Wetskills-SA Cape Town 2026 – Day 3 –
Day 3 marked the official opening of the Wetskills Cape Town 2026 Water, hosted at the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment. Over the next two weeks, this prestigious institution will serve as the primary venue where participants collaborate, innovate, and develop practical solutions to real-world water challenges.
The day commenced with a warm welcome from Dr Craig Tinashe, who officially opened the program. He shared the inspiring journey of the Wetskills Foundation, highlighting its remarkable growth since its establishment in 2010. Over the past 16 years, Wetskills has expanded into a truly global program, hosting more than 84 events across over 30 countries and empowering more than 1,619 students and young professionals to tackle complex water challenges through innovation and collaboration.
Following the opening session, participants met with their respective case owners to refine their understanding of the challenges and clarify project expectations. This interactive engagement provided an invaluable opportunity to ask critical questions, obtain additional resource material, and gain deeper insight into the practical realities surrounding each case study.
Once these discussions concluded, the energy in the room noticeably shifted. Teams became fully immersed in brainstorming sessions, exchanging ideas, assigning responsibilities, and beginning the exciting journey of transforming complex challenges into innovative solutions. The enthusiasm, collaboration, and determination were evident as participants eagerly hit the ground running.
One of the day’s highlights was the highly anticipated Speed Dating with Water Expert session. During a series of focused 10-minute rotations, each team engaged directly with experienced professionals from across the water sector. These conversations proved to be invaluable, allowing participants to draw on decades of industry experience, test early ideas, and receive constructive feedback.
More importantly, the expert interactions encouraged teams to redefine their problems from new perspectives, embrace systems thinking, challenge assumptions, and establish more focused and achievable project goals. The diversity of expertise shared during these sessions demonstrated the power of collaboration between emerging professionals and seasoned practitioners.
A particularly impactful contribution also came from Dr Ashton Mpofu of AfriVolve, who shared profound insights drawn from his extensive first-hand experience in the water sector. His guidance challenged participants to think critically about their problem-solving approaches, highlighting common pitfalls to guard against while emphasizing the importance of clearly defining the problem before proposing solutions. His practical advice encouraged teams to remain objective, innovative, and solution-oriented, ensuring that their recommendations are technically sound, implementable, and capable of delivering meaningful impact
As Day 3 came to a close, it was clear that the official launch had laid a strong foundation for the days ahead. The combination of expert guidance, meaningful collaboration, and renewed motivation has positioned every team to develop impactful, practical, innovative, and sustainable solutions to some of today’s most pressing water challenges. The coming days promise intensive collaboration, creative thinking, and exciting breakthroughs as participants continue working towards solutions that can make a lasting impact on the water sector.
