MSc inspires student entrepreneur to grow business

Less than a year ago, Vuyo Hlongwane, the founder of Caelix – a renewable energy company – was named winner of The Pitch UCT. In just nine months, he has used his success to take his business to another level, and he is not looking back.  

Hlongwane is currently completing his MSc in Chemical Engineering in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment. His new business venture, which falls under the Caelix umbrella, uses a high-level chemical process to turn cooking oil into biodiesel.  

The entrepreneur at heart said his entrepreneurial spirit never sleeps. It has taught him the importance of constantly innovating his business to find solutions to everyday problems. And it is exactly how his latest venture came to be. Hlongwane believes that entrepreneurship has the power to transform lives, especially for those living on the margins of society.  

“It all starts with the individual who leverages education to practically make an impact.” 

“In South Africa, the entrepreneurial path is strongly discouraged due to the risky nature of business, and at first that discouraged me too. But it [entrepreneurship] holds immense power, and it can change lives. It all starts with the individual who leverages education to practically make an impact. Think about how to make a difference in your community and in your industry using your unique skills or knowledge. That’s what I am doing with Caelix,” he said.  

Where it started  

Caelix’s goal is to make renewable energy more accessible to ordinary South Africans. And while doing so, address energy insecurity. Currently, Hlongwane said, millions of South Africans face energy insecurity due to skyrocketing electricity tariffs and service delivery challenges. So, having an affordable, renewable energy option as an alternative could be the answer to those electricity woes.  

“Let’s be honest here, everyone faces energy insecurity – the poor, the middle-class and even some of the wealthy. And when people think renewable energy, they think a giant price tag. My goal has always been to make it affordable,” he said. “I believe that we’re getting it right with our high-quality solar installations, where we constantly try to mitigate the impact of price hikes from our grid supplier and where our biofuels limit price volatility because they are produced locally,” he said.  

Long-term, Hlongwane’s aim is to develop Caelix into a national renewable energy business that provides energy sources to homes and businesses across the country. And the key to achieving this, he said, is diversifying Caelix’s energy product portfolio by ensuring they cover electrical energy, as well as combustible fuel energy.  

Growing his business  

And he is not stopping there. Since winning The Pitch UCT in October 2025, Hlongwane has been hard at work establishing a new arm of his business. The new edition to the Caelix family focuses on biodiesel production – a clean-burning, renewable alternative fuel for diesel engines. The chemical is made from organic materials like vegetable oil, animal fats or recycled restaurant grease. Unlike petroleum diesel, biodiesel comprises built-in oxygen and very little sulphur to ensure it reduces harmful exhaust emissions while offering higher lubricity and ignition quality.  

His MSc, which focuses on producing biodiesel using waste cooking oil and incorporating a two-step catalytic reaction process to get the job done, provided a springboard for his new venture. Hlongwane said his studies have opened his eyes to what’s possible with biodiesel production. His petroleum and biofuel depot opened its doors in uMnambithi, KwaZulu-Natal, earlier this year. And the site already boasts excellent diesel dispensing capabilities, as well as biodiesel production facilities ready for development.  

“We know that biodiesel is a fundamental part of green energy transition and we want to be part of that story. I am very excited for what is to come and so proud of the progress Caelix has already made. It’s only forward from here on out,” he said.