How pee power can help solve Cape Town’s water scarcity issue

What if we reimagined waste as wealth? Pee, to be precise. You know that yellow liquid we flush down the toilet without giving it a second thought?

Cape Town startup Pee-Cycling calls it “liquid gold”. Hang on, stay with me. 

The University of Cape Town (UCT)-born initiative found a way to extract agricultural nutrients and high-purity water directly from urine. The guys at Pee-Cycling believe that mining the nutrient-rich resource can help solve food insecurity and water scarcity. 

Time Out first reported on the think tank in September. Remember the second Test of the Springboks versus the All Blacks at DHL Stadium where 3,600 litres of pee was collected? Don’t worry, your pee was put to good use. 

Pee-Cycling collaborated with Bidvest Prestige to collect urine from a single toilet and four urinal troughs. It then converted the waste on site into a liquid fertiliser, recovering both nutrients and water that would otherwise be flushed away.

Embodying circular economy principles

Their work was so impressive that they won the FNF GreenPitch Challenge 2026. That’s not the end of Pee-Cycling's award-winning streak. The annual Market Systems Symposium recently named them the winner of the Circular Innovation Challenge 2026, and a R250,000 cash prize.

Following a rigorous pitch event hosted at Vikara Institute, the flagship initiative of SOLVE, the V&A Waterfront’s NPC, the judging panel chose the top four finalists. Each was invited to present their concepts at the final Pitch Event.  

Now in its fourth year, the Circular Innovation Challenge attracts a diverse group of innovators tackling some of the country’s most pressing sustainability challenges. It highlights scalable, commercially viable solutions that embody circular economy principles.

“The quality of this year’s submissions demonstrates the remarkable talent and innovation emerging across Southern Africa’s circular economy ecosystem,” commented SOLVE’s Heather Parker. 

Pee-Cycling was selected overall for its ability to address multiple environmental challenges. The project demonstrated strong commercial viability and scalability. 

It also comes at an opportune time. The City of Cape Town is preparing for possible restrictions after the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) warned that water levels in the Western Cape water supply system are too low. 

Currently, agriculture uses about 30% of the province’s water supply.

Converted into reusable water

So, how does Pee-Cycling turn pee into power? It has developed an innovative process that collects urine separately 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. The result is reduced water pollution while creating a valuable agricultural product.

It has already processed more than 10,000 litres of urine through its pilot operations. The ability to convert 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.

Meet your top finalists

Green Brine Technologies was another notable finalist. The industrial innovation company employs advanced electrochemical and membrane technologies to convert hypersaline waste streams into industrial chemicals such as caustic soda, hydrochloric acid and magnesium oxide. All this while eliminating harmful marine discharge.

noodees uses single-use, plant-powered cleansing powders packaged in dissolvable paper. How cool is that? They’re basically removing conventional plastic packaging and reducing the need to transport water through supply chains.

Here’s another “hold my drink” initiative that’s worthy of being a finalist. SKUBU is the world’s first fully automated refill store concept. Consumers can access affordable staple foods without disposable packaging. Operating in township communities, the business combines cost savings with environmental impact.

“The finalists showcased solutions that address pressing environmental challenges and create economic opportunities and social value. We congratulate Pee-Cycling and commend all finalists for their outstanding contribution to building a better future,” concluded Healther.

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