10 years of celebrating African engineering excellence
Celebrating 10 years of African innovation with 12 exceptional engineers
During our 10th anniversary year, we are celebrating a decade of engineering innovation with a community of 149 talented innovators representing a wide range of sectors and countries across Africa.
To celebrate this milestone, we have launched a 10 Years of the Africa Prize book, which features all of the incredible innovators on the programme. At the Africa Prize final in June 2024 in Nairobi, a special reunion is planned to celebrate a decade of the Prize, bringing together some 80 Africa Prize alumni from across the continent.
At the end of January 2024, The Royal Academy of Engineering is hosting a high-profile event to showcase some of the most successful innovators and businesses that have participated in the programme over the last decade. We are spotlighting the 12 outstanding entrepreneurs from 6 countries who have been selected to participate in the award. At this event, they will pitch their businesses, and one will be selected as the winner of the prestigious Africa Prize Alumni Medal and £50,000. Two runners up will each receive £15,000 each.
Innovations:
- Farmz2u, Aisha Raheem, Nigerai & Kenya – Farmz2U is a dynamic supply chain technology company aimed at increasing efficiency for market players in the food system through seamless operational systems.
- Kitovu Technology Company, Nwachinemere Emeka, Nigeria – an online platform that helps rural and remote smallholder farmers make data-driven decisions to reduce costs, increase yields and maximise sales. ·
- Vertical and Micro Gardening-VMG, Paul Matovu, Uganda – VMG’s Vertical Farms utilises space to both grow a variety of plants and compost biodegradable household waste, making sustainable farming accessible in urban environments and contributing to food security and community empowerment.
- Majik Water Technologies LTD, Beth Wanjiku Koigi, Kenya – Majik Water uses solar power to harvest moisture from the air and turn it into affordable, clean drinking water for off-grid communities.
- Silmak-Genesis Care, Catherine Wanjoya, Kenya – Genesis Care is a system enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT) to dispense and then dispose of feminine hygiene products, giving women and girls better access to affordable menstrual products
- Technovera-Pelebox Smart Lockers, Neo Hutiri, South Africa – Technovera is a social venture focused on inclusive technology with the aim of improving the access to chronic disease medication in Africa.
- Kamata Online Protection Services Ltd (KOPS Ltd), Edmand Aijuka, Uganda – Kamata, meaning ‘to seize’, is a prevention system that alerts regional utility centres when power is being tampered with or manipulated.
- Tuteria Education , Godwin Benson, Nigeria – Tuteria provides access to affordable, personalised tutoring, especially for students with academic challenges or special learning needs.
- Science Set, Ofori Charles Antipem and Michael Asante-Afrifa, Ghana – The Science Set is a highly customisable portable toolbox that contains materials needed for every basic science experiment across different science curricula in Africa. Ghanaians Charles and co-founder Michael were in our 2018 cohort and were finalists. Charles is representing the team at the Africa Prize Alumni Medal event.
- BleagLee, Juveline Ngum Ngwa, Cameroon – BleagLee uses an AI-based platform to swiftly identify open waste burning, and then works with indigenous waste collectors to collect waste for processing into biofuels, thus creating sustainable employment for women, men, and young people.
- Auto-Truck E.A Limited, Kenneth Guantai, Kenya – Auto-truck is an e-mobility company that specialises in local manufacturing, retrofitting and assembly of electric two- and three-wheelers commonly used in Kenya for last-mile connectivity.
- Chura limited, Samuel Njuguna, Kenya – Chura is a web-based, multinetwork system that allows users to move airtime between their different SIMs regardless of carrier, buy airtime from service providers that can be used on any network, send airtime to family members or employees, or exchange airtime for cash.