Social Innovation Hub
What happens when changemakers, innovators, and community builders are given the space, technologies, and motivation to connect, collaborate, and co-create? Let’s find out.
The Social Innovation Hub at Rhodes University is a creative space that brings together university and community partners to work, learn, and engage with one another. Our focus is on both digital access and capability development - we want to provide the actual tools needed, but also to support people in using them effectively and responsibly in ways that align with their own goals.
The Hub provides access to computers, digital tools, and internet connectivity at the RUCE Workspace, creating a shared environment where people can develop ideas, collaborate on projects, and build relationships across different contexts. To widen access, the SIHub also supports mobile and flexible ways of working through the library and pop-up labs. These initiatives extend digital access beyond a single site and aim to reduce barriers for those who may not otherwise be able to make use of such resources.
A key focus of the Hub is the development of entrepreneurial capacities and socially responsive enterprises. This includes supporting individuals and groups to build practical skills and explore ways of responding to local challenges through sustainable and contextually relevant initiatives. The Hub further contributes to mapping and strengthening the community engagement ecosystem. By identifying connections and gaps between stakeholders, it supports more coordinated forms of collaboration between the University, organisations, and communities.
Established in July 2019, the Social Innovation Hub emerged from a European–South African Erasmus+ collaboration under the Common Good First project.
In this context, the Hub also advances social innovation as a form of higher education community engagement. It supports participatory and collaborative approaches that enable students, academics, and community members to work together in addressing social challenges, while building relationships, skills, and locally grounded knowledge.
Our Activities:
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For more information contact Thandiwe - t.matyobeni@ru.ac.za or 046 603 7227
Last Modified: Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:17:02 SAST