Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced the winner of TCS Sustainathon South Africa 2022, a problem-solving competition that empowers the youth to find creative solutions to real-world challenges.
Ten finalists showcased their ideas at the grand finale held at the Sustainability Institute in Stellenbosch. The ideas were based on the theme Zero Hunger, focusing on finding ways to ensure adequate nutrition and food security for children and all South Africans living in underprivileged communities.
“TCS, along with its partners, believes that technology can play a pivotal role in solving the world’s most pressing problems. Through the TCS Sustainathon, we aim to foster innovation in our younger generation and inspire the creative use of technology in building a sustainable future. We were really impressed with the ideas presented by the finalists. These could make a real difference to South Africa’s hunger challenge,” Langa Dube, Country Manager, TCS South Africa, said.
Team Waste Warriors emerged the winner for its innovative solution.
The winning team from Louwville High School presented their solution titled ‘Grab Life by the Fork’ addressing food wastage in South African schools and how schools and students can work together to combat the challenge.
Team Smurfs Going Green from Gardens Commercial High School and team Taste the Waste from Livingstone High School secured the second and third positions respectively.
The winning school team members won cash and gift vouchers to the value of R30,000, while the runners up won R20,000, and the team in third place won R10,000. In addition, the seven remaining finalist teams each received R5,000.
“We are honoured to have been a strategic partner in the TCS Sustainathon 2022 inaugural event in South Africa. The Pick n Pay School Club recognizes learners for their positive societal impact through its Hero Awards and we are grateful for the opportunity the TCS Sustainathon provided, to give recognition to learners for their innovative ideas to reduce surplus food from becoming waste,” Vaughan Pierce, Head of ESG, Pick n Pay, said,.
“We look forward to the 2023 TCS Sustainathon and hope many more schools will make use of the opportunity the TCS Sustainathon provides to get learners excited about finding new ways to reduce environmental impacts.”
This was the first South African edition of TCS Sustainathon and attracted more than 110 participants. To develop their ideas, participants had the opportunity to work with TCS Sustainathon challenge partners: Pick n Pay, Unilever and BankservAfrica. Other strategic partners were the Western Cape Education Department, United Nations Global Compact South Africa, and Sustainability Institute.
The first edition of TCS Sustainathon South Africa 2022 invited students aged 15 – 17 and from schools selected by the Western Cape Education Department. Future events will have increased involvement and participation across universities and schools across South Africa, with greater focus on technology solutions as well as public policy.
“Unilever is thrilled to have been a part of the TCS Sustainathon for 2022. Our mandate was challenging yet most rewarding as the results were tangible and measurable,” Janine Van Rooyen, Nutrition Business Unit Director, Unilever, said,.
“The challenge aligns to the purpose that drives our Knorr brand, which recently partnered with the Department of Basic Education in a National School Nutrition Programme where our team of Unilever Chefs help train Volunteer Food Handlers on basic cooking skills, preparation, hygiene and how to use the fresh ingredients to bring more flavor to the current balanced menu in schools.
“We look forward to more innovation in the 2023 Sustainathon which is ultimately all about creating a positive impact for our environment.”
TCS Sustainathon is a global initiative that is also held in the UK, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and India.
