Kenyan wins top Africa Prize for engineering

Elly Savatia, the winner of the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation for his Terp 360 innovation.[James Wanzala/Standard] A Kenyan Elly Savatia is the winner of this year's 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Savatia was awarded PS50,000 (Sh7.6 million) for his sign language translation app Terp 360 by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the brains behind the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation - the largest dedicated engineering prize in Africa. Terp 360 is an AI-powered application that translates speech into sign language using lifelike 3D avatars. The live final of the Africa Prize programme, which is partly funded by the United Kingdom (UK) Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, was held in Dakar, Senegal, last week. The two other finalists from Africa were Vivian Arinaitwe (Uganda) with Neo Nest and Frank Owusu (Ghana), with Aquamet, who each received PS10,000 (Sh1.7 million). A further PS5,000 (Sh867,000) One to Watch prize was awarded to Rui Bauhofer, Mozambique, for his innovation, Eco-Plates, chosen by the live audience for their future potential impact. Eco-Plates are disposable plates made from recycled maize husks that are fully biodegradable and infused with seeds that will germinate and grow once discarded. Terp 360 addresses interpreter shortages and improves accessibility in classrooms and public services. Developed with people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, it draws on a growing dataset of more than 2,300 locally recorded signs to ensure cultural relevance and natural expression. The reward will support the next phase of Terp 360, and Savatia and his team are already preparing to expand into the Business-to-Business(B2B) market, focusing on education, corporate and healthcare sectors. "I'm totally grateful for this, and it is a testament to the innovative assistive technology work that is coming from Africa," said Savatia, creator of Terp 360. "I'm really looking forward to the excellence that will come out of Signvrse, the rest of the shortlistees and the African continent." Savatia was among four finalists with other Kenyan Carol Ofafa of E-Safiri, and two other African entrepreneurs and innovators who were battling for the final prize. Each finalist was assessed on the strength of their engineering solution, evidence of impact, commercial viability, potential to scale and quality of the team. Judges also considered how well each innovator applied learning from the eight-month programme and the clarity of their vision for the future. [James Wanzala] "This is exactly what the Africa Prize is all about. It's showcasing cutting-edge innovations by Africans for the World," said Rebecca Enonchong FREng, Chair of the Africa Prize judging panel. For all finalists, the Prize offers more than financial rewards. Being shortlisted brings credibility, visibility and access to networks that can accelerate growth. Alumni of the prize secure funding, and many now lead thriving ventures that create jobs and deliver impact. This year's Africa Prize attracted significant interest from entrepreneurs across the continent. Sixteen entrepreneurs were shortlisted, each receiving a comprehensive support package to help commercialise their innovations. The eight-month training programme covered core business skills such as financial modelling and market analysis, combined with mentoring and access to the Academy's global network of engineers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Since its launch in 2014, the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation has supported more than 160 innovators from over 20 countries. Equipping entrepreneurs with training, mentoring, and networks helps turn promising ideas into scalable businesses. Applications to join the Africa Prize programme will open again in mid-2026. Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the 'How to Apply' guide on the Africa Prize website for more information.

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