The North-West University (NWU) continues to demonstrate how business education, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking can contribute to solving real-world challenges, with one of its students earning national recognition for turning mining waste into a potential resource for sustainable construction.

Martin Nkgodi Maupa, a postgraduate diploma student at the NWU Business School, won the Innovation category of the 2026 Artisans of Mzansi competition, receiving R100 000 to advance his circular manufacturing business. Through his enterprise, Maupa Engineering and Growth Edge (Pty) Ltd, he is transforming ferrochrome mining waste into bricks and developing alternative materials for suitable construction applications.

His achievement reflects the potential of combining technical expertise with business knowledge to create practical solutions that respond to environmental challenges, support local economic development and contribute to the green economy in South Africa.

Martin received the award from the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, and Zimkhitha Peter, the CEO of Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropy South Africa, during the 2026 South African National Artisan Awards.

Raised in Ga-Phasha village in Steelpoort, Limpopo, Martin is a qualified diesel mechanic who identified an opportunity in material that is often discarded. While mining generates significant economic value, surrounding communities continue to face challenges associated with accumulated waste and rising construction costs.

Through his business, he also supplies processed mining waste as an alternative to conventional sand for suitable construction applications. His customers include households, stokvels and local hardware stores.

The award will contribute towards supporting South African Bureau of Standards testing of his bricks, an important step in advancing their suitability for the construction market. Martin also plans to automate manufacturing processes, increase production capacity and expand access to major retailers, with the ambition of seeing his products stocked on their shelves.

His innovation journey extends beyond brick manufacturing. Martin participates in the Circular Cement Programme of Fix Forward, which equips emerging construction entrepreneurs with research, innovation and practical knowledge on using industrial and agricultural waste as supplementary cementitious materials. The approach aims to reduce reliance on traditional cement and support more sustainable construction practices.

The programme receives support through funding from the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention of the Presidency and the Department of Labour through the Industrial Development Corporation.

Martin’s journey brings together artisan expertise, postgraduate business education and an understanding of the needs of local communities. His experience demonstrates how technical skills and entrepreneurial thinking can help identify practical solutions to environmental and economic challenges.

His ambition is to grow an enterprise that creates local employment opportunities and contributes to the green economy in South Africa. By transforming mining waste into a potential resource for the construction industry, he hopes to demonstrate how environmental challenges can become opportunities for inclusive economic development.
His achievement highlights the potential of innovation to connect skills development, entrepreneurship and sustainable business practices, while creating solutions that respond to the needs of communities.

Through his work, Martin is pursuing a vision in which waste becomes a valuable resource, local enterprise can grow, and innovation contributes to a more sustainable and inclusive future.

From left are Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela, Martin Maupa, and Zimkhitha Peter, CEO of Allan and Gill Gray.