The Vumela Fund is investing an undisclosed amount into cleantech enterprise Kusini Water to expand its operations and broaden its ability to bring clean, safe drinking water to people in rural, peri-urban and informal settlements throughout Africa.

Kusini Water provides clean drinking water to local communities and corporate firms by manufacturing mobile, solar-powered water purification systems made from locally-sourced macadamia nut shells and nanotechnology.

The firm, which was founded in 2017 with its first system built in Shayandima, Thohoyandou, in Limpopo, manufactures and assembles water filtration and treatment systems equipped with Internet of Things technology.

It now runs over 30 sites and provides more than three-million litres of water a month to communities and corporate companies.

“Kusini Water is an innovative and highly impactful business. We were impressed by the team’s skills and experience and by their passion to drive practical solutions for the African context that deliver both commercial and social outcomes,” said small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and venture fund manager Edge Growth lead dealmaker Philani Mzila.

The Vumela Fund was established in 2009 by banking group FNB Business Banking and Edge Growth to help alleviate poverty in South Africa by creating jobs through the support of SME growth.

“The results they have already shown are exceptional and we look forward to partnering with them in their local and international expansion plans,” he said.

“Over the last three years we have worked with our corporate partners to improve water security and provide better water management tools in South Africa,” added Kusini Water founder and CEO Murendeni Mafumo.

“With this funding and partnership with Vumela, we aim to increase our reach throughout South Africa and across the African continent to provide water security and ensure our communities have access to safe drinking water regardless of location.”

Mzila says that Kusini Water operates in a space which has historically been underfunded and the investment created the opportunity for innovative solutions to be implemented.

“Our investment in Kusini Water gives us the opportunity to create positive social impact through the provision of clean water and the implementation of water savings solutions in rural and urban settings,” he explained.

Kusini Water, a graduate of FNB’s Social Entrepreneurship Impact Lab (SEIL) programme, has benefited from a blend of business development support, as well as grant investment to catalyse the growth of their business.

“Kusini Water’s success is testament not only to the entrepreneur’s resilience and innovative mindset, but the ability to capitalise on practical support from the SEIL programme and grant funding – later culminating in further investment by the Vumela fund,” concluded FNB Business head of SME development Heather Lowe.