The final phase of the Ocean Youth Innovation Challenge came to a successful end with a Pitching and Prize-Giving ceremony recognising the best innovations within the Ocean Plastic Challenge category and the Ocean Innovation Challenge category.

Six candidates delivered their presentations – in the hopes of securing the top prizes within each segment.

The Ocean Plastic Challenge required the young innovators to rethink how plastic waste is collected, recycled, and repurposed – from community-driven solutions to creative tools that encourage responsible waste disposal.

While the Ocean Innovation Challenge entailed participants developing market-ready products from materials like seaweed, seashells, and other marine by-products to support local enterprise development.

Each candidate was given the opportunity to deliver their concept showcasing creativity, and practical thinking and thereafter were evaluated by a panel of judges.

Mthobisi Mbatha (1st place) earned a funding cheque valued at R50 000 for his invention, Wavecoin. Siyanda Sibiya (2nd place) was awarded second place and received R30 000 for Plast-Bricks. While Mthokozisi Bright Mbuthuma (3rd place) received R20 000 for The Black Buoy Production.

In the Marine Resources category, Amanda Mdladla (3rd place) earned R20 000 for Sea to Soil, Gugu Shusha (2nd place) who transforms necklaces into seashells received R30 000, securing second place while Navenshia Naidoo (1st place) earned R50 000 for valorising algae and shell waste.

We are proud of all participants and look forward to the next instalment of the Ocean Youth Innovation Challenge next year.

This initiative would not have been possible without our sponsors – Sandock Austral Shipyards, the eThekwini Municipality, Transnet Port Terminals, African Marine Solutions Group (AMSOL), the Moses Kotane Research Institute, DUT Innobiz Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR).