RS South Africa just announced who gets the 2026 Student Project Fund,pushing innovation among future engineers. This year,13 students from universities across South Africa snagged R10,000 each in RS products to turn their bright ideas into reality.
The winning projects span renewable energy,robotics,healthcare tech,logistics automation and STEM education. A real showcase of South Africa's engineering talent.
“The Student Project Fund is more than a sponsorship programme; it is an investment in the thinkers,builders and innovators who will shape South Africa’s future,”said Dirkie Human,from RS South Africa. He stressed the value of giving young engineers the chance to test their ideas on real-world problems.
Among the standout winners, Tshepo Mofokeng,final-year Electrical Engineering student at Tshwane University of Technology, is working on a system to turn organic waste into energy . His biogas-to-electricity project uses anaerobic digestion and thermoelectric generation to help reduce pollution.
“Organic waste is often seen as something to dispose of,but it represents an untapped energy resource,” Mofokeng said. He thinks converting biogas into electricity could boost South Africa’s power grid.
Then there's Nkosingiphile Langa, a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He's behind the Counter Space Learning STEM initiative,which enhances robotics education. The non-profit creates toolkits introducing kids to robotics and coding. Already tested,now ready for schools everywhere.
“We want to build a toolkit that assists learners and strengthens robotics education in South Africa,”Langa explained. The fund will help him refine the toolkit for schools.
Another bright mind,Theto Nonyane,final-year Electrical Engineering student at Nelson Mandela University,is developing an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) for indoor use. Using ultra-wideband localization, it navigates where GPS can't. It detects obstacles and moves materials in warehouses — a big deal for South Africa’s logistics.
“Automation is shaping future of logistics and this project allows me to explore practical solutions for South African warehouses,”Nonyane said. The fund is speeding up his tech development.
The Student Project Fund isn't just about money . It's about sparking innovation among young engineers. By helping students bring their ideas to life,RS South Africa is shaping the future of engineering in the country . Check out the 13 winning projects and minds behind them on Student Project Fund website.
