Blind SA’s White Cane project earns top disability empowerment award
Blind South Africans are no longer just navigating their world, they are shaping it, as they put their hands to work creating white canes for the White Cane project.
Blind SA’s White Cane project, which puts production power directly into the hands of the blind and partially sighted, was awarded with the South African Breweries (SAB) Foundation Disability Empowerment Award 2025. They walked away with R1.3m in funding support from the awards ceremony, held at the Inanda Polo Club on October 14.
At its heart, White Cane is a bold, local manufacturing initiative where blind and partially sighted individuals produce the very tools essential to their independence… White canes.
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These mobility aids, once expensive imports, are now being made in South Africa by the people who use them, bringing dignity, affordability, and local empowerment into sharp focus.
Teboho Lehasa, of Blind SA, said: “This is more than just making canes; we’re building independence, dignity, and local pride. With increased accessibility, blind and partially sighted individuals can confidently navigate their environments, pursue opportunities, and reclaim their freedom.”
The win is not just about the money; it signals a growing recognition of solutions developed by and for those living with disabilities. It also demonstrates that, with the right support, grassroots innovation can drive meaningful change in underserved communities.
Also awarded R1.3m, the Social Innovation Award went to SUM1 Investments, a pioneering platform that channels township and rural stokvel savings into small business financing.
By using a smart asset-financing model, SUM1 enables informal entrepreneurs, often excluded from traditional banking, to access the capital they need, while offering returns to stokvel members.
SUM1 Investments founder and CEO Kurhula Baloyi said: “We saw an opportunity where others saw risk. By giving stokvels a way to invest in local businesses, we’re building a bridge between savings and sustainability, strengthening community economies from within.”
SAB Foundation chairperson Moss Ngoasheng praised the spirit of local innovation during his keynote address, noting that while not every idea will become a scalable business, all meaningful solutions deserve attention, especially those that blend social impact with financial sustainability. “This is not about me, or the trustees, or even the foundation; it’s about the innovators. Those who look at a problem and say: ‘Let me design a solution’. If that solution can make a living while serving society, we’ll stand by it all the way.”
He encouraged entrepreneurs to consider the value of their ideas, not just in purpose, but in practical execution. “If you can answer the question: ‘Who will pay for your solution?’, then you’re not only serving society; you’re building a future.”
In addition to the top awardees, several runners up across both categories received substantial cash prizes, further enabling their growth and community impact.
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