Vonnie Projects (Pty) Ltd is a women founded cleantech enterprise transforming agricultural and livestock waste into high value, climate positive products. Rooted in rural Limpopo and driven by lived experience, the company develops patented technologies that convert abundant, underutilised biomass, such as peanut byproducts and invasive sickle bush pods into sustainable animal feed and clean energy alternatives.
Their flagship innovation, Tokosickle™ Feed, is a scientifically validated, nutrient dense livestock feed produced through a proprietary waste upcycling process. It replaces expensive commercial feed with a circular, locally sourced alternative that reduces methane-linked emissions, strengthens climate resilience for smallholder farmers, and stabilises food production in drought-prone regions. Supported by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and Global Cleantech Innovation Program South Africa, Tokosickle™ in few months to come, will be pilot deployment with farmers across Limpopo, generating measurable improvements in herd health, feed affordability, and rural economic participation.
Complementing this is DungBrix™, a clean-burning biofuel briquette that substitutes firewood and coal with a renewable, low-emission energy source. By converting livestock waste into energy, DungBrix™ reduces deforestation, indoor air pollution, and household energy costs, while creating new income streams for rural women and youth.
Vonnie Projects (Pty) Ltd innovations directly advance South Africa’s Just Energy Transition by decentralising manufacturing, empowering rural communities, and proving that climate solutions can emerge from grassroots ingenuity. With international patent support through the CIPC Inventor Assistance Programme and growing global interest, Vonnie Projects is preparing to scale into regional and international markets.
"We are not only building products, we are building a circular rural economy where waste becomes opportunity, women lead industrial change, and African innovation contributes meaningfully to global climate action."

Adone Facilities management has developed an integrated circular feed system that converts organic waste into sustainable animal feed and organic fertilizer. The system combines Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae production with duckweed cultivation, using both solid and nutrient-rich liquid waste streams to produce dual protein sources. BSF larvae provide high-quality insect protein, while duckweed offers a fast-growing plant protein alternative. These are blended into a cost-effective feed solution for poultry, aquaculture, and livestock. The modular system reduces waste, lowers feed costs, and supports local production, contributing to circular agriculture, climate resilience, and sustainable food systems in emerging markets.

CircularBuild is a construction materials marketplace focused on reducing waste and improving efficiency in the construction industry.
In South Africa, a significant amount of construction materials is lost as waste each year, despite ongoing demand from builders and contractors. CircularBuild addresses this gap by enabling contractors, suppliers, and developers to sell surplus and unused materials instead of discarding them.

The platform connects supply and demand through a combination of on-the-ground sourcing and simple digital tools, allowing materials to be captured, listed, and redistributed quickly. This helps sellers recover value from unused stock while giving buyers access to more affordable materials.
CircularBuild is currently in its early operational phase, working directly with construction sites to identify surplus materials and facilitate real transactions between users. This hands-on approach allows the company to validate market demand, build trust, and refine its model based on real-world activity.

By improving material reuse, CircularBuild contributes to reducing construction waste, lowering carbon impact, and supporting a more circular economy within the built environment.
Over time, CircularBuild aims to expand into a broader infrastructure layer that supports logistics coordination, material data insights, and sustainability reporting across the construction value chain.

BCycle SA provides sustainable transportation solutions through a network of rental bicycles made from reclaimed plastic. Designed to reduce urban traffic congestion, carbon emissions and plastic waste, the service supports clean and affordable last-mile travel in South African cities. Addressing the gap in short-distance mobility, especially in Pretoria’s central areas, BCycle SA offers an alternative to cars, buses and taxis. In partnership with municipalities, including Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Polokwane, and research institutions such as UNISA and UJ PEETS, the company champions the use of bicycles as inclusive, low-carbon transport.

We-R-Eco provides plug-in modular biogas plants that convert organic waste and wastewater into renewable biogas and nutrient-rich fertilizer. Designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), these compact, plug-and-play units offer a low-cost, scalable solution to two pressing issues: ineffective waste management and the need for sustainable energy. The technology integrates selected microbes to optimize anaerobic digestion, resulting in higher biogas yields and reduced input needs. By displacing traditional fossil fuel-based energy and chemical fertilizers, the system reduces methane emissions, mitigates landfill overuse, and promotes circular economy practices. We-R-Eco enables off-grid energy access while supporting cleaner, climate-friendly operations across sectors.

The company developed a solution E-pacer 100 - a heavy-duty electric cargo bike designed to empower waste reclaimers and recyclers in informal and underserved communities. With a load capacity of 750–850 kg (including rider), the bike enables recyclers to cover long distances efficiently while transporting large volumes of collected waste. Targeting buy-back centers and SMMEs in South Africa’s low-barrier recycling economy, the E-pacer 100 offers an affordable, sustainable transport alternative to carts or trucks, which are often inaccessible or unaffordable. Developed by recyclers for recyclers, the bike supports dignified livelihoods, improves income margins, and addresses transportation challenges in the circular economy. It is a practical tool for those who currently rely on makeshift or unsafe transport methods in their daily work.

AB Farms developed a vertical hydroponic planter system designed to enable decentralized urban farming while addressing critical challenges such as land scarcity, water shortages and power instability. Unlike standard NFT hydroponic systems that require a continuous flow of water, this planter irrigates periodically, significantly reducing pump runtimes and overall energy use. This makes it especially well-suited for regions affected by load shedding, such as South Africa, where a constant power supply is not guaranteed. By decoupling irrigation from continuous energy inputs, the system allows crops to access mineral nutrients even during pump outages. Its vertical design also enables space-efficient food production in urban environments and eliminates the need for soil, making it adaptable to poor or nonexistent agricultural land. Targeted at helping communities to grow food closer to end users, the system improves food freshness and shelf life, while also reducing emissions and costs linked to long-distance transportation. With growing global populations and increasing pressure on water, energy, and arable land, this hydroponic solution offers a scalable and climate-resilient model for future food systems in emerging markets.

Khwezi Innovations addresses the environmental challenge of plastic waste caused by the improper disposal of disposable latex gloves. Commonly used in industrial, medical, and everyday settings, these gloves often end up in landfills and waterways, contributing to pollution and harming wildlife. In response, the company has developed a biodegradable 2-in-1 glove sanitizer that combines the functionality of a protective glove and hand sanitizer in a single, eco-friendly product. The glove provides up to one hour of protection, then peels off and dissolves in water within minutes, leaving no waste behind. Made from locally sourced organic materials in South Africa, the product supports environmental health while stimulating local green business. This solution offers a sustainable alternative to traditional gloves and contributes to reducing marine plastic pollution and landfill burden.

AdamVirgo addresses the persistent problem of illegal garbage dumping in and around townships and villages in South Africa, which leads to river pollution and marine life degradation. The proposed solution is a municipal skip bin system equipped with an AI-based reward mechanism to incentivize proper waste disposal. The system integrates facial recognition or fingerprint authentication and automated doors that open and close to regulate usage. Each time a registered user deposits garbage into the bin, the system records the waste volume and allocates reward points to the user’s mobile number. These points can be redeemed for basic goods at local retail stores, creating a direct benefit for responsible waste disposal behavior. The bin includes internal garbage sensors and tamper-proof tubing to protect electronic components, ensuring durability and scalability.