Congratulations to the winners of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy!
Registration is now closed for the Milken-Motsepe Prize in FinTech.
green energy hero

University of Cape Town: UCT graduates take home over R4.5m in Motsepe-backed prize

Omnivat, a renewable energy startup founded by five University of Cape Town (UCT) graduates, are the runners-up of a prestigious energy innovation competition backed by billionaire Patrice Motsepe.

With a cash prize of $250 000 (R4.6 million), they set out to explore partnerships with healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape as pilot sites for their project – essentially a power system consisting of solar panels, batteries, and hydrogen, pre-packaged in a shipping container. The innovative design creates a shaded marketplace that provides reliable power to users, even when the sun isn’t shining, News24 previously reported.

 

Read the full article here.

More News

Loughborough University: Loughborough excels in latest Knowledge Exchange Framework Assessment

IP & commercialisation: Aftrak is an innovative microgrid solution that integrates energy access with 100% renewable electric agriculture and deep bed farming to boost crop yield, income and ensure sustainable electricity for millions of African smallholder farmers and their communities. Invented and manufactured at the University in partnership with the Consortium for Battery Innovation and Tiyeni, the solution has accelerated from initial concept to successful trial in less than 18 month.   Read the full article here.

Read More »
News clips

Motsepe Foundation: AgriTech in Africa Can Pave the Way for Global Food Security

“Humanitarian aid should never be a challenge for African societies. If we can coordinate and manage production among 33 million smaller holder farmers, we have enough for ourselves and to feed the world.”   Tendai Chitapi, the co-founder of the agritech startup Kuronga, has lived and worked in some of the biggest cities in the world. During a 17-year career in finance, his humble beginnings in Harare took him to Durban, then Shanghai, Dubai, and finally Sandton. No longer inspired by the glamour of a big city life, Chitapi packed it all up to find home on a farm in Vaal River.   Read the full article here.

Read More »
News clips

NTV Kenya: Malawi tests solar-powered African tractor

Africa’s first solar-powered tractor is undergoing field tests in Malawi. Experts say the hand-operated “Aftrak,” or Africa tractor, could help smallholder farmers improve crop yields. Here’s a refined version: The solar-powered ‘Aftrak’ tractor aims to assist Malawi’s smallholder farmers in breaking through the tough top layer of their soil. Read the full article here.

Read More »