Africa Prize Awards £85K to Engineers Solving Real Problems

Imagine picking up your chronic medication in 36 seconds instead of waiting in line for hours. That's already happening in South Africa, thanks to one engineer's smart locker system called Pelebox.

It's just one example of what happens when the Royal Academy of Engineering invests in African innovation. The organization just launched applications for its 2027 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, the continent's leading award for engineers and entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa.

Sixteen shortlisted innovators will receive eight months of intensive business training, expert mentoring, and access to a network of industry leaders across Africa and the UK. The winners share £85,000 in prize money, with £50,000 going to the overall champion.

The program has already supported more than 180 businesses from 24 countries. Together, these alumni have secured over $34 million in additional funding to grow their solutions.

This year's candidates are tackling challenges that affect millions of people daily. In Rwanda, HarakaPlus provides real-time bus tracking to make public transport more reliable for commuters. In Côte d'Ivoire, La Ruche Health uses an AI assistant named Kiko to connect patients with the right health specialists via WhatsApp, completing most consultations within 48 hours.

The Ripple Effect

The impact reaches far beyond individual success stories. Neo Hutiri's Pelebox smart lockers now serve over 3,000 patients in South Africa, cutting clinic wait times and freeing up healthcare workers for more complex cases.

In Angola, Cristovão Cacombe created Arobot, a robotics learning tool shaped like the country's iconic three-wheeled motorbike. Since 2021, it has taught coding and engineering skills to more than 7,000 students across 15 cities.

Ed Wessels developed Flexigyn, a portable device that brings specialized gynecological procedures from operating theaters into local clinics, eliminating the need for anesthesia and making women's healthcare more accessible.

The solutions span everything from AI-powered maternal health tools and mobile dialysis technologies to renewable energy for off-grid communities, smart farming systems, and low-cost clean water supply. Meredith Ettridge, associate director at the Royal Academy of Engineering, says the Prize continues to uncover engineering talent in regions where awareness is still growing.

Applications are open now for engineers ready to turn their innovations into scalable businesses that improve lives across Africa.