A University of Cape Town spin-out company has been shortlisted for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, marking a significant transition from academic research to commercial operation for a technology designed to convert human urine into agricultural fertiliser.
The start-up, PeeCycling, was officially registered in December 2023 following nearly a decade of development. Its inclusion on the prize shortlist places it among a select group of innovations recognized by the Royal Academy of Engineering for their potential to drive economic advancement and address local challenges through scalable engineering solutions.
Professor Dyllon Randall, a co-founder of PeeCycling and an expert in water quality engineering at UCT’s Department of Civil Engineering, confirmed the significance of the recognition. The award process evaluates ventures based on their ability to move beyond theoretical models into practical application.
“Being shortlisted…is an incredible honour. It validates that our engineering approach is a scalable solution for the continent’s sanitation and fertiliser needs,” Randall said.
Engineering a Circular Sanitation Model
The core technology developed by PeeCycling focuses on nutrient recovery within urban infrastructure. The system collects and concentrates urine, removing harmful compounds to produce a safe, nutrient-rich input for agriculture. Randall described the mechanical process as analogous to desalination, though the input material is human waste rather than seawater.
A critical differentiator for the company lies in its energy consumption profile. Conventional methods for treating liquid waste often rely on thermal treatment, which requires evaporating water to isolate nutrients. This phase change demands significant energy input. PeeCycling’s system bypasses this requirement by utilizing reverse osmosis, a filtration technology already established in global industries.
“We aren’t building bespoke machines,” Randall explained regarding the infrastructure requirements. “We’re using a proven industrial platform that can be serviced and scaled worldwide.”
By avoiding energy-intensive evaporation, the company aims to keep operational costs lower while ensuring the technology can be replicated across different regions without requiring specialized maintenance infrastructure.
From Laboratory to Market
The path to commercial registration involved a prolonged period of risk mitigation. According to Randall, the technical team has been working since 2017 to eliminate vulnerabilities across the entire value chain. This process included developing waterless collection mechanisms, establishing chemical pre-treatment protocols, and refining large-scale concentration methods.
“It has required building strategic partnerships to ensure our technical goals translate into real-world impact,” Randall noted, highlighting the collaboration necessary to move from pilot testing to industrial application.
The project originated as the PhD research of co-founder Dr Caitlin Courtney. The evolution of this academic work into a registered entity serves as a case study for the University of Cape Town’s innovation ecosystem. The institution’s Future Water Institute has positioned itself as a leader in circular sanitation, with PeeCycling representing a tangible output of that research mandate.
Operational Scaling and Staffing
Following its registration, PeeCycling has begun expanding its operational capacity. The company has hired its first staff member, Anna Reid, a UCT master’s student who has been appointed as chief technical officer. Reid’s role focuses on driving the commercial scale-up of fertiliser production, ensuring that academic insights are directly applied to industrial output.
The long-term objective outlined by the founders extends beyond fertiliser production. The company aims to make sanitation systems water-neutral and resource-positive. In this model, buildings function as miniature nutrient refineries, protecting municipal water systems while contributing to food production chains.
“By treating buildings as nutrient and water recovery hubs, we create a resilient circular economy where nothing is wasted and everything is reused,” Randall said.
As the company moves forward, the immediate focus remains on the commercial scale-up led by Reid. The outcome of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation remains pending, with the shortlisting serving as a current benchmark for the venture’s progress in the broader African engineering sector.
