Three African Enterprises Win USD 600 K Each At Zayed Sustainability Awards

Rwanda’s BBOXX, Tanzania’s Sanku and South Africa’s Africa Leadership Academy have each grabbed home USD 600 K, having emerged three of the five winning global innovators in this year’s Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards.

The trio came top in Energy, Food and Global High Schools categories, respectively. While Tanzania-based Sanku majors in equipping and incentivizing small-scale and local farmers to fortify their flour with life-saving nutrients, BBOXX offers plug-and-play solar devices that provide off-grid power. The latter firm was recently in the reception of USD 31 Mn from AIIF3 Fund, a member of Old Alternative Investments.

Then, the African Leadership Academy took clinched their category on the backs of its proposed creation of a water treatment machine monikered “The Living Machine”. Just recently, it raised $30 million in a Series B round led by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen. The new funds will be focused on rolling out the organization’s lifelong learning centres program, ALX, which opened in Nairobi last year and is set to open in Johannesburg, Lagos, Cape Town, and Casablanca later this year.

These awards are a reflection of the growing role of African innovators on the global stage after the continent recorded the highest number of application.

“Their technologies addressed real-life social, environmental, health and economic challenges, as well as reflected the aspirations of a new generation of innovators within a continent that has one of the world’s biggest youth populations,” a statement issued by the organizers noted.

“Over 16,000 children die every day from illnesses that are absolutely preventable. We have a solution, and so we have the duty to keep fighting in order to reduce that number to zero,” said Sanku’s co-founder and chief executive Felix Brooks-Church when he received the award.

“We are passionate about harnessing pioneering data and technology to power economic growth and transform the lives of underserved communities living off-grid. Winning this award is an important milestone along our journey,” Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and co-founder of BBOXX said.

The awards reflected the growing role of African innovators in playing global innovation after the continent recorded the highest number of applications.

Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said: “In a world of changing climate, and a rapidly growing population, developing sustainable solutions to meet rising food demand and provide energy access to people in remote areas is a global priority. These worthy winners among many strong candidates are perfect examples of how to meet the Prize criteria of being innovative, inspirational and offering tangible impact within communities.

This development first appeared on Kenyan Wall Street.

Featured Image Courtesy: The National