Less Waste – More Innovation: Turning Eastern Cape Waste into Value

The National Cleantech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) – Eastern Cape Waste-to-Value Challenge is looking for innovative, technically viable solutions that convert waste into high-value products with proven market demand and can create employment opportunities for the province.

This challenge addresses the Eastern Cape’s waste management constraints, including limited waste collection coverage, inadequate recycling infrastructure, poor landfill compliance, and environmental health risks linked to improper disposal. While overall waste volumes may be lower than in more urbanised provinces, the environmental, social, and economic impact per unit of unmanaged waste is considerably higher.

According to the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST), the townships of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape are grappling with the escalating issue of illegal dumping. The city is struggling to keep up with about 2000 unauthorised dumpsites. Furthermore, inadequate disposal facilities and irregular official garbage collection services make this issue worse. Waste heaps keep building up, lowering the standard of living for residents and possibly having an adverse effect on their health.

Illegal dumping site in Walmer, Gqeberha captured on 3 March 202 by Propella Business Incubator

Over the years, as more people and organisations recognise the significance and worth of protecting our natural environment, discussions and initiatives in the sustainability area have increased. This has resulted in a rise of waste collection and management organisations that have been looking at ways to minimise poor waste management and maintain cleaner communities.

However, there is a huge gap for innovative solutions that use sustainable ways to turn waste to value.

So, what can we do with the waste?

Some organisations have started to look at ways that they could turn waste into value, in technologically advanced and sustainable approaches. The South African Breweries (SAB) through its Project Popeye has used their wastewater to irrigate spinach while ChemChamp transforms used solvents into valuable resources.

Project Popeye: SAB turns brewery waste into spinach

Image sourced from Social TV

The SAB created a commercial 2000m2 drip irrigation system that grows spinach in raised beds sustainably through its Ibhayi Brewery and the Project Eden Water Conservation Park.

The unique advantage of Project Popeye is that all of the crops' water and nutrient requirements are met by the wastewater generated during the brewing process, eliminating the need for additional water or fertilizer. Just around 10% of the water that flows through the spinach beds is "used," with the remaining 90% being reused. The brewery can recover more water through its water recycling facilities because to this "polishing" of the water. Production losses usually become a waste management issue for a business and, much too frequently, society.

SAB's innovative technique can transform these nutrients into a new agricultural product. This turns a potentially losing business into a profitable one with a environmentally friendly product.

ChemChamp: Giving solvent waste a new life

Image sourced from ChemChamp

ChemChamp Africa specialises in recovering used solvents into useful resources, encouraging sustainability and cutting down on solvent waste. The company started with a simple belief: waste is only waste if you waste it.ChemChamp combines accuracy, dependability, and accountability in their CNC machine shop to produce specialised solvent recycling equipment that meets worldwide standards.  Their devices reduce massive volumes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), recycling millions of litres of solvents annually.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, corporates, NGOs, tech startups in the Eastern Cape turning waste into opportunity.

The National Clean Tech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) is now calling for entries focused on Waste-to-Value solutions in urban and rural areas, particularly innovations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a low-carbon future.

Focus Waste categories:

• ·      Municipal waste
• ·      Organic waste
• ·      Hazardous waste
• ·      Industrial waste
• ·      Construction waste

This is your opportunity to scale your impact. From urban, township streets to rural landscapes, this is your opportunity to transform environmental challenges into economic possibilities.

To apply, visit: https://ncic-sa.org. Entries close 31 March 2026.

Let’s Turn Waste into Opportunity and Transform Eastern Cape Communities!

Propella is the Eastern Cape implementing partner for NCIC, delivered in partnership with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Global Cleantech Innovation Programme GCIP-SA , UNIDO , the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation(DSTI), and the Network for Global Innovation (NGIN).

For media enquiries and more information:

Zandile Silo | Propella Business Incubator | Marketing & Communications Zandile@propellaincubator.co.za | 041 592 3700 | 063 022 8233