R20-million in prizes up for grabs
- Wits University
Innovators invited to build the future of transport in South Africa’s busiest province.
The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), in partnership with the Network for Global Innovation (NGIN), Start-Up Culture, and Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, announces the Gauteng instalment of the National CleanTech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) 2026, with a specific focus on Smart Mobility.
The challenge invites South Africa-based innovators, entrepreneurs, SMMEs, and university research teams to submit scalable cleantech solutions that can transform how Gauteng’s 15 million residents and the nation’s freight move through the province. Applications are open and will close on 21 April 2026.
Gauteng is South Africa’s economic heartland and busiest transport corridor. Traffic congestion costs the province billions annually in lost productivity, increased fuel consumption, and environmental degradation. The NCIC 2026 Smart Mobility challenge directly supports the Gauteng provincial government’s Smart Mobility 2030 vision by seeking innovations that can move from pilot to real-world deployment.
The smart mobility challenge encompasses electric and alternative-fuel vehicles, intelligent transport systems, last-mile delivery solutions, ride-sharing and multi-modal platforms, non-motorised transport, fleet management and logistics optimisation, transport data analytics, and commuter safety technologies.
“Gauteng’s transport challenges are immense, but so is the innovation potential in this province. NCIC 2026 is designed to find and accelerate the smart mobility solutions that can get Gauteng moving cleaner, faster, and more inclusively,” says Vusi Skosana , interim Head: GCIP SA , PMU.
NCIC is part of the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP), backed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Since 2014, the GCIP pipeline has supported a number of South African ventures through structured acceleration and post-acceleration support.
Winning solutions will be awarded as follows:
- National Prize - R 5 000 000
- Awarded to the top three National challengers to scale their ventures globally. (1st Prize - R3m and 2nd Prize - R2m)
- Provincial Prize - R 1 000 000
- R1m Prize awarded to one winner in each of the nine provinces, diffusion and piloting ensuring regional economic development.
- Advanced Acceleration
- Specialised UNIDO GCIP aligned intervention for 30 semi-finalists across TIA’s regional Cleantech Hub network.
- Pilot Implementation
- A minimum of R5m direct blended funding for real-world technology demonstrations and pilot programs with co-corporate partners supplemented by GCIP investment.
- Project funding to advance their smart mobility solution
- Incubation services with dedicated technical and business mentors
- Access to investors and industry partners in the mobility and transport sector
- Intellectual property specialist guidance
- A pathway to pilot and deploy solutions on Gauteng’s roads
The Gauteng Smart Mobility challenge is one of nine provincial NCIC 2026 challenges, each addressing a specific regional cleantech priority. Other provinces are tackling challenges including waste-to-value, regenerative agriculture, clean energy, mining land rehabilitation, and clean port logistics.
“Gauteng is a high-density testing ground for the future of sustainable urban mobility. Through NCIC 2026, we are surfacing world-class cleantech solutions. From EV infrastructure to intelligent data analytics that address the universal challenge of decarbonising rapid urbanisation. This challenge gives mobility innovators a structured pathway to go from idea to impact and from pilot to pavement, while also positioning South African ingenuity as a vital contributor to the global green economy," says Mark Harris, CEO of Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.
How to Apply
Applicants must be South Africa-based with scalable smart mobility solutions aligned to Gauteng’s transport priorities. Applications are submitted online at www.ncic-sa.org/gauteng.
Application deadline: 21 April 2026