South Africa is pioneering new ways to embed ethical benefit sharing in genomics research through community-led decision-making. Speaking at the World Congress of Bioethics (WCB) in Johannesburg on 8–10 July, Ngoni Ngwarai, assistant director of systems and operations at the SAMRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), presented an operational blueprint for researchers, universities, funders and industry partners seeking to translate ethical principles into practical action.