Kaloola – BORDA

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership with about US $370,000 in grant funding. 

Kaloola provides high-quality clean and odor-free toilets for customers in the metro Durban area in neighborhoods that lack adequate access to safe sanitation. The toilets use a patented flush technology that is water- and chemical-free. The toilet seals waste into a container transported by local teams to a local waste processing facility. The processed waste can be turned into organic fertilizer or biogas. BORDA and Kaloola are working in partnership with eThekwini Municipality-Water and Sanitation, the local utility which brings a shared goal for increased adoption of circular economy, decentralized waste treatment systems. 

Kaloola will operate in eThekwini which has more than 300,000 low-income households who lack access to safe sanitation. Some households can access publicly financed shared toilets, shared chemical toilets, or pit latrines, but they are not cleaned with regularity. 

Kaloola’s customer base in Durban comprises these two segments: 

• Households where Kaloola will install and service home toilets for a monthly service fee; 
• Commercial locations such as construction sites and events where Kaloola will provide companies with toilet trailers or single toilet cabins for a monthly rental. 

Kaloola plans to gain traction in these two markets first before moving to secure municipal contracts with the eThekwini municipality and further South African regions. 

60% of Kaloola’s home users are women and this partnership can have far-reaching positive consequences for women and girls who benefit from safe toilets at home. Kaloola will also train women in digital payments and support their financial inclusion in the digital payment sector. 

BORDA is a global Non-Profit Organization that specializes in providing sustainable environmental solutions, including Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) and Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) in over 25 countries and with more than 3,000 constructed systems to-date, will bring its significant experience in engaging with governments on safe water and sanitation access to the partnership. It will lead on the circular economy waste treatment ambitions of the partnership and work to foster partnerships with local waste processing facilities. It will also lead on any enabling environment interventions regarding waste collection and processing standards and processing. BORDA also brings significant expertise in monitoring, learning and evaluation and will share best practices on the feasibility and treatment options for container-based sanitation. 

Between April to June 2024, Kaloola has focused on strengthening its supply chain for toilet production and waste processing. The startup also established a commercial hire business in KwaZulu-Natal and expects the first Kaloola trailer to be booked for events in the latter half of the year. Kaloola is seeing an encouraging community response and interest in its products. Gender equity continues to be a priority, with the startup reporting that more than 50% of its workforce is female and 54% of the toilet users are women and girls. 

Kaloola continues to take steps to de-risk its business model by diversifying its audience to both individual customers and businesses. The startup is also working with specialists to get BBBEE certification given to qualifying small enterprises with majority or full Black ownership. 

As part of building brand awareness among government officials and investors, Kaloola continues to participate in national and regional events. The startup won the award for Best Green Economy Startup at the AfricArena tech accelerator event and will pitch its business model at the grand finale to be held in Cape Town in December 2024.  

During the P4G funding period, the partnership aims to raise US $2 million in additional investment and increase the number of active in-home users from 647 to more than 2,000. It also aims to create 28 jobs. 

The partnership comprises the following partners: Kaloola (lead business partner); Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA) (lead administrative partner); Khansiya Projects; Loowatt Ltd.; eThewkini Municipality-Water and Sanitation; University of KwaZulu-Natal-UKZN. 

*Kaloola is a brand launched by Loowatt Africa and Khanyisa Projects. It is the trading name of Loowatt Africa, which is a subsidiary company of Loowatt Ltd (UK).