Innovative Projects Creating More and Better Jobs in Africa
Highlights
The World Bank Group and the Financial Times have launched the second Africa Sustainable Futures Awards.
The 2025 categories have specific focus on creating more and better jobs in Africa.
The Awards will highlight commercially viable initiatives that offer transformative, resilient, and scalable solutions to the challenges currently facing Africa.
The World Bank Group and the Financial Times have launched the second Africa Sustainable Futures Awards, with a ceremony to be held in London in October 2025. The Awards will showcase commercially viable initiatives that provide transformative, resilient, and scalable solutions to development issues. Building on the success of the inaugural program, which drew over 200 entries, the 2025 edition will prioritize initiatives that move beyond traditional development models by actively creating more and better jobs, fostering commercial excellence, and building resilient local economies.
This year, the Awards will recognize outstanding achievements across five categories, each playing a crucial role in driving sustainable development, economic growth, and jobs. Entries will be accepted until August 15, 2025, offering a platform for innovators and leaders to showcase their contributions in the following areas: Access to Electricity and Infrastructure, Agribusiness, Healthcare, Local Manufacturing, and Tourism. These categories reflect the diverse and dynamic sectors that are instrumental in shaping a prosperous and sustainable future for Africa.
“Expanding access to quality jobs is essential for fostering sustainable growth and resilience across Africa,” said Hiroshi Matano, MIGA Executive Vice President. “We are dedicated to presenting practical, scalable solutions that tackle immediate challenges while establishing the foundation for inclusive, future-ready economies. I am excited to celebrate the private sector leaders who are driving industry transformation and uplifting communities.”
The Awards also feature an Innovation Showcase, highlighting exciting new ideas at earlier development stages than projects in the other categories but have the potential for transformative impact once their operations scale up.
A look back at the winners of the inaugural awards in 2024 provides a master class in innovation, delivering creative, scalable solutions to Africa’s most pressing development challenges. They offered powerful ideas and approaches that can inspire future projects and partnerships
Read on to learn more about the winning projects from 2024.
Judges’ Awards for Excellence
Sun King Brings affordable solar energy to Africa's energy-poor
Sun King, a leader in the "pay-as-you-go" off-grid solar energy industry, is addressing energy poverty in Africa by providing affordable solar solutions. The company replaces polluting and costly diesel generators and kerosene-based lighting with solar energy, expanding energy access. Sun King's innovative model allows customers to pay for energy in installments, breaking down the upfront cost barrier.
Since 2017, Sun King has extended over $1 billion in solar loans to more than 8 million customers. Recently, the company achieved a milestone by establishing the first-ever fully local currency and commercial securitization in Sub-Saharan Africa for renewable energy.
Spiro powers Africa's urban future with electric mobility and renewable energy
Africa's urban infrastructure faces significant challenges, including high greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and limited access to clean energy. Spiro is addressing these issues by developing resilient electric mobility and renewable energy infrastructure. The company has already facilitated over 9 million battery swaps, reducing emissions and enhancing urban infrastructure across Africa.
Spiro's approach to sustainable urban development integrates measures like decarbonized transportation, energy efficiency, and recycling. The company aims to deploy millions of electric vehicles on African roads in the next 10 years, supported by a robust network of battery swapping stations and smart charging solutions.
African Wildlife Foundation seeks to scale nature conservation through biodiversity economies
The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is working to scale investments in nature conservation by partnering with African governments to develop national policies that support "biodiversity economies." These economies recognize wildlife as a valuable economic asset, integrating conservation into economic growth in Africa.
Many African countries currently lack policies to support biodiversity-based economic activities like eco-tourism, wildlife research, and carbon credits. These activities remain small-scale and under-represented in national accounts. To address this, AWF is collaborating with partners like the World Bank and UN Environment Programme to develop investment frameworks that link business and finance decisions with nature conservation.
Countries like Zimbabwe and Rwanda have already expressed interest in developing their biodiversity economies, demonstrating potential for scalability across the continent. AWF wants to make biodiversity economies a key economic pillar in Africa, driving sustainable development among vulnerable communities.
Arise's Garment Training Center provides African textile industry with local raw materials and inclusive employment
The textile industry in many African countries faces two key challenges: underutilization of local raw materials and exclusion of vulnerable populations from employment. To address this problem, Arise established the Garment Training Center (GTC) in Benin, which processes raw materials locally and specializes in high-end textile products.
The GTC integrates vocational training, textile production, and socio-economic inclusion, focusing on marginalized groups like women, young people, and people with disabilities. Since 2022, the GTC has trained and employed 1,151 people, with 55% of beneficiaries being women.
The GTC has partnered with international buyers to scale its projects across Africa and the world. By processing local raw materials and empowering marginalized groups, the GTC is adding value to the local economy and promoting sustainable development.
Intelsat restores connectivity in Burkina Faso via satellite-powered solution
In Burkina Faso, widespread unrest severely damaged the country's fiber-based telecommunications infrastructure, disconnecting entire towns and hindering communication and business activities. Intelsat stepped in to establish satellite-powered connectivity in remote and dangerous areas, restoring communication within weeks.
Intelsat works with local partners to implement a turnkey, scalable solution with no upfront costs for the customer.
The successful reconnection of several cities serves as a scalable model for future connectivity projects in remote areas, with aspirations to expand the network further. Intelsat's satellite-powered solution provides a more resilient alternative to traditional fiber-based infrastructure, enabling communication and business activities to continue uninterrupted.
Innovation Showcase
Bridges to Prosperity empowers rural communities by building accessible infrastructure
Nearly a billion people worldwide are unable to access basic services due to physical obstacles like impassable rivers and unmaintained roads. Bridges to Prosperity addresses this challenge by working with rural communities, governments, and stakeholders to identify the most pressing accessibility needs and create conditions for infrastructure investments.
The organization uses the Fika Map, a dynamic machine learning tool developed with Better Planet Laboratory at the University of Boulder, Colorado, to predict the location of unmapped waterways and identify the most impactful infrastructure solutions. This data enables stakeholders to improve the livelihoods and well-being of communities while reducing extreme poverty.
Bridges to Prosperity has built over 600 trail bridges, serving 3 million people across 21 countries through its portfolio of construction, engineering, evidence-based advocacy, advisory, and technical assistance services. The organization's work complements Fika Map's data, providing a comprehensive approach to addressing accessibility challenges in rural low-income communities.
The inaugural awards received 211 entries, with 22 finalists selected across five core categories. This year’s awards are accepting nominations in five categories: Access to Electricity and Infrastructure, Agribusiness, Healthcare, Local Manufacturing, and Tourism. Entries will be accepted until August 15, 2025. Entry forms and criteria are available at africasustainablefuturesawards.live.ft.com.