Every now and then, I attend an event not because I expect to write about it, but because I want to understand whether it represents a genuine opportunity for the young people SkillMzansi exists to serve.

That was my reason for attending the CIPC IP Youth Awards Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony, held in March 2026.

Hosted by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), the evening celebrated young South Africans whose ideas, creativity and innovations are shaping industries, solving real-world problems and contributing to the country's economic future. It was a well-attended and professionally produced event, bringing together young innovators, entrepreneurs, industry representatives and others invested in the development of South Africa's innovation ecosystem.

But as I listened to the speakers and watched the awards unfold, I found myself thinking less about the evening itself and more about the people who regularly visit SkillMzansi looking for their next opportunity.

If you have an original idea, product, invention, creative work or business that could create meaningful impact, this is an opportunity you should know about.

Who is Offering the Opportunity?

The CIPC IP Youth Awards are organised by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), an agency of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

The awards recognise young South African creators and innovators whose ideas have the potential to be developed into prosperous businesses, while also promoting awareness of intellectual property and the importance of protecting and commercialising original ideas.

In its official announcement for the 2026 awards, CIPC Commissioner Adv. Rory Voller described the initiative as "a national call to action for young innovators to step forward, protect what they create, and turn their ideas into real economic value."

That statement captures one of the reasons I believe this opportunity deserves a place on SkillMzansi.

An idea does not have to remain just an idea. With the right support, protection and commercial thinking, it can become something that creates value for its owner, its community and the wider economy.

Who Can Apply?

For the 2026 awards, the competition was open to South African citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of entry.

Entrants were required to own or co-own the idea being submitted, and the idea could not infringe the intellectual property rights of another person.

Team entries were also permitted, provided that all team members met the eligibility requirements and were identified in the submission. Each candidate could enter under only one category.

CIPC employees, their immediate family members and individuals involved in the judging process were not eligible to enter. Previous winners and runners-up were also excluded from entering the 2026 awards.

Because eligibility requirements can change from one awards cycle to the next, prospective applicants should always check the official terms and conditions when the next call for entries is published.

What Are the Award Categories?

The categories are not necessarily fixed from one year to the next.

This is worth paying attention to if you're considering applying in a future cycle. The inaugural 2025 awards included categories such as New Technology to Support the Sustainable Development Goals, Copyright-Protected Creative Works, Solutions for Managing Confiscated Counterfeit Goods, SMME Excellence in Innovation and National Awards for Schoolchildren and Women in IP.

For 2026, CIPC refined the categories to five areas:

Innovation for Sustainable Impact

This category recognises innovations and ideas using technology, creativity and practical design to deliver measurable environmental, social or economic benefits. Entries can include products, services, platforms, processes or programmes that address real-world challenges.

Creative IP Excellence

This category celebrates original work in the creative industries and recognises creators and innovators who use copyright and related intellectual property protections to turn creative ideas into value. Eligible work can include film, animation, music, photography, visual art, books, software, games and digital content.

Innovative Ideas on the Fight Against Counterfeit Goods and Post-Seizure Waste Solutions

This category focuses on solutions that detect, prevent, report or reduce counterfeit goods, as well as innovative approaches to managing confiscated and forfeited materials through recycling, repurposing, safe disposal or value recovery.

MSME Innovation Excellence

This category recognises micro, small and medium enterprises that use intellectual property strategically to drive innovation, business growth and competitiveness. This can include the use of patents, trade marks, designs or copyright to develop products, strengthen brands, enter new markets or build long-term business value.

Women Shaping IP

This category celebrates women innovators, creators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are using intellectual property to turn ideas into value, grow businesses, support communities and drive innovation.

The evolution of the categories is important. It shows that the awards are not simply a competition with the same five boxes to tick every year; the programme can respond to emerging priorities and different expressions of innovation.

Who Won in 2026?

The 2026 awards recognised five category winners:

Innovation for Sustainable Impact: Thapelo Tlailana

Women Shaping IP: Nondumiso Nkosi

MSME Innovation Excellence: Kabelo Mahlobogwane

Innovative Ideas on the Fight Against Counterfeit Goods and Post-Seizure Waste Solutions: Sinawo Siqebengu

Creative IP Excellence: Sbusiso Manqa

The winners were recognised for ideas and innovations demonstrating the kind of creativity, commercial potential and impact that the awards are designed to encourage.

And if you're considering entering a future edition, I would encourage you to look beyond the fact that these individuals won. Study what made their work stand out. Think about the problem they were addressing, the originality of their solution, the impact it could create and how intellectual property formed part of the value of what they were building.

What Does CIPC Look For?

The judging criteria provide a useful indication of what applicants should be thinking about before they submit an entry.

For the 2026 awards, entries were assessed against factors including:

Originality and innovation

The uniqueness of the idea

Impact and commercial viability

The potential to benefit industries, communities or the economy

Intellectual property protection and ownership

The strength and validity of the intellectual property

In other words, having an interesting idea is only part of the equation.

You need to be able to explain what makes your idea different, why it matters, who it benefits and how it could create value.

How Do You Apply?

For the 2026 cycle, applications were submitted online through the official CIPC IP Youth Awards entry platform.

Applicants were required to provide a detailed description of their idea, together with a brief explanation of its impact and potential. Applicants were also responsible for selecting the correct category; CIPC stated that judges would not move entries into another category, and entries submitted under the wrong category would not be considered.

The 2026 application deadline was Friday, 13 March 2026, ahead of the awards ceremony on 26 March 2026.

If you are interested in applying for a future edition, don't wait for applications to open before you start preparing.

Start Preparing Before the Call for Entries

One of the biggest lessons I took away from the awards is that preparation matters.

If you have an idea that you believe could compete at this level, start documenting it now.

Ask yourself:

What problem does my idea solve?

What makes my solution different?

Who benefits from it?

Can I demonstrate its potential impact?

What intellectual property do I own?

Have I taken steps to protect it?

Can I explain the commercial potential of what I am building?

Do I have evidence, documentation or a prototype that strengthens my submission?

You don't need to have every answer today.

But you do need to start asking the questions.

What About the 2027 Awards?

At the time of writing, the official CIPC IP Youth Awards website does not provide confirmed 2027 application dates or a published set of 2027 categories.

That means there is currently no reason to assume that the 2026 categories, requirements or deadlines will simply be carried over unchanged.

If the programme continues into its next cycle, I would recommend checking the official CIPC IP Youth Awards website for the new call for entries rather than relying on information from the previous year.

And when those applications open, we will update this article.

A Note from the Founder

One of the reasons I attend events like the CIPC IP Youth Awards is because I want SkillMzansi to become more than a platform that shares opportunities.

I want us to become a trusted guide.

There are thousands of competitions, grants, awards and development programmes announced every year. Not all of them deserve your time.

When I recommend an opportunity, it is because I have taken the time to understand who it is for, what the organisers are trying to achieve and whether I believe it has genuine value for the community we are building.

The CIPC IP Youth Awards is one of those opportunities.

If you're building something original—whether it's a product, a business, a creative work, an invention or an idea that could become something much bigger—I encourage you to pay attention to this programme.

You don't have to wait until someone tells you that your idea is worth recognising.

Start building it. Start protecting it. Start preparing for the opportunities that could help take it further.

3.