Finalists of Better Living Challenge announced

The panel has identified 23 finalists and 33 exhibitors out of a number of 130 total entries received whose solutions embody the aims of the competition - to share green solutions aimed at addressing some of the problems in low cost living.

The Better Living Challenge has been on the hunt to uncover solutions and ideas to improve the lives and homes of people living in low-income areas. Ground breaking products and innovations that are affordable, well designed and green, are being brought to life through the competition.

Three grand prizes

Over 130 innovative ideas were entered into the Challenge, in three separate categories, in the hope of landing one of three grand prizes that each consist of half a million rand's worth of support services to enable these solutions getting to market. Three student entries will each receive a R40,000 cash prize.

After a rigorous selection process, the Better Living Challenge selection panel of 47 industry experts nominated three finalists in the Connected Home category, eight in the Comfortable Home category and 12 finalists in the Structural Home category.

In addition, the selection panel identified a further 33 projects of merit that will exhibit as part of the Showcase, but are not in line to win an award. To ensure fairness, the selection process was independently observed by KPMG.

The three finalists in the Connected Category are ShareMyNet, QMod and an open source mobile inspection tool to aid service delivery in informal settlements entered by Michael Wolf.

Category finalists

In the Comfortable Home Category, the eight finalists are The Counting Chair; The Karnik Filter; BioPanel; Ekasi Water Cap; The Khusela early warning fire detector and alert system; Wegmershaus; Transition POD; and SolarTurtle.

The 12 finalists in the Structural Home Category are Compressed Earth Block (CEB) Construction; IKYA Homes; informexchange; Vernon Collis' new process of housing delivery along with his California Pine structure; Temporary Informal Dwelling structures; Ikayacap; briGado; Embracing Informality: A sustainable alternative to the RDP; UBU process; Lomax and Ekhaya.

These finalists will now vie for a much-coveted award, with a public voting component forming an essential part of the upcoming showcase. During October, a stimulating, curated exhibition of these short-listed designs and innovations will be on display at venues that include Cape Town's V&A Waterfront.