Through DSI, a range of innovative citizen science programmes have been supported. In the Duzi-uMgeni River Catchment, Enviro-Champs have been empowering communities to monitor – and improve – water quality, building extensive stakeholder partnerships in the process. The Water Research Commission has placed graduates in public and private water entities and has supported ‘Manzipreneurs’ to start enterprises. The CSIR has placed science graduates in experiential training with the aim of improving the graduation rate for science, technoogy and engineering students and the HSRC supported Health Promotion Agents in communities, in the context of the pandemic. Budgets from the initial allocation were rolled over to the following financial year.