Our Partners & Sponsors
Join us in shaping the future of South African STEM education.
ViadexONE
ViadexONE is a global technology and services company operating at the intersection of infrastructure, efficiency, and sustainability.
As a founding partner of ZASDC, ViadexONE is supporting early-stage STEM education in South Africa, Thier partnership with the ZASDC is helping young people access the kind of real-world systems thinking and engineering experience that shapes careers in technology and innovation.
University Of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is Africa’s top-ranked university and a globally respected centre for research, teaching, and public good.
By hosting the South African Space Design Competition National Finals, UCT is supporting early exposure to advanced STEM learning and providing a real academic setting in which young people can engage with complex engineering and design challenges. This reflects UCT’s broader commitment to education, innovation, and the development of future scientific and engineering talent.
Viadex LTD
Viadex Ltd is an international technology and infrastructure company with a South African arm. As a founding sponsor of ZASDC, Viadex provides the operational and financial foundation for the competition's inaugural year.
Viadex’s commitment to backing practical STEM education is helping to create tangible pathways for South African students into engineering and technology.
UCT Space Society
The UCT Astronomy & Space Society (SpaceSoc) is one of the University of Cape Town's most active STEM student societies, bringing together undergraduate and postgraduate students with a shared passion for astronomy, space science, and exploration.
SpaceSoc members volunteer at the ZASDC National Finals as technical support and mentors, giving high school learners direct access to the kind of STEM undergraduate perspective that shapes early career thinking. For the volunteers themselves, ZASDC offers meaningful engagement with high-achieving young talent and hands-on event experience. Their involvement is essential to how the competition runs, providing the student-facing support that makes a two-day engineering simulation possible at scale.
Why Partner With The ZASDC?
The South African Space Design Competition (ZASDC) is part of a global network of Space Design Competitions spanning Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Canada, and Europe.
Each year, thousands of students worldwide participate in these industry-simulation challenges - and South Africa is now joining that international family.
Your support creates real opportunities for young people to launch into the world of engineering, innovation, and space exploration.
By partnering with the ZASDC, you’re supporting an initiative that:
Inspires and empowers high school learners across South Africa
Builds real-world engineering, design, teamwork, and leadership skills
Enables national-level STEM enrichment accessible to all
Connects South African students to an international stage at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Helps reduce educational inequality through complementary outreach programs
Ways To Partner With Us
We are currently seeking support in the following areas:
International Travel
Assisting the national champion team with travel to the International Space Settlement Design Competition in Florida.
School Outreach & Equity
Help us reach under-resourced schools and broaden access across all provinces.
Financial Sponsorship
General financial contributions to support national event costs, travel bursaries, and outreach programs.
Mentorship & Judging
Industry professionals and academics who can serve as mentors or judges at the National Finals.
Venue Sponsorship
Hosts for our March 2026 National Finals (auditorium, breakout rooms, AV/tech facilities).
Technology Support
Laptops, tablets, software licenses, printing, and technical services.
If you have any questions or are keen to help in any way, please reach out.
What we’re building
The ZASDC brings together:
The competition — a national two-day industry simulation
Digital qualifiers — accessible to schools across the country
Teacher support — training, guidance, and resources
National visibility — an exciting new STEM platform for South Africa
Pathways to international finals — representing SA in Florida
We are currently establishing our 2026 national team, and we’re inviting visionary partners to join us as founding supporters.
What Partners Receive
We tailor benefits to each partner’s goals, but sponsorship generally includes:
Brand placement on the ZASDC website
Logo presence at the National Finals event
Acknowledgment in press, digital materials, and presentations
Opportunities to meet and mentor talented students
Visibility across the growing national ZASDC community
Recognition as a founding supporter of the South African competition
High-impact partners may also receive additional tiered visibility based on their support.
Partner With Us!
If you or your organisation is interested in supporting South Africa’s next generation of engineers, designers, and innovators, we’d love to hear from you.
Email us at j.cooper-doubell@ssef.org.uk or find more details on our contact page.
Support Us directly
If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of South African students you are able to donate to our cause via our GoFundMe.
Any amount helps, and all funds will go solely to helping provide the opportunities the ZASDC offers to students accross South Africa.
Around The world
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Around The world 〰️
A Global Event
The ZASDC is part of an international network of Space Design Competitions held across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Each national competition challenges students to tackle real-world engineering problems. This all leads up to the International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC), held every July.
Winning teams from these national events, including a select team of students from the ZASDC, are invited to represent their country on the world stage at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA - the historic home of human spaceflight for over 50 years.
This extraordinary experience brings together some of the brightest young minds from around the globe to collaborate, compete, and design our future in space.
African Space Design Competition
United Kingdom Space Design Competition
European Space Design Competition