Filtering the Future: Lessons in Impact and Innovation with Murendeni Mafumo

Mashstartup

What does it really take to build a solution that changes lives?

Murendeni Mafumo, founder of Kusini Water, a groundbreaking South African social enterprise using macadamia nut shells and nanotech to purify water for communities across the country. From developing his first prototype to scaling an innovation that now produces millions of litres of clean water every month, Murendeni shares the real story behind building a purpose-driven business.

We talk about:

• The messy middle of prototyping and product development

• The role of grants and pitch funding in getting ideas off the ground

• What it means to be a social entrepreneur in South Africa

• And why taking care of the whole person—mental health, personal purpose, and inner resilience—is vital for any entrepreneur building something that matters

This isn’t just a story about water. It’s about vision, grit, and building from the ground up to solve some of the continent’s most pressing challenges.

Listen now and learn from one of South Africa’s most innovative builders.