National Cleantech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) 2026 – Provincial Cleantech Challenges Across South Africa

The National Cleantech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) 2026 is a national programme led by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) in partnership with NGIN, regional hubs and Start‑Up Culture to accelerate South Africa’s transition to a low‑carbon, climate‑resilient and inclusive economy. The Challenge will advance nine Provincial Cleantech Challenges, each aligned with a specific province’s transition needs in energy, transport, agriculture, waste and post‑mining land use, creating a country‑wide pipeline of investment‑ready innovators, enterprises and projects.​

Rather than a single national competition, NCIC 2026 is structured as a network of provincial challenges that ground innovation in local realities while contributing to national just transition objectives. These include:​

• Northern Cape – Renewable Energy Generation & Transmission
• KwaZulu‑Natal – Clean Port Logistics
• Western Cape – Hybrid Optimisation of Wind, Solar & Biomass Energy
• Limpopo – Transition from Conventional to Regenerative Agriculture (Small‑Scale)
• Mpumalanga – From Coal to Clean: The Just Energy Transition
• Eastern Cape – Waste‑to‑Value in Urban & Rural Economies
• Free State – Regenerative Agriculture in Large‑Scale Commercial Farming
• North West – Rehabilitation of Mining Lands for Agricultural Use
• Gauteng – Inclusive Innovation for Clean Public Transport

Through these themes, NCIC 2026 aims to:​

• Catalyse cleantech start‑ups, SMMEs and projects that address decarbonisation, resilience and inclusion.
• Stimulate new green value chains and industries, linked to energy, mobility, agriculture, waste and land restoration.
• Support a just transition, with a focus on communities, youth and entrepreneurs historically excluded from high‑value green opportunities.

The 2026 edition places strong emphasis on partnerships and blended funding, inviting government, corporates, development partners, investors and ecosystem organisations to co‑shape the design, sponsorship and implementation of each Provincial Challenge. Partners may support scouting, technical assistance, incubation, piloting, prize funding, market access and follow‑on investment for participating ventures.​

Start‑Up Culture positions NCIC as part of a broader cleantech accelerator and ecosystem‑building effort, leveraging its portfolio in property and infrastructure, agriculture and agro‑processing, ICT and 4IR technologies to strengthen commercial pathways for winning solutions. ​ The overarching ambition is to “Start | Disrupt | Innovate” by creating investable green enterprises, future‑fit jobs and resilient local economies across South Africa’s nine provinces. ​

Countries eligible to apply

The National Cleantech Innovation Challenge is a South African national programme, and the Provincial Challenges are explicitly framed around South Africa’s nine provinces and transition priorities.​

• Eligible country:
  • South Africa (innovators and partners active in South African provincial ecosystems)​

While partners and funders may include regional or international organisations, the innovation focus, beneficiaries and implementation footprint are within South Africa’s provincial contexts, aligned to national cleantech and just transition priorities.​

Call to partners and funders

The NCIC 2026 consortium is issuing an open Call to Partners & Funders to:​

• Co‑design and co‑finance the nine Provincial Cleantech Challenges.
• Provide technical, financial, incubation and market access support to participating innovators.
• Help build new industries, green enterprises and inclusive innovation pipelines across all provinces.

Interested organisations can request more information or explore partnership options by emailing:​

• Vusi Skosana (TIA): Vusi.skosana@tia.org.za
• Tervern Jaftha (Asher Group / Start‑Up Culture): Tervern@asher-group.co.za

Background on Start‑Up Culture and the Asher Group of Companies is available at www.asher-group.co.za, including their investment interests in infrastructure, maintenance, beauty and personal care, agriculture and agro‑processing, and ICT/4IR technology verticals.