Kenyan solar energy startup shines at AfCFTA awards
Monday November 08 2021
A past meeting in Rwanda's capital Kigali on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). FILE PHOTO | NMG
Kenya’s Tekizo Africa Limited is among the companies that emerged top in the just concluded Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Caravan Prize competition.
The firm, which deals in the manufacture and distribution of solar freezers to small-scale fishermen, emerged as a runner up in the final competition results announced on Friday.
Among the winners were Senegal's Matontine offering digital financial services and Medics2You from Nigeria that incorporates technology in the provision of healthcare. Matontine bagged the grand prize, while Medics2You took home the commendation prize.
Other winners were Kudoti from South Africa that has tapped into e-waste management infrastructure enabling the digitisation of waste value maximisation, and Africa Free Trade Area (AFTA) Cargo from Zimbabwe which has developed strategic units in efforts to grow Africa’s stake in the global cargo market. They both carried home a commendation prize each.
The AfCFTA Caravan Prize is aimed at boosting small and medium African enterprises through the provision of soft infrastructure that helps them expand beyond their home countries. The prize targets a select few of the Caravan Initiative-supported enterprises and offers them more intensive support and cash grants.
The initiative also powers the “jobs in green tech" programme, the Digital Green Corridor, designed to promote a trade and investment corridor for Africa's cleantech entrepreneurs to benefit from AfCFTA and the ongoing global green shift simultaneously.