Mr Value Basis, in collaboration with Universities South Africa, have launched the Waste Innovation Problem, a nationwide initiative that invitations college college students and up to date graduates to develop commercially viable options that tackle plastic waste. The launch is hosted on the Durban College of Expertise (DUT) in Pietermaritzburg, in recognition of the establishment’s ongoing work in inexperienced innovation, utilized analysis and sustainable waste practices throughout the KwaZulu-Natal area.
The initiative positions plastic waste as a platform for enterprise improvement, innovation and financial participation. It calls on college students and up to date graduates from all 26 public universities to reimagine plastic waste as a useful resource that may be reworked into merchandise, companies or applied sciences with clear environmental profit and industrial potential. The launch is going down in Pietermaritzburg, hosted on the Durban College of Expertise.
The Problem is delivered via Universities South Africa’s Entrepreneurship Improvement in Greater Training (EDHE) programme. EDHE will lead recruitment throughout the general public college system, coordinate college participation, and ship the entrepreneurship improvement pipeline from coaching via to the nationwide finals. The launch is going down in Pietermaritzburg, hosted on the Durban College of Expertise.
South Africa’s waste economic system holds vital untapped potential. In 2023, the nation recycled roughly 431,800 tonnes of plastic, but solely 27.5% of collected plastic materials was processed into usable recycled supplies, highlighting gaps between assortment, processing and worth creation.¹ South Africa additionally generates greater than 100 million tonnes of basic waste yearly, with the bulk nonetheless landfilled or stockpiled.² Putting this work inside greater training expands the function of universities as websites of innovation that translate studying into enterprise — and enterprise into livelihoods.
“Financial resilience grows when younger individuals can flip actual issues into viable companies,” mentioned Octavius Phukubye, Government Director on the Mr Value Basis. “This Problem is designed to construct inexperienced entrepreneurs. It connects alternative to sensible expertise, credible pathways, and options that may scale in the true economic system.”
The Problem creates entry at scale via universities. It reaches younger innovators the place they study, construct and check concepts. It strengthens entrepreneurship improvement in greater training as a sensible bridge between training and enterprise.
Dr Edwell Gumbo, Director of Entrepreneurship Improvement in Greater Training at Universities South Africa, mentioned, “The Waste Innovation Problem exhibits what entrepreneurship in greater training can ship when it’s linked to actual market wants. It provides college students a structured pathway to construct options with industrial potential. It additionally strengthens the function of universities in supporting a extra sustainable economic system, whereas creating sustainable waste options within the nation.”
Participation is open to college students and up to date graduates throughout South Africa’s 26 public universities, and aged between 18 and 34 years.
As much as 400 qualifying individuals will obtain coaching in waste-to-value enterprise fashions, round economic system rules, product improvement and pitching. From this cohort, 20 groups shall be chosen for an intensive bootcamp, earlier than finalists current their improvements on the EDHE Nationwide Finals within the ultimate quarter of the yr.
5 successful groups will share R245,000 in prize funding, with R100,000 awarded to first place, R75,000 to second place, R40,000 to 3rd place, R20,000 to fourth place, and R10,000 to fifth place.
Successful groups can even obtain mentorship, enterprise improvement assist, technical and sustainability coaching, and nationwide publicity to companions and potential buyers.
“The Basis’s function is to deliver the ecosystem collectively,” Phukubye added. “We join youth potential to functionality, alternative and enterprise. We again options which are rooted in native realities. We again options that may scale.”
Find out how to enter: Full the Expression of Curiosity kind by the twenty seventh of February 2026 on the EDHE web site: www.edhe.co.za
