The African Energy Indaba 2019 platform has announced its Top 5 nominees for Africa's Youth Energy Innovator award.
The aim of the award Africa’s Youth Energy Innovator award was initiated by the prestigious African Energy Indaba in order to encourage and support young energy innovators.
The Top five African Energy innovators presented their products to a panel of energy experts. The products were evaluated for energy security, environmental sustainability, energy equity and job creation. The unique benefit in utilising the various products was also considered.
The five nominee innovators will be exhibiting their creations and energy solutions for delegates and other interested stakeholders at the African Energy Indaba Exhibition on the 19 and 20 of February at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The final 5 nominees are:
Bongajum Lesley Ndzi, a 32-year-old Cameroonian living in Senegal, who is endeavouring to bring light to students who need to study in the evening, and ultimately electricity to rural villages via a Power bike kit.
Bonface Jiveri, a 29-year old from Kenya, is converting fruit peeling cellulose biomass and egg shells into a patented bio-alkanol gel fuel. Bonaface's innovation has facilitated a reduction in malaria in the area, and an improvement in income revenue due to the recycling of farm produce.
Chifungu Samazaka, a 31-year-old from Zambia has invented a peer to peer gas microgrid system that allows off grid communities to access low cost and environmentally friendly cooking fuel. His innovation has become a more accessible and affordable alternative to charcoal, firewood or electricity off-grid consumers.
Hashim Mutanje, a 32-year old from Uganda, is utilising his expertise and team from the Energy Demand Data Aggregation platform to assist and enable energy suppliers to efficiently plan their energy consumption, while serving the needs of rural communities, including small businesses.
Victoria Henry Ngayamgunda, a 27-year old from Tanzania is bringing a waste value chain via the utilisation of agro-waste in order to make charcoal briquettes - an affordable and clean energy option for use in cooking. Her focus is the empowerment of women in rural communities while addressing the very important issue of sustainable development.