BRICK BEASTS: Special needs learners win national prize for turning plastic waste into sports gear
With a clever machine, discarded plastic bottles and a determination to make a difference, five learners from Gqeberha special-needs school Cape Recife High School are turning waste into shin pads, rugby kicking tees and specially designed foot cups to support children with cerebral palsy in their wheelchairs — an innovation that has won them a national prize.
Five learners from Gqeberha's Cape Recife High School, known as the Brick Beasts, have won a national prize for their innovative project of turning plastic waste into sports equipment for children with special needs. These learners, including Kukhanya Mbebe, Hein Victor, Justin Burmeister, Dale Webster, and Seth Klopper, built a machine to create 3D-printing filament from discarded plastic, producing shin pads, rugby kicking tees, and foot cups designed specifically for wheelchair-bound children with cerebral palsy.
Their project, developed under the guidance of their English teacher and robotics coach Samantha Bell, beat out 142 other entries from public schools across South Africa to win the 2026 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. The team's project aligns with the competition's themes of environmental sustainability and using technology to improve inclusivity in sport and communities.
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