Prince William announces Earthshot winners in South Africa

The heir to the British throne walked the “green carpet” at his Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Cape Town on Wednesday (Nov. 06).

The event is the centrepiece of his four-day environment-focused trip to South Africa.

The event will take place in The Earthshot Prize Dome, a purpose-built venue beside Cape Town Stadium using a structure designed and engineered in South Africa

William who conceived the idea on the continent, set up the Prize through his Royal Foundation in 2020.

“During a trip to Namibia and Tanzania. I was lucky enough to see some of the stunning wildlife that calls this continent home. But what really struck me was the incredible impact local people were having on the environment around them. Thanks to their ingenuity and creativity, biodiversity was returning, animals were being protected and jobs were being created,” the Prince said.

The Prize awarded $1.2 million in grants to five businesses/organizations shotlisted aming 15 finalists for their sustainable, eco-friendly innovations.

Spotlight Africa

Among the winners is GAYO, a Ghanaian organization that trains people to collect and manage waste and KeepItCool a Nairobi-based organization which aims to reduce post-harvest losses and promoting fair trade for small-scale farmers and fishermen.

“I now invite you to join the movement for climate innovation that's happening around the world. Because that's why we're here... to champion the dreamers, the thinkers and the innovators from every walk of life who share an ambition to build a better, more sustainable world,” the Prince of Wales said.

"We'll do everything we can to support them and help speed their solutions to scale. Because when they succeed, we all succeed. When they thrive, we all thrive. And when they win, we all win."

The ceremony was organized in Africa for the first time and saw two African initiatives shine.

One of the goals of the organizers according to the CEO of the Earthshot Prize Hannah Jones: "These awards are going to spotlight Africa, but they're also going to give a message to the world. It's time for young people to reclaim their future by inventing solutions one solution at a time. And we're here to celebrate the people that are thinking about how to fix the planet. We're here to encourage everybody else to do the same."