Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund: R30 Million Available to Scale South Africa’s Education Innovation
The Trevor Noah Foundation (TNF) has officially launched the 2025 application window for the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund, a strategic R30 million initiative aimed at nurturing South Africa’s most promising education innovations. The fund offers flexible, unrestricted support to non-profit and public benefit organisations (PBOs) committed to transforming education through sustainable, community-rooted solutions.
Derived from the isiXhosa phrase Khulani Nathi—meaning “we grow together”—the fund reflects TNF’s belief in collective impact and trust-based philanthropy. The goal is to help education-focused organisations thrive, much like a healthy forest where trees support one another. This initiative provides the resources for selected organisations to deepen their impact, grow responsibly, and help South African youth and educators realise their full potential.
What the Fund Supports
The Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund is specifically designed to support education-focused innovations in two critical areas:
- Teacher Development – Programs that elevate teaching quality across all levels of education, including early childhood development, in-service and pre-service training, pedagogical support, and leadership development for educators.
- Youth Pathways – Initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for youth aged 15–35. These could include vocational training, digital literacy, entrepreneurial development, psychosocial support, or any innovative solution that enables youth to thrive personally, professionally, or academically.
TNF is particularly interested in organisations whose innovations are scalable, rooted in strong community connections, and aligned with the principles of proximate leadership.
Key Features of the Fund
- Unrestricted, flexible funding to support what matters most: scaling or strengthening proven education innovations.
- Up to R1.5 million per organisation to support growth-stage initiatives.
- A trust-based approach that minimizes red tape and maximises organisational autonomy.
- A focus on organisations serving marginalised communities, particularly in rural areas and townships.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Organisations must meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:
- Be legally registered in South Africa as a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) or Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) with Section 18A status.
- Be in good standing with SARS (South African Revenue Service).
- Have an active bank account in the organisation’s name.
- Have been operational for at least two years.
- Maintain audited or independently reviewed financial statements.
- Have an annual turnover between R1.5 million and R45 million.
- Focus primarily on Teacher Development or Youth Pathways.
- If applying under the Youth Pathways stream, the project must directly engage youth aged 15–35.
- Demonstrate proximate leadership and have meaningful connections to the communities served.
- Possess a proven track record in implementing grant-funded programs.
- Show a strong commitment to continuous learning, innovation, and social impact.
Please note that joint applications or consortia are permitted, but all participating entities must meet the eligibility requirements.
What Is Considered an “Innovation”?
In the context of the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund, an innovation may be a new or significantly improved product, process, service, or business model that addresses persistent challenges in education. Innovations should be practical, tested or validated (not merely at the conceptual stage), and ready for replication or scale. Examples may include technology-based interventions, co-created youth engagement models, or data-driven teacher support systems.
Application Process and Deadline
Interested organisations must first complete the eligibility self-assessment on the Trevor Noah Foundation website. Only applicants who meet the minimum criteria will be invited to submit a formal Concept Note.
- Application Deadline: 18 July 2025 at 11:59 PM (SAST)
- Submission Format: Online only via the application portal
Please note: TNF will not host one-on-one meetings, and no offline applications will be accepted.
Frequently Asked Questions
A full FAQ document addressing eligibility nuances—such as financial requirements for tech-based NPOs, treatment of HR and operational costs, definition of youth-led organisations, and allowable expenditures (e.g. stipends)—is available on the Trevor Noah Foundation website.
Final Words
With its flexible funding model and commitment to collaborative growth, the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund stands as a transformative opportunity for education innovators across South Africa. TNF seeks to empower bold, community-driven organisations ready to lead change, scale impact, and co-create a better education future for all.
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the awarding organization. For any inquiries, please contact the awarding organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
