South Africa

A South African startup that has developed roof-tiles made of 99.4% waste material. Made from recycled High-density polyethylene (HDPE), one of the most commonly used plastics, the green roof tiles are twice as strong as traditional concrete tiles and 75% lighter. Theia's selling price yields an 8–15% saving on the total roof installation cost. These roof tiles are especially applicable for low-cost housing and offers a green solution for building and construction.

Named to honour the late Walter Sisulu, a much-admired leader of the struggle for democracy in South Africa, Walter Sisulu University (WSU) focuses on quality academic, technological and career-oriented programmes. WSU places special emphasis on the development of entrepreneurship. WSU is strategically located in the Eastern Cape Province and is meant to meet the needs of the former Transkei region, the Eastern Cape Province and the country of South Africa.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is a national university, alert to its African and international context. It strives to be a place of quality, a place to grow. It is committed to excellence in teaching, learning and research, to nurturing the cultural diversity of South Africa, and to responding in critical and creative ways to the needs of a society in transition. The UWC Technology Transfer Office supports and facilitates the protection and commercialisation of UWC's intellectual property and research outputs.

University of Zululand  (UNIZULU) is located within the Umhlathuze Municipality, the fastest growing industrial hub and employer in northern KwaZulu-Natal. We are dedicated to being embedded in the local context and dedicated to developing local talents and entrepreneurship, with local industry (including partnerships and the maritime sector). The Research and Innovation Office promotes developmental and collaborative research and research-support initiatives, within and outside the academic community, at institutional, provincial, national and international levels.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a multi-campus, residential, teaching and research-led university located in the picturesque province of KwaZulu-Natal. We have a proud and rich heritage of academic excellence and innovation. The establishment of the UKZN’s tech transfer office is part of an initiative to promote and support innovative development programmes. There we assist staff and students to protect their IP as well as develop strategies to market and license the resultant technologies.

The University of Fort Hare is a vibrant, equitable and sustainable African university, committed to teaching and research excellence at the service of its students, scholars and wider community. The mission of the University is to provide high quality education of international standards contributing to the advancement of knowledge that is socially and ethically relevant, and applying that knowledge to the scientific, technological and social- economic development of our nation and the wider world.

The University of Cape Town is an inclusive and engaged research-intensive African university that inspires creativity through outstanding achievements in learning, discovery, and citizenship; enhancing the lives of its students and staff, advancing a more equitable and sustainable social order and influencing the global higher education landscape. UCT’s Research Contracts and Innovation (RC&I) supports UCT’s research activities, technology and innovation development, assists with the protection of the IP and supports job creation through commercialisation.

The University strives to be a quality-driven University of technology at the cutting edge of innovation. Pursuant to this vision, the University endeavours to contribute innovatively to the socio-economic development of the Republic of South Africa. The generation and application of knowledge is one of the critical components in attaining its vision. As such TUT strives to identify and protect any IP emanating from publicly funded R&D activities.

Thobela Industries (PTY) LTD is a company that develops and manufactures an energy storage technology (MESA). Our goal is to introduce an efficient, affordable, and environmentally friendly storage solution that will improve the efficiency of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

We are a Social Enterprise focusing on solving the cooking needs of rural schools and communities in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. We design and sell fuel-efficient stoves, which use biomass/wood fuel. The stoves use half of the fuel normally required for open fires and are a lot safer to use due to a closed gasification process for combustion. We also make and sell a cheap reliable fuel source.