Building a sustainable future by promoting eco-inclusive youth entrepreneurship

With a growing population and pressing environmental concerns, it is more important than ever that we turn to the youth to create a brighter future for our planet. Young entrepreneurs give us great hope for the future of sustainability and eco-friendliness across the world. By creating innovations and businesses that focus on ethical systems and positive change, these entrepreneurs are building economic foundations and creating jobs in their local communities while helping protect the environment. 

Against the backdrop of COP26, key issues concerning how we will innovate came to light, particularly what the youth are doing to innovate. In partnership with the British High Commission and the Mail & Guardian, the South African Youth Climate Innovation Awards help shed light on South Africa’s youth innovating towards a sustainable green future.

After unearthing potential candidates from across South Africa through targeted campaigns, up to 260 000 people were reached and over 26 000 public votes cast through the online platform for the public’s favourite innovation. On 20 January 2022, almost four months after the launch of South African Youth Climate Innovations Awards (SAYCIA), we announced the 26 winners in the categories of Water, Energy, Waste, Agriculture and Ecosystem Restoration for 2021. 

South Africa’s youth have changed policies, global conversations and societal perspectives on so many issues, it only makes sense that this same youth wants to do something about climate change. These youths are focusing on climate action through innovation to bring about positive change, starting within their communities. 

With all the innovations that were put forward by our award-winners that aim to protect our natural resources, repurpose our waste, revitalise our ecosystems, provide clean energy, and enable sustainable food resources, it’s hard not to view the future with hope. The next step envisaged is to support and empower our eco-inclusive entrepreneurs by providing them with the tools they need to create products or deliver services that help make our world cleaner and greener.

By providing the right tools and education young people will be able to develop the appropriate skill sets and build sustainable futures. These young entrepreneurs not only shine as role models for future generations — they can transform economies around the world. It is time to start encouraging the youth to use their skills to do some good, not just for their country but for everyone on this planet. 

Climate action by these youths brings about more than just positive change in the fight against global warming. On a local level, pursuing climate action also means tackling some of South Africa’s harshest challenges, such as the triple threats of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Action against climate change tackles more than climate issues: it tackles societal issues, and our ability to act can help provide solutions to such threats. By creating awareness, providing support, and empowering our youth with programmes such as SAYCIA, better work can be done to encourage growth and innovation to help secure a sustainable future for us all. 

WATER

Electri-Coal Technologies

Mfanelo Ndlela

KwaZulu-Natal

This technology improves service delivery in local municipalities by saving water through recycling and reusing municipal wastewater, by using Smart Water Sensors and Water Tank Monitoring Systems. 

Gawula Vatsakeme Multipurpose co-operative limited

Netion Rikhotso

Limpopo

We build underground biogas digesters that use animal dung and food waste to produce biogas energy for cooking and water heating. The slurry from this process is then used as compost to aid crop growth.

TKN Greenhouse Technology

Given Ngwamba

Limpopo

By converting our local agricultural waste into a clean green charcoal briquette, it allows a cleaner alternative to harvesting nearby forests in order to provide energy. 

Ma-Afrika Energy Group

Abongile Nkqayi

Western Cape

This group seeks to process waste material for organic waste producers, wood manufacturers and sawmills into reliable energy, fertiliser and sustainable youth jobs using Proudly (SA) Gasification Technology.

Impilo Eco Charcoal

Mbali Mashele

Mpumalanga 

Through our eco-friendly technologies and processes, we recycle agricultural waste, industrial waste and invasive alien plants to produce Premium Quality Eco-Charcoal Briquettes, used for cooking, braais and for heating. 

Owethu Buhle

Makhotso Molelekoa

Free State

We produce quality briquettes, turning waste into energy to provide cleaner and greener cooking, heating, and grilling solutions for households and businesses.

 

Dziphathutshedzo Green Technologies

Phathutshedzo Mudau

Limpopo

We collect plastic and biomass waste and convert them into useful materials such as charcoal briquettes and organic fertiliser made from 100% organic waste.

WASTE

MUMM Pty Ltd

Fatima Willem

Eastern Cape

Our innovation is a reusable, biodegradable sanitary panty which is aimed at contributing to helping girls and women in disadvantaged communities better manage their menstruation, breaking stigmas about their biological functions.

Cubic38

Mzokona Maxase

Gauteng

Our products are created from recycled materials such as old tyres, and they are environmentally friendly, from the manufacturing process to the end user (the consumer). 

Kudoti

Gift Lubele

Gauteng

Kudoti builds more circular economies by digitising and optimising waste supply chains across waste collectors, recyclers, manufacturers and brands. Our goal is to help brands, producer responsibility organisations and governments reach a zero-waste impact, by allowing them to create and manage supply chains that divert waste away from the environment or landfills and towards circular economy applications. 

Coffee Zen

Alex Ralston

Limpopo/Gauteng

Coffee Zen diverts waste through the collection of spent coffee grounds, to repurpose and create products from waste using 3D printing and selling up-scaled items that contribute to a circular economy. 

Anisoptera

Zain Bana

Western Cape

Anisoptera is a software developer and solutions provider that has designed a SAAS software platform that can identify and distinguish between different waste streams to enhance the efficiency of waste processing and separation, which adds more value by reducing contaminants entering the system. 

Khwezi Innovations (ProAct Layer)

Nonhlanhla Mhlongo

Gauteng

ProAct-Layer Glove Sanitizer is a biodegradable tow-in-one glove-like hand sanitiser that you apply onto your hands, which stays effective for 20-30 minutes. The glove can be peeled off, and it dissolves in water within a few minutes.

ZEHDI (Pty) Ltd

Zintle Ndamase

Eastern Cape

We are dedicated towards providing high quality organic products such as organic fertilisers, seedlings and dried fruit.

AGRICULTURE

Ole Blu

Anga Mbeyiya

Eastern Cape

Ole Blu hopes to begin Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) operations in her home province that promote biodiversity by farming seaweed.  

Smart Farming

Andile Matukane

Gauteng

Farmer’s Choice does rooftop farming, a smart way to produce food in urban spaces. The rooftop farm produces organic vegetables, helps to rejuvenate neglected spaces and buildings by turning them in to green spaces, saves 65-90% of water and produces affordable fresh produce.

The GreenTops Initiative

Zinzile Sibanda

KwaZulu-Natal

The GreenTops initiative is an innovative way of introducing agriculture into urban cities. It does so by making use of urban rooftops and city spaces, as the basis for a hydroponic kind of farming. 

Senzimehluko

Tiisetso Maditsi (Wildcard Public Vote Winner)

Limpopo

The company was registered to create job opportunities and uplift youth in rural communities through skills development.

Litha Urban Fresh

Thina Mazonda

Eastern Cape 

Litha Urban Fresh recycles food waste to make organic fertiliser for organic vegetable production. It also makes plant-based insecticide that promotes ecological diversity in gardena. Gardening solutions are provided to urban dwellers so they can grow fresh vegetables and herbs. 

Brody Bros

Langalibalele Sikosana

Gauteng

We have a large piece of land with two ponds in it. We do traditional crop farming on one portion of the farm and aquaculture farming with fish on the other part. Our farming has restored the ecosystem and provided food security for the local community.

ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

Litter4Tokens

Clare Swithenbank-Bowman

KwaZulu-Natal

Litter4Tokens track each bag of plastic, marine debris and trash brought into each kiosk per week via an app. The app tracks the numbers of tokens distributed, the ID, name and surname of each T4T collector, and the number of goods redeemed for the tokens. This data is shared with the local business communities who sponsor each T4T kiosk, thereby showing its outreach efforts and the individuals impacted.

Intelminds

Thandokazi Khoza

Eastern Cape

At Intelminds we educate people on how to use indigenous agricultural practises that preserve the environment and how to maximise the piece of land one already has, to sustain lives through farming by starting right where they are.

REM Technologies

Molebogeng Motlanthe

Limpopo

The Green Grid Building concept is a sustainable property development concept that utilises natural resources: solar energy, rainwater harvesting systems and biological wastewater management systems to provide for basic household needs.

Euphrosyne Bio Charcoal

Mxolisi Mhlongo

KwaZulu-Natal

We are manufacturers of eco-friendly charcoal. Our enterprise has been using invasive alien trees to produce lumpwood charcoal since 2018. By removing these trees we’re hoping to restore the environment and maintain biodiversity.