BY KOPANO MONAHENG
That was one of the key messages delivered at the 2026 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Sustainathon South Africa, where students and young innovators were challenged to turn technology-driven ideas into practical solutions for problems facing their communities.
Held on 1 September in Sandton under the theme “AI for Sustainable Futures,” this year’s Sustainathon encouraged students and scholars to develop artificial intelligence-powered solutions addressing challenges in water conservation, food security and healthcare.
The programme was hosted by TCS in partnership with the Tshwane University of Technology, Geekulcha and Skills Lab.
Langa Dube, Regional Director for TCS South Africa and the rest of Africa, said the competition was about more than simply producing a winning idea.
He acknowledged that not every student who participated would necessarily continue with the same business concept, but said the experience could plant the seeds for future entrepreneurship.
“Be patient with your idea, be patient with your market, and be patient with the funders that will fund you. Eventually, your idea will work,” said Dube.
His message was clear: young innovators should not become discouraged if their first idea does not immediately succeed.
Dube said the quality and maturity of the technology presented during the Sustainathon showed that South Africa has the talent and capability to develop solutions that can make a real difference.
“I’m really quite grateful today for the passion I’ve seen and the ideas that are coming to the table,” he said.
He added that the country should move closer to developing ideas that are not only technologically impressive, but also directly connected to the communities where they are needed.
“We are getting closer and closer to the ideas being practical. Remember: you, your idea, your community, then make it practical,” Dube said.
For him, the growing sophistication of the technology being developed by young South Africans is proof that the country has what it takes to compete and innovate.
“I can see a lot of maturity in the technology, which once more says to me, we have what it takes,” he said.
The event also placed emphasis on giving young people a pathway from an initial idea to something that can potentially be tested, developed and taken into the real world.
Dube said the Sustainathon provides that opportunity by allowing participants to think through their ideas, develop them and test whether they can work in practice.
“Sustainathon really provides us dependable pathways. It is really a pathway within which we are enabling you to think, work through it, ideate, try it out and then see that we can get it through,” he said.
He also praised the judges who assessed the participants and their ideas, saying each brought a different perspective to the competition.
“I want to say thank you to the esteemed judges. Each of you brings something different to the table,” Dube said.
The event ultimately left participating students with more than just competition experience. It exposed them to the realities of turning an idea into a sustainable venture while encouraging them to look at challenges in their own communities as opportunities for innovation.
For some, the journey may continue with the ideas they presented at the Sustainathon. For others, the experience could become the foundation for entirely different businesses in the future.
Either way, the message from TCS was unmistakable: South Africa’s young innovators have the ideas and technology. The next challenge is turning those ideas into practical solutions that work in their communities.
