Pee-Cycling wins Circular Innovation Challenge 2026, demonstrating the power of circular solutions to shape South Africa’s future

Cape Town, South Africa, 22 October 2026 – Following a competitive journey that culminated in a live pitch event at Vikara Institute’s annual Market Systems Symposium, which concluded on 21 October, Pee-Cycling has been named the winner of the Circular Innovation Challenge 2026. Led by SOLVE, a V&A Waterfront not-for-profit initiative, the challenge advances the Waterfront’s ambition to be a platform for sustainability and innovation by identifying, supporting and helping to scale circular solutions with the potential to deliver environmental, social and economic impact.

Now in its fourth year, the Circular Innovation Challenge continues to unlock practical innovation across a broad range of sectors. This year’s finalists span nutrient recovery, brine beneficiation, low-waste personal care and package-free retail. Together, they demonstrate how circular solutions can address environmental pressures while creating commercially relevant products, services and opportunities for communities.

As part of the V&A Waterfront’s role as a living laboratory for sustainability and innovation, the challenge connects promising circular solutions with expertise, partnerships and opportunities for real-world application.

A rigorous selection process

Entries underwent a comprehensive, multi-stage evaluation process. Submissions were assessed on innovation, circular economy impact, feasibility, scalability, commercial potential, environmental benefit and social impact.

An independent panel of experts from across the circular economy ecosystem reviewed the submissions and shortlisted the most promising solutions. The highest-ranked entrants advanced through successive judging rounds before the top four participants presented their concepts at the final pitch event.

Following the presentations, questions and deliberation, the judging panel selected Pee-Cycling as the winner.

Meet the top four finalists

Pee-Cycling

This Cape Town-based innovation transforms one of society’s most overlooked waste streams into valuable resources. The company captures urine and converts it into reusable water and nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser, creating a closed-loop system that reduces pollution, conserves water and recovers nutrients that would otherwise be lost.

Green Brine Technologies

Green Brine Technologies addresses the environmental challenge of desalination brine waste. Using advanced electrochemical and membrane technologies, the company converts hypersaline waste streams into valuable industrial chemicals, including caustic soda, hydrochloric acid and magnesium oxide, while eliminating harmful marine discharge.

noodees

noodees is reimagining personal care through single-use, plant-powered cleansing powders packaged in dissolvable paper. By eliminating conventional plastic packaging and reducing the need to transport water through supply chains, the company designs waste and pollution out of the system from the outset.

SKUBU

SKUBU, the world’s first fully automated refill-store concept, gives consumers access to affordable staple foods without disposable packaging. Operating in township communities, the business combines cost savings with environmental impact by making package-free shopping practical and economically attractive.

Spotlight on the winner: Pee-Cycling

The judging panel selected Pee-Cycling as the overall winner for its ability to address multiple environmental challenges while demonstrating strong commercial viability and scalability.

Born from research conducted at the University of Cape Town, Pee-Cycling has developed a process that separates urine from conventional wastewater streams and transforms it into reusable water and liquid fertiliser. The technology recovers valuable nutrients before they are lost through traditional sanitation systems, helping to reduce water pollution while creating a valuable agricultural product.

The company has demonstrated its technology at DHL Stadium in Cape Town through a build-own-operate partnership and has processed more than 10,000 litres of urine in its pilot operations. Its ability to turn a universally available waste stream into commercially valuable products reflects the core principles of the circular economy—eliminating waste, recovering value and regenerating natural systems—and demonstrates the kind of practical, scalable innovation the V&A Waterfront aims to advance through its sustainability and innovation platform.

The judging panel was particularly impressed by Pee-Cycling’s approach to nutrient recovery, clear pathway to scale, measurable environmental benefits and potential to rethink conventional sanitation systems.

Celebrating four years of impact

The 2026 challenge marks another milestone in the evolution of the Circular Innovation Challenge. Over the past four years, the initiative has strengthened the V&A Waterfront’s role as a platform for sustainability and innovation by connecting entrepreneurs, industry experts, investors and ecosystem partners around a shared goal: turning circular ideas into regenerative, resource-efficient systems with real-world potential.

By giving innovators opportunities to test and refine their solutions, build relationships across the ecosystem and prepare for scale, the Circular Innovation Challenge turns collaboration into a pathway for practical impact. In doing so, it demonstrates how businesses, innovators and communities can work together to accelerate environmental progress and inclusive economic value.

Reflecting on the significance of the initiative, V&A Waterfront CEO Graham Wood said: “The Circular Innovation Challenge is one of the ways we bring our ambition to be a platform for sustainability and innovation to life. We create space for entrepreneurs to test bold ideas, connect with the right partners and move practical solutions closer to scale. Pee-Cycling shows what is possible when circular thinking turns an everyday waste stream into products with real environmental and economic value. We congratulate the team on this well-deserved achievement and look forward to seeing the innovation’s impact grow.”

“The quality of this year’s submissions demonstrates the remarkable talent emerging across Southern Africa’s circular economy ecosystem,” added SOLVE Director Heather Parker. “Our role is to help that talent move from promising ideas towards practical, scalable solutions by creating access to exposure, expertise and real-world opportunities. The finalists addressed pressing environmental challenges while creating economic opportunity and social value. We congratulate Pee-Cycling and commend all four finalists for helping to build a more resilient future.”

About the Circular Innovation Challenge

The Circular Innovation Challenge is an initiative of SOLVE, the V&A Waterfront’s platform for advancing sustainability and innovation through collaboration, experimentation and real-world application. The challenge identifies, supports and accelerates circular economy innovations that rethink waste, extend resource value and regenerate natural systems. Through funding, exposure and access to testing opportunities, it helps promising solutions move from concept to impact while contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future.