Comfortable Home Selector Grant Greyling is passionate about building South Africa and believes that business and entrepreneurship are key to realising SA’s potential. With diverse experience in asset management, management consulting and global business development, Grant is on board to ensure that the entries selected are commercially viable. He currently works as a Senior Investment Case Specialist at the Technology Innovation Agency, a national government funding agency.
After his undergraduate BSc (Geomatics) degree at UCT, Grant realised his passion for business and entrepreneurship which led to him completing his BCom Honours at UCT; thereafter gaining diverse experience in asset management, management consulting and global business development. Grant’s desire to create positive change has led him to his current position at the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). TIA’s core business objective is to support the development and commercialisation of competitive technology-based services and products. The Agency primarily uses South Africa’s science and technology base to develop new industries, create sustainable jobs and help diversify the economy. It invests in the following technology sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Agriculture, Industrial Biotechnology, Health, Mining, Energy and ICT. Grant hopes to find solutions that will make a significant and positive impact on people’s lives.
We interviewed Grant about his experience with the BLC:
What sparked your interest in the Better Living Challenge?
I am frustrated with the lack of progress in uplifting the housing conditions of the poor majority in South Africa.
Why is the Better Living Challenge so valid?
South Africa has three major challenges; education, crime and housing. By solving the housing challenge, education and crime will also improve. A comfortable home creates an enabling environment for students to study and gain important skills to enter the market place.
What are some of the exciting aspects of being part of the BLC Selection Panel? And what are you looking for as a Selector?
Seeing affordable and innovative local solutions to local challenges was exciting. As a selector in the Comfortable Home category, I was looking for entries that could have a large impact with regards to comfort, coupled with potentially sustainable business models.
What skills have you had to call upon in your role as a BLC Selector?
Many hours of watching Dragon’s Den.
What would you like to see the Better Living Challenge achieve in the long run?
In the short term I would like to drive to the airport and see people living in comfortable houses. In the long term I would like to see South Africa’s unemployment and crime rates drop.
What green product/s do you use in your own home?
I try and purchase local products in order to build the local supply chain instead of importing goods.
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