From a record 7,761 submissions spanning 173 countries, 33 organisations have emerged as finalists for the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize among them, a handful of African innovators whose ideas are reshaping access to health, food and clean water across the continent.
The Prize, the UAE’s flagship award for sustainability, has already touched more than 400 million lives worldwide since its launch. Its impact is tangible: over 11 million people now have access to safe drinking water, 54 million homes are connected to reliable energy and millions more benefit from improved nutrition and healthcare. The winners of this year’s edition will be announced on 13 January 2026, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
African Pioneers in Health
In Zambia, Healthy Learners has been named a finalist for its pioneering model that transforms schools into frontline health hubs. By training teachers as first responders, the organisation enables real-time disease detection and care for more than one million children. Founded by Ignicious Bulongo and Lonnie Hackett, the initiative is rethinking public health delivery in underserved communities where clinical infrastructure is often scarce.
Kenya’s Drop Access is also in the running, recognised for its Vaccibox technology, solar-powered refrigeration units that ensure safe storage and transport of vaccines, medicines and blood. The system has already safeguarded more than 2.5 million doses, improving access for over one million people in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
Food Security and Climate-Smart Agriculture
South Africa’s INMED Partnerships for Children has been selected in the Food category. Its aquaponics systems integrate fish farming with hydroponic vegetable production, creating resilient food systems for schools and households. To date, more than 158,000 people have benefited. For Unathi Sihlahla, the Country Director, the nomination is more than recognition; it is validation of years spent navigating post-COVID survival struggles and driving community-led innovation.
“This moment brings back memories of how close we came to collapse,” he reflected, “and how resilience, faith and the commitment of our teams kept us alive. Being named a finalist affirms that even in the hardest times, innovation can flourish.”
Water Security for Rural Communities
In Rwanda, IRIBA Water Group has been shortlisted in the Water category for its solar-powered smart water ATMs. Equipped with UV and RO purification, digital monitoring and mobile payments, the units provide clean and affordable drinking water to more than 517,000 people. Led by founder and CEO Yvette Ishimwe, the initiative has also created nearly 200 jobs, proving that climate-smart innovation can drive both social impact and economic growth.
“This recognition strengthens our mission to bring safe drinking water to every community,” Yvette noted. “It reminds us that sustainable water solutions are not a dream; they are happening here in Africa.”
Climate Action: Building Resilient Futures
- Likuni Boys Secondary School (Malawi) – A Global High Schools finalist from Sub-Saharan Africa, where students are designing sustainability solutions rooted in local challenges.
- Kallamino Special High School (Ethiopia) – Recognised for student-led initiatives advancing energy efficiency and climate awareness.
- Kyanja High School (Uganda) – Tackling climate adaptation through youth-led innovation projects.
- Fawahir School of Applied Technology (Egypt) – student-led sustainability solutions and circular innovation.
These schools remind the world that African youth are not only inheriting climate challenges but they are actively shaping solutions.
A Stage for African Leadership
These African finalists stand alongside peers from Asia, Europe and the Americas, yet their work speaks directly to the continent’s most urgent needs: affordable healthcare, food security, and access to clean water.
They embody what H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, described as the Prize’s core mission: “solutions that are affordable, reliable, scalable and generate socioeconomic value for the communities they serve.”
For Sub-Saharan Africa, where climate change, food insecurity and healthcare inequities intersect, such recognition is more than symbolic. It signals to investors, policymakers and development partners that scalable, home-grown solutions exist and they are ready to shape the future.
Beyond Recognition
Each winner in the Health, Food, Water, Energy and Climate Action categories will receive US$1 million, while winning schools will secure up to $150,000 to fund their sustainability projects. For the African finalists, the prize money could accelerate scale, deepen local impact and unlock cross-border partnerships.
As Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chair of the Prize Jury, put it: “This year’s finalists reveal a powerful truth: sustainability is no longer a distant ambition, it is a lived reality shaped by communities, young people and innovators across the globe.”
In Africa, the innovators Healthy Learners, Drop Access, INMED and IRIBA illuminate a transformative shift, inspiring hope and progress. Their story highlights resilience and ingenuity through local solutions that address global challenges, showcasing entrepreneurs who turn their ambitions into real impact.
