The Royal Academy of Engineering will host the final of the 10th Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, the continent’s largest engineering prize, on 13 June 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. From an initial shortlist of 16 innovators creating sustainable, scalable engineering solutions on the continent, four finalists have been selected to present their innovations to the judges in front of both a live and online audience. Registration for this event is now open.
In 2024, the four finalists have developed solutions including an environmentally-friendly roofing material made from recycled plastic, a smart healthcare platform providing direct access to vital healthcare information via WhatsApp, a location-based mobile app connecting customers to independent agents for on-demand rubbish collection and disposal, and a solar-powered tool using AI and machine learning-enabled cameras to detect and identify agricultural pests and diseases.
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These innovations directly address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, sustainable cities and communities, reduced inequalities and climate action.
This year’s winner will receive a prize of £50,000, with the other three finalists receiving £15,000 each. The prize is double the amount of previous years in recognition of the Africa Prize’s ten-year anniversary. The other shortlisted innovators will also be given one minute each to present their innovations, and an audience poll will select one of them to receive an award of £5,000. This prize, the ‘One to Watch’, is awarded in honour of an alumnus of the Africa Prize who passed away, Ghanaian Martin Bruce, co-founder of Young at Heart. It is awarded to a member of the shortlist who the audience identifies as one to watch in the future. The awards form part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s investment of over £1 million to African innovators through grants, prizes and accelerator programme places during the 10th anniversary year of the Africa Prize.
The 2024 Africa Prize finalists were selected from a shortlist of innovators who are applying engineering to solve problems faced by their communities. The finalist selection took place following an eight-month training and mentoring programme, during which experts provided tailored, one-on-one support designed to accelerate and strengthen the businesses of each member of the shortlist. Training covered business plans, scaling, recruitment, IP protection, sector-specific engineering mentoring, communication, financing and commercialisation.
2024 Finalists:
Early Crop Pest and Disease Detection Device, Esther Kimani, Kenya:
Eco Tiles, Kevin Maina, Kenya:
La Ruche Health, Rory Assandey, Côte d'Ivoire:
Yo-Waste, Martin Tumusiime, Uganda:
Local supporters, industry peers, engineering and entrepreneurial enthusiasts, innovation hubs, investors, as well as media, are encouraged to register to attend the Africa Prize final free of charge in person or online. The final will be held at the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences, Nairobi, where approximately 100 Africa Prize alumni from 20 countries will also attend to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Africa Prize. This year, the judges are:
Africa Prize Judge Dr John Lazar CBE FREng said:
“The Royal Academy of Engineering has supported almost 150 entrepreneurs across 23 African countries. Our active alumni network offers lifelong support to our growing community, which has created more than 28,000 jobs, with more than ten million people having benefitted from shortlisted innovations over the past decade. This is why in 2024, the Academy is investing more than £1 million in our alumni through grants, prizes and accelerator programme awards to facilitate longer-term success of their innovations.”
“2024 has been one of our most difficult shortlists to decide yet. We had a record number of applications which we shortlisted down to sixteen, and now we’ve narrowed it down to our four exceptional finalists. Esther Kimani, Kevin Maina, Rory Assandey and Martin Tumusiime are examples of engineering excellence in Africa, and the Royal Academy of Engineering is proud to have played a part in their development journeys. These are individuals who we know will inspire the next generation of changemakers on the continent. Choosing a winner is not going to be easy.”
The remaining shortlisted innovators are now eligible for ‘One to Watch’ award worth £5,000, for which they will compete for the public’s vote at the Africa Prize final.
The Africa Prize runs annually and is designed to bring together individual innovators changing their communities, to form a network that can transform a continent. The 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation will be open for entries on 13 June 2024. Individuals and small teams living and working in sub-Saharan Africa with a scalable engineering innovation to solve a local challenge are invited to enter. Visit the ‘How to Apply’ guide on the Africa Prize website.
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to developing African innovators and helping them to maximise their impact. It gives commercialisation support to ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to address local challenges, demonstrating the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development.
The Africa Prize has been generously supported by the UK Government, including the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Official Development Assistance funding, as well as charitable trusts and foundations, individual donors and corporate partners over the last ten years.