THREE African startups are among the fifteen contenders for the 2024 Earthshot Prize, which will be hosted in Africa for the first time in Cape Town.
The startups all offer solutions that showcase Africa’s growing leadership in environmental sustainability, with the trio filling three of five global £1 million (about US$1.3 million) catalytic prize spots.
The finalists for the 2024 Earthshot Prize – fifteen, across all awards – were unveiled at the third-annual Earthshot Innovation Summit on September 24.
In a press statement unveiling the fifteen finalists, “this year’s Finalists were selected from nearly 2,500 nominees submitted by the Prize’s network of more than 430 nominators from 75 countries.”
“The passion of these Finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we tap into the enormous creativity, ingenuity, and optimism of communities around the world… these finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges,” Prince William, Founder and President of The Earthshot Prize noted in the statement.
Founded by Prince William and launched by The Royal Foundation in 2020, The Earthshot Prize is a global initiative dedicated to discovering and scaling innovative solutions to repair and regenerate our planet.
The three African finalists include d.light, from Kenya, GAYO (Green Africa Youth Organization) from Ghana, and Keep It Cool from Kenya.
d.light provides affordable solar home systems across several markets in Africa and beyond, mainly Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. According to its website, it aims to impact one billion people by delivering affordable and clean solar home systems that replace polluting kerosene lamps and dirty stoves.
d.light offers off-grid energy solutions for low-income communities, capitalizing on its credit access offering. It aims to hit US$750 million in consumer financing by 2025.
GAYO promotes a “zero waste model” to enhance waste management practices and reduce air pollution. The youth-led initiative champions behavioral change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and particulate pollution while creating additional income for communities. Its ambitious scaling plan aims to cut air pollution by 70% and divert 260 tonnes of waste within a year.
Keep It Cool addresses refrigeration and cold-chain logistics challenges in Africa with its solar-powered solutions. According to its website, its solutions reduce post-harvest waste by 25% and increase smallholder farmers’ incomes by 20%. The company enhances market access by linking farmers and fishers to a centralized online marketplace.
Since its inception, the Earthshot Prize has celebrated at least seven African startups making significant strides in sustainability. Abalobi (2023 finalist) from South Africa empowers small-scale fishers with technology for sustainable fisheries, leveraging Earthshot funding for expansion into Brazil and Mozambique.
Freetown, the Treetown (2023 finalist) from Sierra Leone, drives citizen-led reforestation efforts to increase tree cover and has partnered with the City of Pretoria for new initiatives.
ROAM (2022 finalist) from Kenya produces electric motorcycles to promote clean mobility, scaling production fourfold and launching the Roam Rapid electric bus for Nairobi, while Mukuru (a 2022 winner) offers clean cooking solutions that have avoided 177,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and improved the lives of over 835,000 people in Kenya.
Sanergy (2021 finalist), now Regen Organics, transforms waste into organic fertilizer and insect protein, and it has been supported in building the largest waste recycling facility in Eastern Central Africa.
The Pole Pole Foundation (2021 finalist) from the DRC focuses on wildlife conservation and reforestation, engaging over 1,800 community members with Earthshot funding. Reedi Capsules (2021 finalist) from Nigeria delivers solar-powered energy to off-grid communities, achieving sixfold revenue growth since becoming a finalist.
The 2024 Earthshot Prize Winners will be announced at the fourth Earthshot Prize Awards on Wednesday, 6 November, in Cape Town, South Africa. The ceremony is part of Earthshot Week, featuring events that bring together global leaders, investors, philanthropists, businesses, and NGOs to collaborate with Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists.
