Elihle Amahle Stali is the innovator behind groundbreaking AI smart glasses designed to support people who are visually impaired.
Image: Supplied
"Elihle, mfondini, khawundibambe isandla undincede ndiye toilet (Elihle, my boy, please hold my hand and help me to get to the toilet)."
Growing up in the township of Zwelitsha in the Eastern Cape, Elihle Stali heard these words from his grandmother every single morning.
He was her full-time child navigator. While other 11-year-olds ran around carefree, Stali was learning the high cost of a loved one losing their independence.
It was during those quiet mornings that he made a silent, radical vow: that he would find a way to give his grandmother and millions of visually impaired South Africans their dignity back.
Fast forward to today, and that childhood promise has manifested into Spectacles4TheBlind SA, a groundbreaking medical technology startup.
Co-founded alongside his partners Pheletso Molefe, Sinawo Zuba, Kwanele Mabanga, Ndunduzo Masuku and Ovayo Mhlengi, the company has engineered AI-powered smart frames that do not just process data but speak directly to the user in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu and Sesotho.
In a global landscape obsessed with standard tech applications like ChatGPT, Stali’s invention brings artificial intelligence directly to the ground where it is needed most.
Spectacles4TheBlind is an innovative assistive technology project focused on improving independence for visually impaired individuals through smart wearable design.
Image: Supplied
"Most people who know AI just know it for fast planning, nails or automated writing. But people living with disabilities are consistently left behind in innovation, even within tech and machine learning. We built our software entirely on what we know and need right here in South Africa," Stali explained over a phone call, his voice crackling with passion.
The innovation is an elite, inclusive assistant built into wearable frames. It allows visually impaired individuals to navigate, work and live independently while hearing their surroundings processed in their own mother tongue.
Stali’s journey into the world of tech was a deliberate, years-long grind. He was just 17 when he first executed the early iterations of this innovation at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in 2019.
He then went on to study Computer Science to back his passion with technical expertise.
Along the way, his business brains matched his coding skills. He claimed the top prize for Best Innovative Business Idea at the EDHE Intervarsity Competition in 2023 and became a Top 12 finalist at the GIBS Festival of Ideas.
For Stali, Spectacles4TheBlind SA is more than a commercial product; it is a statement about the capability of young, black South African minds. He is deeply intentional about ownership.
"As black people, we are innovators. Young people are incredibly smart, creative, and intelligent. But because of youth unemployment and other systemic issues, you rarely see a black person celebrated for doing something remarkable in tech. We are often made to feel scared," he told us.
Stali is refusing to let his narrative be rewritten or stolen. He revealed that the technology is already fully patented.
"We have already patented our product innovation. We don’t want to be fighting another war for our own intellectual property later down the line. I have the documents ready."
Elihle Stali’s vision for a more inclusive future is being realised through his development of AI-powered glasses designed to support visually impaired individuals.
Image: Supplied
Despite his impressive resume, the road to commercialisation was blocked by a familiar hurdle: funding.
Stali spent months knocking on institutional doors, sending endless corporate emails and applying for government grants. The response was a deafening silence. Refusing to let the dream die, he turned to the internet.
He created a TikTok account, uploaded a simple video explaining his mission, and watched the digital landscape ignite.
"Before the TikTok account, we were sitting on maybe R5,000 or R6,000 on the Backabuddy", he recalled.
"Then the video went viral. Suddenly, ordinary South Africans started donating. The momentum grew so fast that it caught the attention of the SABC and eNCA producers, who actually came to my house."
Through the raw power of Ubuntu, everyday citizens rallied together to push Stali toward his R80,000 fundraising target.
"I am so incredibly grateful for South Africa," he said softly. "The groundwork was completely done by ordinary people when the formal structures failed us."
The crowdfunding campaign was not for a vague concept; it was to clear the final travel and international exhibition fees for a massive global opportunity.
Spectacles4TheBlind SA was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Top 150 global startups to compete and exhibit at the Leap Startup East competition in Hong Kong, China.
China represents the direct pipeline Stali needs to take his working software and transition it into mass-produced, high-precision smart frames.
"By going to a country that leads the world in hardware and technology, this innovation will scale bigger."
Yet, his heart remains firmly anchored at home. The ultimate goal is not a luxury boutique launch, but widespread public health access.
"My innovation must be affordable and accessible. We want to supply these in bulk to the government to be cleared and distributed in public hospitals and NGOs. Once that foundation is set, we will look at creating premium pieces that anyone can buy in a retail store."
Stali can never give his late grandmother her sight back. But through sheer grit, community backing, and world-class AI engineering, he is well on his way to giving millions of visually impaired South Africans something just as powerful: their freedom.