Institutional development · Research, innovation and assessment · South Africa
Universities South Africa feature urges research-to-product push, citing prosthetic foot inventor
Universities South Africa has published a feature saying it is time for universities to turn research into products, featuring an inventor whose award-winning prosthetic foot began with his student book allowance.
Why it matters: Universities are the institutions the Universities South Africa feature calls on to turn their research into products.
Universities South Africa (USAf) published a feature on 19 October 2026 under the title "It’s time for universities to turn research into products".
According to USAf, Zanodumo Godlimpi built the first prototype of what became an award-winning prosthetic foot with money from his student book allowance.
USAf reports that Godlimpi has since obtained a Technology Innovation Agency grant, international patents and a national title.
Godlimpi says money is no longer his biggest obstacle, according to the feature.
Editor’s view
Scott James, Research and Innovation Editor
Universities are the institutions the USAf feature calls on to turn research into products, and the inventor it features says funding is no longer his biggest obstacle.
