Speaking notes by Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Nomalungelo Gina, at the launch of IRIS the teaching robot, Durban Royal Golf Club
Programme Director
DDG for KZN Education, Curriculum, Mr Mbongiseni Mazibuko
Ms Thembeka Ndlovu
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, to be present at this remarkable event — the launch of a groundbreaking teaching robot developed by a young Black woman in South Africa.
This evening is inspiring because we are celebrating a young woman who was born and raised in a rural part of KwaZulu-Natal, defying all the odds of her background to pursue innovation and stand out on the global stage.
When we learned about your innovation and your success in international competitions, we knew we had to showcase your work here, so that you may inspire other girls and demonstrate that it is indeed possible.
This innovative robot is set to transform learning in South Africa by offering personalised learning, interactive lessons, and real-time feedback. It will empower school learners to reach their full potential.
As the Department, we are proud to be part of this launch, and we believe in the potential of this innovation to expand access to quality education. IRIS is a step in the right direction toward achieving that goal.
Let me emphasise: technology and innovation, including artificial intelligence, are not for men alone. Women must also lead in shaping the future of these fields. These are the skills that will drive tomorrow’s economy, and they require contributions from both men and women.
Bonisile, I commend you for choosing the education sector as the focus for your robot. Not only will it be used to teach children at the pre-school level, but it will also inspire them to engage with technology from an early age, particularly in rural areas.
At the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, our mandate is to support innovation across all sectors. We have dedicated funding instruments for women innovators like you. Through the Technology Innovation Agency, we launched the Women in Technology and Innovation Programme in March this year. This programme funds women from both rural and urban areas to develop their technological ideas into new solutions that address societal challenges and can be commercialised.
Additionally, we operate the Grassroots Innovation Programme, which is crucial in establishing an inclusive innovation system. It uplifts township, rural, and youth innovators — many of whom may not have a formal education — by helping them develop their ideas into commercial prototypes. The programme connects grassroots innovators with subject matter experts in advanced facilities, enabling them to refine their innovations for commercialisation.
We are also developing a national artificial intelligence strategy through the National Advisory Council on Innovation. This strategy, aligned with the National Development Plan and our science, technology and innovation policy, is being shaped through diverse working groups representing academia, industry, civil society, and government. It focuses on key themes, including partnerships, data and infrastructure, future skills, research and innovation, strategic sectors, and regulation.
KwaZulu-Natal, however, lags behind provinces like Gauteng and the Western Cape in innovation and technology development. We must create a stronger ecosystem here because the economy of the future depends on innovation. We aim to establish more innovation hubs to incubate SMMEs in various technologies, supporting youth who are excited and inspired by these industries.
Agencies such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Technology Innovation Agency stand ready to support innovators. Whether you have an idea or are already developing one, they will help refine it, commercialise it, and protect your intellectual property.
In closing, I urge the Department of Education to collaborate with Bonisile and her team in implementing this robot for Grade R learners. Let us help her refine it so that it becomes one of the best educational robots in the world. I trust that you have already patented your intellectual property, but if not, our Department has a unit dedicated to supporting innovators with patents and IP protection.
Congratulations to you and your team on this groundbreaking launch.
Thank you.
