Innovations for Water Resilience Competition: Using systemic shocks to drive economic innovation, collaboration and climate adaptation in Cape Town, South Africa

This case study describes the Innovations for Water Resilience Competition 2018, a project delivered through a three-year partnership between GreenCape and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), with support from the City of Cape Town. The competition was designed to harness high-tech entrepreneurship to develop market-driven, decentralized smart-city responses to water scarcity and climate change challenges following a severe drought.

• Between 2015 and the end of the 2018 hydrological cycle, Cape Town's main catchment region experienced an unprecedented drought, leading to the introduction of the 'Day Zero' concept at the end of the 2017 rainfall season. Climate scientists suggest these drier conditions may represent 'The New Normal'.
• The drought crisis acted as a catalyst for economic innovation, as increased water tariffs resulting from water restrictions created market opportunities. This led to a significant increase in innovation within the water technology and services sector during 2017/18.
• The Innovations for Water Resilience Competition was established as a 'shark tank-style pitching contest' to identify promising water-related technologies and provide entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase solutions to water shortages. It aimed to connect innovators with investors, government officials, and business development service providers.
• The 2018 competition received 47 applications from local and international entrepreneurs, resulting in seven finalists. The winner, LiquidGold Africa, received R20,000 in business development support, a supporting SMME video, and a business development support workshop facilitated by GreenCape and Sarebi.
• The competition contributed to Cape Town's resilience by using a systemic shock to filter innovation, promoting cross-sector collaboration between government, NGOs, and the private sector, and providing tangible business support to emerging SMMEs.

APA

GreenCape (2019). Innovations for Water Resilience Competition: Using systemic shocks to drive economic innovation, collaboration and climate adaptation in Cape Town, South Africa. https://greencape.co.za/assets/GreenCape_Innovations_for_water_Resilience_Case_Study_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Innovations for Water Resilience Competition: Using systemic shocks to drive economic innovation, collaboration and climate adaptation in Cape Town, South Africa. 2019. https://greencape.co.za/assets/GreenCape_Innovations_for_water_Resilience_Case_Study_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Innovations for Water Resilience Competition: Using systemic shocks to drive economic innovation, collaboration and climate adaptation in Cape Town, South Africa |date=2019 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/GreenCape_Innovations_for_water_Resilience_Case_Study_FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2019innovations, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Innovations for Water Resilience Competition: Using systemic shocks to drive economic innovation, collaboration and climate adaptation in Cape Town, South Africa}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2019}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/GreenCape_Innovations_for_water_Resilience_Case_Study_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }