Three South African Green Startups Reach Finals of 2026 Afri GreenPitch Challenge
Three South African Green Startups Reach Finals of 2026 Afri GreenPitch Challenge. Three South African innovators have secured places in the 2026 FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge, earning the opportunity to present their green business solutions alongside leading sustainability-focused startups from across Africa.
PeeCycling, Preserve Botanica and ReSurfify are among 18 finalists selected from nearly 310 entries submitted by entrepreneurs from Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania.
The finalists were announced by GreenCape and Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF).
The competition showcases businesses developing solutions across sectors including the circular economy, waste management, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable mobility, and water and wastewater management.
GreenCape Chief Executive Officer Mike Mulcahy said the challenge has evolved significantly since its launch, when it was created to identify innovative responses to Cape Town’s Day Zero drought.
He said the initiative has since grown into a platform supporting small, medium and micro enterprises operating in the green economy across multiple African countries, while continuing to focus on solutions that create jobs and support climate-smart economic development.
RMB Ventures Senior Transactor Ewan Gray said this year’s finalists demonstrate the growing maturity of Africa’s green economy through practical and scalable innovations that address real-world challenges while creating economic opportunities.
South Africa’s finalists each bring a different approach to sustainability. PeeCycling converts source-separated human urine into nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertiliser together with clean, non-potable water using an energy-efficient process. Preserve Botanica produces bulk hop oils from fresh hop waste to support circular economy initiatives within the brewing industry. ReSurfify transforms vegetable oil refinery waste into biosurfactants through a fermentation-based process, creating sustainable ingredients for the formulation industry.
The remaining finalists represent Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia and Tanzania, with projects ranging from electric mobility and sanitation to organic fertilisers, biochar production, ecosystem restoration and waste recycling.
The finalists will participate in “Shark Tank-style” networking and pitching events in Cape Town on 3 September 2026 and Nairobi on 25 September 2026, where they will present their businesses to judging panels and investors.
Ahead of the competitions, participants will attend a capacity-building workshop hosted by RMB Ventures, featuring one-on-one engagements with investors and business experts. They will also participate in a “Let’s Talk Financing” workshop hosted by Viridian.
The 2026 FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge will award cash and in-kind prizes valued at $20,000, with the winners to be announced following the judging sessions at the two pitch events.
