HOT NOZZLE INNOVATE

Thamsanqa Hoza is the CEO of Cape Town start-up Hot Nozzle Innovate. The 19-year-old University of Cape Town (UCT) student from Welkom in the Free State co-invented the Hot Nozzle, a battery powered portable showerhead attachment that heats up cold water. No electricity is needed. Hoza and his business partner Bokamoso Molale conceptualised the idea in 2014, when they were only 15 years old. In June 2018, Hoza received the Queen’s Young Leader Award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll during a reception at Buckingham Palace. The award recognises the exceptional work of young people in their communities. Hoza was one of only two South Africans to receive the honour. Invest Cape Town caught up with Hoza recently to find out more about the business and his plans for the future.

What is the Hot Nozzle and how was the idea conceptualised?

The Hot Nozzle is a portable, battery-operated shower attachment that heats up cold water. The idea was conceptualised in 2014, motivated by our daily cold showers. As juniors we had to do everything last, we had a ranking system – juniors ate last and showered last. By the time we got to shower, the water was cold. So one night, after lights out, the idea was born. Bokamoso and I were roommates and we thought: hey, wouldn’t it be cool if everyone could have a hot shower. At the time we were in Grade 10 and had very little technical knowledge. We came up with the idea at night and the next morning went straight to our physics teacher for advice. We did a lot of self-reading and self-investigation. From 2014 until about 2016, the concept remained an idea. In late 2016 we developed a prototype and registered Hot Nozzle Innovate as a fully-fledged business. We are in the development phase, still pre-revenue. We’ve brought on-board a very knowledgeable Chief Technical Officer, John Fadiran, and have only recently managed to secure pre-seed funding from an angel investor.

How easy or difficult was it to secure pre-seed funding?

It was pretty difficult. There are a lot of factors with this. Firstly, the technical know-how, we are two black youngsters in a crowded market saying we have an innovative product. A product that hasn’t been proved… it takes a lot. Securing the first bit of pre-seed funding was a major hassle. We were only able to secure some funding this year. The reception is amazing but people are not willing to take the actual risk. It is a field very few businesspeople go into. We have a pre-seed angel investor working with us at the moment. I can’t disclose the name of the investor at this stage. We are raising our seed round, mainly in the US, but are still open to all contenders.

How much does the Hot Nozzle cost?

We are still doing the calculations, but a rough estimate is around US $75 (ZAR975) per unit.

What is your vision for Hot Nozzle Innovate?

I’d like to see the business grow. Scaling our operation once the product is officially launched is key. My goal is to disrupt the African innovation landscape. In the future, I’d like to start a pre-seed fund targeted at students. I have met phenomenal people doing great things and they are not getting the backing they deserve.

What do you enjoy most about living, studying and working in Cape Town?

I came to boarding school in Cape Town in 2014 and just fell in love with the city. There are a lot of opportunities here. It is diverse. There is so much to do and learn. You don’t get this in Welkom (Free State). The key international players convene here, and as a student, you get free access to a number of global conferences. You can just pop an email, say you’re interested and people actually reply – sometimes even inviting you for a tour of their business. In Cape Town, people are interested and open to host and teach you. Cape Town has it all.

You are a 2018 recipient of the Queen’s Young Leader Award. How were you nominated and what was that experience like?

It was amazing. I got immersed into the whole innovation ecosystem at a very young age. As a result, I got very involved with arranging hackathons and pitching competitions. Through Hot Nozzle Innovate, I also seek to encourage and inspire young people to explore entrepreneurship.  In 2016, Bokamoso and I were recognised among the top ten Young Innovators Under 26 at the Innovation Prize for Africa Awards. In 2017, I attended a Leadership Workshop in Atlanta (USA), and it was there that one of participants referred me to the Queen’s Young Leaders programme. After a series of interviews, checks and evaluations, I got the call to say that I’d made it and would receive the Queen’s Young Leaders Award. Part of the prize includes a year-long course at Cambridge University called Leading Change. While in England, we had a lot of workshops and visited a number of companies, which culminated in Her Majesty The Queen handing me the award (a gold medal).

What is your message to other young entrepreneurs?

Get yourself out there. I know it is a difficult message to put out, but young people shouldn’t be afraid of taking the risk. Take that first step – email,  connect and communicate. The journey is long and hard, but people will believe in you. People could refer you. AT UCT, I’m involved with UCT’s entrepreneurship society and there are so many amazing people, with so many amazing ideas. The main block between them and getting their ideas out is the initial contact.

Who or what inspires you?

I was raised mainly by my grandparent, my mother was working in another country. Personally my drive is to see a better future for my family, that is my main inspiration as well as to live out my dream.

To get in touch with Thamsanqa or for more information about Hot Nozzle Innovate, email: thami@hotnozzle.net.