Sixteen Groundbreaking Solutions Shortlisted for Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2026 Africa Prize

A diverse group of 16 innovators from across sub-Saharan Africa have been selected as finalists for the 2026 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. These entrepreneurs will compete for a total prize fund of GBP85,000 (US$113,000), which recognizes outstanding engineering solutions addressing critical challenges facing African communities.

The Africa Prize, supported by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, celebrates both technological ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. This year’s cohort showcases a remarkable range of applications, from AI-powered healthcare diagnostics to sustainable agriculture platforms and affordable educational tools – all designed with local contexts in mind.

Highlights from this Year’s Shortlist:

  • Fusion Wind Turbine (Ghana): A hybrid wind-solar microgrid providing reliable power to off-grid communities while reducing diesel generator dependence.
  • MoyoECG (Kenya): An AI-powered wearable device enabling rural clinics to perform hospital-grade cardiac screenings without internet access or electricity.
  • Renal Roads (Kenya): Mobile dialysis units bringing life-saving kidney care directly to underserved populations.
  • Farmflex (Lesotho): An AI platform helping smallholder farmers optimize crop yields with less water and improved market access.
  • Malawi Drop (Malawi): A low-cost household water treatment device delivering safe drinking water at the point of use.
  • Jangalma (Senegal): An AI education platform providing personalized learning to secondary students regardless of location or connectivity.
  • ZaidiApp (Tanzania): Eco-fintech that digitizes waste collection and formalizes recycling work in urban areas.

The winner will receive GBP50,000 (US$66,000), with runners-up each receiving GBP10,000 (US$13,000). An additional “One-to-Watch” award of GBP5,000 (US$7,000) will be determined by audience vote based on the most impactful pitch.

These shortlisted solutions demonstrate Africa’s growing capacity for engineering innovation and its potential to address some of the continent’s most pressing challenges while creating new economic opportunities.