Kusini water launches desalination plant

Local entrepreneur, Murendeni Mafumo has designed a solar-powered water purification system called Kusini Water that uses an activated carbon filter made from locally sourced macadamia nut shells.
Mafumo from Shayandima village in Venda was one of 16 social entrepreneurs who participated in the Red Bull Amaphiko Academy, a programme designed to “give wings” to grassroots social entrepreneurs who are making a positive difference in their communities, last year.
He has subsequently gone on to launch a number of Kusini Water purification plants in and around South Africa to help deliver clean water to underserved rural communities, and to reduce reliance on municipal water.
Mafumo has plans to launch the first large scale desalination plant in Cape Town plant. The plant will obtain seawater from offshore marine waters and discharge concentrated brine effluent through pipeline infrastructure. Kusini Water’s system can treat water from any source, removing 99,9999 % of all bacteria and viruses. It can produce 40 times more water than reverse osmosis, the current best practice, and uses about half the energy.
In keeping with Mafumo’s values and ideals, and the principles of social entrepreneurship, the launch of Kusini Water’s new Cape Town plant forms part of a programme that will assist the City of Cape Town’s low-income communities. Kusini Water will be sold to households in affluent areas, and for every litre bought, 20 litres will be given to communities in the Cape Flats. Profits from this plant will also go towards the construction and operation of a future plant planned for the Cape Flats that will provide advanced Kusini Water treatment systems and water recovery for gardening and common latrine flushing.
Mafumo was quoted to have said Kusini Water operates on a social franchise model, through which Mafumo aims to build a network of locally-owned franchise water businesses. “Kusini Water follows a shared-value approach that aims to reconnect companies’ success with social progress. The aim of Kusini Water is to bring about a systemic change in communities currently underserved when it comes to water and sanitation,” the statement read.

Story: Herbert Rachuene
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