Stellenbosch researcher-turned-entrepreneur is building affordable prosthetics
Access to prosthetics remains a global challenge. The World Health Organization estimates that only one in 10 people who need prostheses can access them. In South Africa, the number is just as stark — with cost and functionality forming the biggest barriers.
From undergraduate project to purpose-driven innovation
For Amohetsoe Shale, this challenge is not abstract. It became personal long before her journey brought her to Stellenbosch University (SU). What began as an undergraduate project at Walter Sisulu University is now a purpose-driven venture shaped within Stellenbosch’s innovation ecosystem — where it is not unusual for academic research, entrepreneurship, and real-world impact to intersect.
Today, Amohetsoe is an MEng Sc in Biomedical Engineering student at SU and the founder of NAVU Mobility, a venture focused on designing affordable, high-performing prosthetic knees for amputees.
As part of her undergraduate academic project, Amohetsoe had the opportunity to work in a clinical setting with amputees in Matatiele, the northern part of the Eastern Cape Province. While working with amputees at a prosthetics clinic, she watched patients travel hours for consultations, only to leave without meaningful improvement.
“I remember the look of disappointment on their faces as they turned back, without an improvement, having travelled for hours, to get to the clinic,” says Amohetsoe as she recalls the shame she felt knowing that there is technology available in South Africa to assist such patients, but could not access, due to financial costs of having one.
Finding a home for impact-driven research at Stellenbosch University
When she later joined SU, she walked into a community deeply committed to solving such problems — one where students, researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs are supported to design solutions with real societal impact.
“I refused to accept that an amputee’s mobility and livelihood, dignity, and freedom should be determined by their bank balance. NAVU began as an effort to turn my research on affordable, high-performing prosthetic knees into solutions that people could genuinely access. It has since become our promise to design durable, locally manufacturable prosthetic knees that restore mobility without financially crippling families,” Amohetsoe says.
Entrepreneurship as community and survival
Growing up in Kei Road, a small farming town in the Eastern Cape, entrepreneurship was not a buzzword; but was survival and community. Everyone collaborated for the local community to function well. That taught Amohetsoe early that business can be communal, create jobs, keep wealth circulating, and lift families.
NAVU has evolved from a concept into a prototype-driven venture, with significant advancements in its knee design through various iterations. The process has involved refining materials, simplifying manufacturing steps, and prioritising performance in practical, rural conditions rather than solely in laboratory settings. Consulting with clinicians and gathering feedback from amputees has informed the prioritisation of key features such as durability, ease of maintenance, and adjustability.
Supported by SU’s Innovation Ecosystem
Like many innovators, Amohetsoe has navigated challenges, from funding limitations to the complexities of certified testing. However, she is quick to note the role of Stellenbosch in helping her push forward.
“We’ve bootstrapped where we could, and SU’s support — access to equipment, mentors, and partners — has made all the difference,” she says.
NAVU is now refining its next prototype series and preparing for clinical validation with partners before moving into small-scale manufacturing pilots.
A Call to Entrepreneurs
In support and favour of collaboration, Amohetsoe advises entrepreneurs to not work in silos and note that entrepreneurship is a collaborative journey that relies on constant conversations with users, mentors, and partners.
“Seek early user feedback, surround yourself with mentors who challenge you, and be strategic about finances, bootstrap when possible, but raise funds when necessary. Above all, build with humility and purpose, remembering that your product may significantly impact people’s everyday lives,” she says.
Click here to see more on NAVU Mobility and their work.
