By: The Division of Communications & Advancement
Ntobeko Promise Songcata, a Rhodes University PhD student, has been awarded the prestigious R700,000 start-up grant from the SAB Foundation. His biotechnology start-up, Pro'land Biotech, co-founded with Charles Arineitwe, was recognised for their innovative invention, PetriCam, at the 2024 Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards. Pro’land Biotech is one of the first spinouts of the recently established Rhodes Enterprises (Pty) Ltd.
PetriCam is a groundbreaking device developed to provide scalable and real-time analysis of microbial organisms for various industries, including environmental monitoring and pharmaceutical quality control. Developed at the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC), this invention addresses critical challenges in microbial analysis and aims to revolutionise research diagnostics and industrial applications.
This award is a part of the SAB Foundation's Social Innovation Awards programme, which supports businesses with products or services that improve the lives of women, youth, people in rural areas, and people with disabilities. The programme offers challenge funding and tailored mentorship to innovators with solutions to social issues in South Africa. Prizes range from R300 000 to R1.3 million and are used as an investment in innovation. The start-up grant will help accelerate the development and commercialisation of PetriCam.
This achievement is particularly significant as Rhodes University celebrates its 120th anniversary (RU120), marking its longstanding academic excellence and innovation tradition. Songcata's success highlights the cutting-edge research being conducted at the University and reinforces its commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial talent and addressing real-world challenges, a core theme of the RU120 celebrations. This milestone is an inspiring reminder that potential Rhodes University students must make impactful contributions locally and globally.
Songcata, the co-founder and CEO of Pro’Land Biotech, expressed his gratitude in a press release for the recognition, highlighting the importance of such innovation in the Eastern Cape, where biotechnology solutions are limited. “Mr Songcata is grateful to see that his work and efforts into developing the PetriCam device are now getting recognised and financially supported,” the press release read. His co-founder, Charles Arineitwe, stressed that the grant will propel PetriCam towards commercialisation, enabling further development and optimisation.
PetriCam has already gained national and international recognition, including first prize in the Eastern Cape Innovation Challenge 2022/23 and being shortlisted as a top 12 African innovation finalist at the AIT Swiss-Africa Conference in Nigeria. The duo is committed to driving African-led innovations, focusing on solutions tailored to the continent’s health and agriculture sectors. Mr Songcata and Mr Arineitwe are PhD students at Rhodes University in Biotechnology and Pharmacology, respectively. Songcata is also one of the eight students to receive multiple awards at the recent Top 120 Student Leadership Awards.