The Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship has just reached a major organisation milestone, as November 2021 marked ten years since its inception. 

Founded in 2011, the centre continues to teach for impact, research for action, convene for results, catalyse for change, and advocate for social justice. This is in line with its mission to build capacity and pioneer practices in Africa – with partners, practitioners and students – as we forge a path for the systemic impact of social innovation. 

“We draw our inspiration from the many collaborators and organisations we work with in academia, entrepreneurship, government and civil society who are daily finding ways to make a difference. The Bertha Centre wants to support and enhance their efforts while playing to our strengths.” - Solange Rosa, Director of the Bertha Centre.

With a team made up of portfolios in Educating, Health Systems Innovation, Innovative Finance, Systems Justice Innovation, Youth Development and Innovation, and our Scholars Programme, the Bertha Centre is proud of its achievements in social impact to date. From equipping and inspiring nearly 100 changemakers through our scholarship programme, publishing regularly and growing a library of over 250 relevant African case studies, to launching the first ever impact bond in the Global South and developing a pioneering social innovation MOOC - Massive Open Online Course.

Looking forward, the Bertha Centre hopes to carry this momentum into the next decade, which will focus on four key strategic areas: 

1. Increasing the number of changemakers who have a systemic social impact
2. Transforming the way resources are used for social impact
3. Working with partners to achieve tangible social impact in priority areas
4. Be at the forefront of social innovation and thought leadership for social justice

This work continues to be vital, especially as COVID-19 has left many social, economic, and environmental gains from the past decade in tatters and the challenges of poverty, systemic inequality, and climate change (to name a few) look increasingly intractable. 

Read more about the Bertha Centre’s work, what we have achieved to date and our strategic direction into the future in our 10 Year Review document here