, innovation support and commercialisation pathways.
