Green dreams come true: UCT graduates take home over R4.5m in Motsepe-backed prize

Omnivat, a renewable energy startup founded by five University of Cape Town graduates, are the runners-up of a prestigious energy innovation competition backed by SA billionaire Patrice Motsepe. 

With a cash prize of $250 000 (R4.6 million), they set out to explore partnerships with healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape as pilot sites for their project - essentially a power system consisting of solar panels, batteries, and hydrogen, pre-packaged in a shipping container. The innovative design creates a shaded marketplace that provides reliable power to users, even when the sun isn't shining, News24 previously reported. 

The solution targets rural and peri-urban communities.