FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | May 11th 2026
The Trevor Noah Foundation (TNF) has announced an expansion of its Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund (KNIF), with Microsoft Elevate joining as a co-funding partner to support five additional South African nonprofit organisations advancing innovative solutions in educator enablement and youth development.
This announcement builds on the longstanding partnership between the Trevor Noah Foundation and Microsoft South Africa, which began in 2018 when Microsoft joined the Foundation as a technology partner to help expand digital skills and technology-enabled learning in South African schools. Over the years, the collaboration has supported teacher development, digital literacy, and innovation across TNF programmes.
Launched in 2025 at the Skoll World Forum, the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund is a venture philanthropy initiative that provides flexible funding to South African education nonprofits implementing bold approaches to strengthen teacher development and expand youth opportunity pathways.
With the support of Microsoft Elevate in South Africa, TNF will now extend funding and ecosystem support to five additional grantee partners whose work reflects the diversity of community-rooted innovation driving education transformation in South Africa.
“Khulani Nathi is about backing the ideas and leadership that already exist within community-based organisations at varying stages of institutional maturity that are advancing locally rooted innovations beyond proof of concept and positioned for growth, scale, and systems impact,” said Sibongile Maepa, Grantmaking Lead at The Trevor Noah Foundation.
The expansion is part of Microsoft’s broader Microsoft Elevate initiative, which strengthens the institutions and systems communities rely on so people can learn, work, and thrive in the AI economy. By combining trusted technology, practical training, and strategic partnerships, Microsoft Elevate supports organisations in adopting AI responsibly while expanding access to opportunity.
Through its partnership with the Trevor Noah Foundation, Microsoft Elevate is helping strengthen education systems and nonprofit organisations working to equip learners, educators, and communities with the skills needed for an AI-enabled future.
“Technology can be a powerful enabler, but only when people have the skills and support to use meaningfully,” said Tiara Pathon, Microsoft Elevate AI Skills Director for Microsoft South Africa. “By working with organisations like the Trevor Noah Foundation, Microsoft Elevate is helping to strengthen local leadership, expand digital and AI skills and ensure that innovation reaches communities where it can have the greatest impact.” Microsoft South Africa’s broader collaboration with the Trevor Noah Foundation includes investments in teacher training, nonprofit capacity building, and technology enablement across TNF’s programmes, including the Khulani Schools Programme and the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund. The partnership aims to ensure that advances in AI and digital tools enhance human potential while expanding access to quality education and future-ready skills.
KNIF grantees represent a range of strategic focus areas, from educator training and learning resources to youth-led leadership development and innovative learning-to-earning pathways. Together, they demonstrate how locally grounded innovation can address some of South Africa’s most pressing education challenges.
Beyond funding, KNIF positions TNF as a catalytic partner and ecosystem enabler. Grantees participate as a learning cohort, creating space for peer exchange, shared problem-solving, and adaptation. Through this platform, TNF provides visibility, learning support, and access to networks to help organisations strengthen and scale what works.
“Innovation doesn’t always begin at scale. Transformative ideas start locally and grow through learning and iteration,” said Shalane Yuen, Founding Managing Director of the Trevor Noah Foundation. “The Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund prioritises learning, adaptation, and experimentation so organisations can strengthen what works and change what doesn’t.”
The Trevor Noah Foundation remains committed to backing proximate leaders, capable organisations, and new approaches that respond to local realities, not only those already proven at scale. Partnerships such as the one with Microsoft Elevate help unlock new opportunities for innovative organisations working to improve education and expand pathways for young people.
Congratulations to the inaugural KNIF cohort and our newly announced grantee partners:
- Community and Individual Development Association for Entrepreneurship Education and Employment (CIDA-E3, also referred to as E3)
- GRIT – Gender Rights in Tech
- iSchoolAfrica Education Trust
- ORT SA Cape Trust
- Umuzi
For media-related enquiries, please contact Ms Olona Tywabi, Communications Manager, at olona@trevornoahfoundation.org
For media-related enquiries for Microsoft South Africa, please contact Mr Ruben Platt, Head of Communications
About Trevor Noah Foundation
Trevor Noah Foundation is an ode to the most incredible gift Trevor Noah has ever received: learning. We believe education is the seed from which everything grows and is fuelled by Trevor’s love for education, giving kids an opportunity, and the teachers who got him to where he is today. Trevor Noah Foundation is a Public Benefit Organization registered in South Africa since 2018 and is fiscally sponsored in the United States by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a public 501(c)(3) organization. EIF is a Charity Navigator 4-Star Charity that meets all 20 Better Business Bureau charity standards, carries the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, and is recognized by Forbes amongst America’s top charities.
