Cape Town City Hall was alive with energy as the Western Cape Innovation Awards 2025 honoured the brightest minds on Tuesday, 10 June, driving the province’s economy forward.
Hosted by the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the event put the spotlight on local innovators whose ideas are transforming industries, from space technology to sustainable construction.
A night of trailblazers
As reported by The Newspaper, fourteen awards were handed out across business, public sector and civil society categories, celebrating those pushing boundaries in South Africa’s competitive landscape. Cape Chamber CEO John Lawson set the tone, calling innovation the ‘magic ingredient’ behind progress.
The awards also reinforced the Western Cape’s Growth for Jobs strategy, proving that homegrown talent is key to long-term economic resilience.
Space tech made in SA
One of the night’s biggest stars was Cubespace, which is a Stellenbosch-based company making waves in the global satellite industry. In a virtual address, Cubespace’s founder, Mike Kearney, highlighted how major players, including NASA, are using their cost-effective satellite control systems.
‘We are completely changing the game. We have great engineers, incredible tech, and our manufacturing costs are significantly lower. South Africa can compete globally, and in many ways, we hold the advantage,’ he said.
Building a greener future
Sustainability took centre stage with Zerocrete – a revolutionary low-carbon concrete made from plastic and textile waste. Inventor Johan Coetzee explained how their material cuts carbon emissions by 80% while outperforming traditional concrete. ‘It came to me that I must change the whole DNA of concrete,’ Coetzee said.
Another winner, a recycled plastic bucket, demonstrated how smart design can turn waste into high-quality, eco-friendly products.
Government & community impact
The public sector also earned recognition, with the City of Cape Town’s Ease of Doing Business Programme earning high praise for cutting red tape. Meanwhile, NGOs like the Development Action Group (DAG) and Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) were celebrated for their decades of social impact, from affordable housing to feeding millions of schoolchildren.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis underlined how crucial innovation and collaboration are for boosting the region’s economy and creating jobs. Both leaders, who attended the entire awards ceremony, stressed the need to build stronger partnerships between universities, businesses, and government to fuel groundbreaking ideas
The road ahead
Closing the evening, FNB’s Stephan Claasen emphasised growing international investment interest in South Africa. ‘Innovation will be the key to capitalising on this next growth cycle,’ he said.
As the awards proved, the Western Cape isn’t just talking about innovation; it’s living it. From satellites to sustainable cement, these visionaries are proving that South Africa’s future is being built today.
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