The Southern Africa Innovation Support (SAIS) programme, funded by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), is a four-year pilot project which seeks to guide innovation in southern Africa. The programme supports collaboration between the innovation systems of African countries in order to create a positive impact on economic and social development in the region.

The programme harnesses networks, institutions and individuals so as to build capacity to enable product, service and social innovation in the region. Complementing this, the SAIS programme provides a strategic approach to raising funds for innovative projects by using a combination of both local and international sources.

The SAIS programme includes partnerships in four African countries, namely Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. These partnerships form ‘the southern cross of innovation’ that unites and guides innovation across the region. The programme is managed by a project office that is located in Windhoek, Namibia, and is led within each partner country by a partner institution that has a dedicated SAIS country coordinator located at the institution.

Beyond the abovementioned pilot countries, SAIS strengthens the foundation of an African innovation ecosystem by connecting with knowledge partners in South Africa, and developing meaningful policy and framework instruments with SADC representatives.