Mpumalanga Teens Win R50,000 and National Title With Smart Cane for Blind People
- Four Mabande Comprehensive High School learners built a smart walking cane for blind and visually impaired people
- Their student company, WalkWise, beat 80 competitors to win the JASA National Company of the Year Competition
- South Africans online praised the teenagers for using technology to solve a real-world problem
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Source: UGC
Three teenagers from Mpumalanga have done something remarkable. Sbahle Motau, Lungelo Mthethwa, and Hlelo Sibanyoni, learners at Mabande Comprehensive High School, invented an AI-powered walking cane designed to help blind and visually impaired people navigate the world more safely.
Their student-led company, WalkWise, was crowned the overall winner at the Junior Achievement South Africa (JASA) National Company of the Year Competition in October 2026, beating out 80 other young participants to claim the top prize.
How the WalkWise Cane works
The cane is far more than an updated version of a traditional white stick. It combines ultrasonic sensors, sonar technology, and an AI-supported camera to detect obstacles well before any physical contact occurs. When the system identifies a hazard, it sends real-time voice directions straight to the user through wireless earbuds. A built-in GPS assists with route planning and location tracking, while a solar-charging panel keeps the device powered independently, with an auxiliary port available as a backup.
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The learners said they were driven by a desire to use technology to solve real societal problems. Seeing how dangerous everyday navigation could be for visually impaired people pushed them to modernise a tool that had remained largely unchanged for decades.
From shy students to national champions
The learners described themselves as shy at the start of the process, but the challenge of building something meaningful transformed them. Their combination of technical innovation and a solid business plan impressed the judges and earned WalkWise R50,000 in prize money alongside the national title.
The win also secures their place to represent South Africa at the Junior Achievement Africa Company of the Year Competition, set to take place in Cape Town from 2 to 4 December 2026. The team hopes to grow WalkWise into a fully operational business, with a focus on making high-tech assistive mobility affordable and accessible across South Africa.
Mzansi reacts to the young inventors
South Africans were quick to celebrate the trio's achievement on the Instagram post:
@wonderwoman_1009 said:
"Wow! How innovative!! 👏👏👏"
@mastooragani reacted:
"Incredible 🙌"
@nita_amt wrote:
"Brilliant 💡👊🏾🇿🇦"
@rhandzu_mayinga_zitha commented:
"👏👏👏 Well done!"
@her_happieness added:
"🔥🔥🔥"
@shezzz195 shared:
"🙌🙌🙌"
See the post here:
More on inventions
- Briefly News also reported on a viral jumping bed from China made for couples, which had netizens in uncontrollable laughter.
- A Western Cape school showed how a liquid level indicator helps a visually impaired student make tea without assistance.
- Social media coach Magriet Groenewald praised Skubu’s refill grocery model, which lets customers buy only what they can afford each day.
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Source: Briefly News
