Thank you to everyone who joined us at the WRC ManziPreneurs Business Pitch Competition in July!
The ManziPreneurs Business Pitch Competition was the final component of the Water Graduate Employment Programme (Water GEP II) ManziPreneurs Incubator stream. The Water GEP II falls under the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) and is a partnership between the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to build future capacity for the water sector. The overarching objective of the programme was to catalyse job creation and water sector exposure in support of sustainable economic development.
The competition was for graduates who plan to start businesses in the water sector to apply the knowledge they have acquired through the incubation programme and go a step further by formulating business ideas, prepare business plans and deliver pitches that were then evaluated against set criteria. Those who made it to the top ten pitched to panel of high-level adjudicators from the Water GEP II constituents, the water sector luminaries, as well as industry experts.
We really enjoyed celebrating our aspiring entrepreneurs in the water sector.
1) Afikile Ngunga | Peacock Water Systems
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Description
Peacock Water Systems helps middle-class families in East London save water by conserving grey water. Our founder has degrees in Environmental Science and Geography. Our solution uses a tank to capture a filter and recycle grey water in homes. We have a market of 10000 households in the area. We provide a better-quality system than the other small companies who are our competitors. We foresee sales of ten systems per month 35% gross profit on sales with a net profit (before tax) of R20 000 per month.
2) Kavisha Naidoo | Distilled Delights
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
Distilled Delights plans to provide old age homes with bottled water that is supplemented with the precise nutrients needed by elderly people. Our founder has a BSc(Hons) degree in microbiology and entrepreneurial training from Youth Bridge Trust. We have a target market of 60 facilities catering to the elderly in Johannesburg alone. No other company is supplying nutrient-enriched water designed for the elderly. We will market to these facilities by selling directly via the nutritionist at each facility.
3) Kgothatso Sekhobela | Metse Metse Treatment and Purification Systems Pty Ltd
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
Mstse Metse Treatment and Purification Systems (Pty) Ltd sell; install and maintain home water purification for middle class residential living in Rustenburg city to enjoy clean quality drinking water at an affordable price. The founder has military training experience and a technician with 4 years running the business. We have a target of over 1000 residents for the next 2 years in a population of half a million. Our services provide installation and 6 months water test. Our competitors are water shops around and small key players like Osmotech in Hartbeespoort. We foresee 40 units per month with a gross profit margin of 55% and a net profit of R70 000.
4) Kimsha Sewpal | NQOBA GREEN SOLUTIONS
Video recording of Pitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi0RIje9QBo
Business Overview
Nqoba Green Solutions provides fish and vegetation grown with aquaponics. We plan to specialise in either mercury-free tuna, or marron fresh-water crayfish, depending on demand. Our target markets are restaurants and supermarkets in the Durban area. Our founder has a BSc in Geography and Environmental Management and four years of business experience. Our competitive advantage will be supplying mercury-free tuna to healthy food restaurants, and in supplying the marron crayfish, which will be to South Africa but is highly prized in Australia as being a delicacy that is very affordable.
5) Licebo Vatyana| Nimbus Technology
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
Nimbus Technology helps middle-class families and Semi-private schools, in Gqeberha and Makhanda to produce clean water for drinking and sanitation by installing a Nimbus Hydro Sub. Our founder has a Post Graduate Diploma in Enterprise Management and 10 years of experience running a small business. We have a target market of 5000 houses between Gqeberha and Makhanda and offer a more affordable, efficient, and sustainable product than our competitors: water purifiers, Source Global and JojoTanks. We foresee 20 sales per month, with a 35% gross profit margin, and a net profit of R43 806pm before tax.
6) Lugisani Khuliso Mudzwari | Mobile Drinkable Water Service
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
Mobile Water Service helps funerals, weddings and community in Thohoyandou to have Purified water for drinking by providing mobile trailer with water, onboard purification system and paper cups which allows people to drink and refill their water bottle. Purification system allows any water you have to be drinkable. Our founder has a BSc in Geology and experience running a small business as marketing person, and technical skills. We have a target market of 46 events per months at a radius of 50 Km in our area. We offer; enough water for everyone at affordable price, environmentally friendly paper cups, we come to you with everything. We offer better service than our plastic water bottle retailer and wholesale. We foresee 4 sales per month, with a 44,47% gross profit margin, and a net profit of R2535 pm before tax.
7) Mokgalakgathe Ttladi | Vegethentic Farm
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
Vegethentic provides high-quality, responsibly grown hydroponic produce to middle- and low-income families in Ga-Mothapo in order to improve their health. Both of our founders have a BSc in Biological Sciences and are running a small hydroponic farm. We have a target market of 32000 homes in our community and provide higher quality pesticide- and herbicide-free produce than our competitors, who are small-scale traditional farmers. We make 469 sales per month, with a gross profit margin of 76 percent and a net profit of R5000 per month (excluding taxes and salaries).
8) Ripfumelo Macevele | Khomisanani Environmental Services
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
Khomisanani Environmental Services offers varieties of environmental services such as water quality systems, water use licence application, impact assessments, environmental education, site remediation services, waste management services, climate change response services, and public participation within the scope of the industry in South Africa. Our intention of starting our environmental firm is to protect and advocate for the protection of the environment for the benefit of the present and future generation. We will do all that is permitted by the law of South Africa to achieve our aim and ambition.
9) Sibongile Pinkie Sithole | MLPC Projects
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
MLPC Projects helps property development companies in residential and commercial sector, as well as Industrial companies such as Water Purification, Agriculture and Civil Engineering in Johannesburg North to save water, cost and time in a sustainable way by installing solar powered pumps and solar powered geyser with a smart sensor to monitor water usage and leakages. The sensor will send an alert when any leakages happens and you can monitor water usage in your smart phone through app.
10) Tshwarelo Surprise Malatji | LiquiDays (pty) Ltd
Video recording of Pitch:
Business Overview
LiquiDays offers universities and office delivery of drinking waters, under the LiquiDays label. The company offers one types of water in 300ml, 500ml and 1L in a refillable box. Pure purified water is collected from protected municipal taps and contains no contaminants or additives. Consequently, it is considered to have the best taste of all drinking waters. Still water is produced by chemical process called ozonation, thereby leaving behind any dissolved minerals present in the original water. LiquiDays anticipates that approximately 50% of its deliveries will be to universities and 50% to offices.