Cape Town’s Mosebe Enterprise secures 2nd place at the 2025 BRICS+ YouthInnovation Summit for their portable power stations solution

By National Development Agency

Mosebe Enterprise was selected to represent South Africa in the renewable energy and digital access category, showcasing its Tshepo V3 smart solar system - a compact, modular, and intelligent solar power unit designed to bring clean energy to off-grid and underserved communities including Cape Town’s informal settlements where illegal power connections and outages are a regular occurrence. Mosebe Enterprise’s project was recognised for both technical innovation and social impact, earning 2nd place overall in a highly competitive field of global submissions.

The BRICS+ Youth Innovation Summit 2025, recently hosted in Cape Town, brought together the brightest young minds from BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - as well as other Global South countries. Organized by the South African BRICS Youth Association (SABYA), the summit served as a platform for young innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers to collaboratively address global challenges through technology, sustainability and inclusive development. This year’s theme focused on “Innovation for Impact: Empowering Youth to Drive Sustainable Solutions.”

“Placing 2nd among hundreds of global entries is a milestone for Mosebe Enterprise and a testament to the potential of youth-led solutions from the African continent. This recognition brings greater visibility to the company’s mission of bridging the energy and digital divide while fostering resilient and self-sustaining communities,” says Vincent Mosebe, Founder and CEO of Mosebe Enterprise.

He further explains the submission process which included an online application through which the qualifying candidates were required to present their innovative solution to a panel of judges. “Although the second place has no prize, only those who came first place received a real prize, we are proud of the achievement and are honoured to have been recognised on a platform that is so far wide-reaching”. Over two days, Mosebe Enterprise, along with other delegates, attended expert-led workshops, participated in policy discussions, and networked with peers,

policymakers, and investors.

The Vrygrond youth-led enterprise, is switching on lights, plugs and lives through their portable power stations solution. Their pilot flagship power station “Tshepo - The Power of Hope” is an innovative 10Ah solar charge energy solution that targets informal settlement households who would otherwise utilise unsafe power methods, candles and illegal connections, that often lead to settlement fires - and those at the mercy of constant and pro-longed power outages and cable theft.

“Fuelled by a desire to make an impactful change, young entrepreneurs set out to revolutionalise the energy sector and use recycled materials to create the power stations for underserved and rural communities in the Western Cape and beyond. It is this breed of youth that the National Development Agency, in partnership with our funded organisations like SOZO Foundation, which we fund to implement development programmes for youth not-in-education-employment-or-training

(NEET), seek to empower to unlock their full potential” says Mr Thabani Buthelezi, National Development Agency Acting Chief Executive Officer.

Tshepo offers a sustainable, affordable, reliable and eco-friendly power solution that has features including multiple USB ports, a powerful lithium-ion battery with solar compatibility and 1 12v LED light bulb. Tsepho is not just a device; it;s a catalyst for change - a beacon of hope that will bring about a brighter sustainable future” explains Mosebe.

The power stations range also includes a bigger Version 2 Tshepo with similar capabilities, including an additional feature of a bug-repellent UV light that exterminates insects and bugs (pest control). “With this power station, we are targeting campers and the caravan community who need extended power. Our next goal is to extend the products further into African countries that struggle with Malariacases.

Additionally, there are two more ranges with extended power capabilities to power up a single power socket that can power up a fridge or microwave. The largest, version 3, packs up a 20.8Ah battery and a 300W inverter offering increased power capacity. This would be a good tool for students – they can charge laptops and keep WIFI going during outages, promoting a consistent learning experience. The starter pack retails from R1 500 without the solar panel, we also offer warranty up to a year for the technical faults,” concludes Mosebe.

Mosebe Enterprise has partnered with local internet service provider, Seafire Technologies, to power WIFI towers. This aligns with Mosebe Enterprises value chain, to not only combat energy poverty, but to also bridge the digital divide in disadvantaged communities for digital learning and job opportunities.