Africa. A Continent of Homegrown Solutions for a Changing Planet

Solar home systems and pay-as-you-go models Innovative financing models have made solar energy accessible to low-income households across East and West Africa, bypassing the need for grid connection entirely.

Mini-grids powering communities and SMEs Community-scale solar mini-grids are providing reliable electricity to villages, health clinics, schools and small businesses — anchoring local economies and improving quality of life.

Clean cooking solutions Millions of households still rely on wood and charcoal for cooking, driving deforestation and health impacts. African innovators are scaling clean cookstoves and biogas systems that cut emissions, protect forests and reduce household costs.

Rainwater harvesting at community and household scale Simple, effective systems for capturing and storing rainfall are providing water security for families, schools and smallholder farms across the continent.

Low-cost water purification technologies African innovators are developing affordable purification systems — from solar disinfection to biosand filters — that deliver clean drinking water without expensive infrastructure.

Flood management and early warning systems With extreme rainfall events increasing in frequency, African engineers and institutions are building early warning tools and flood-resilient infrastructure to protect communities.

Agroforestry and soil restoration Techniques that integrate trees with crops are restoring degraded soils, improving water retention, and increasing farm resilience across the Sahel and East Africa.

Drought-resistant seed varieties and precision farming African researchers and agri-tech companies are developing seeds and digital tools tailored to local conditions, helping smallholders adapt to unpredictable rainfall and rising temperatures.

Farmer-led knowledge networks Community extension programmes and mobile platforms are connecting farmers with each other and with practical knowledge — scaling proven techniques across millions of smallholdings faster than traditional systems.

Plastic recovery and recycling Companies across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa are building professional plastic collection and recycling networks, often integrating informal collectors into formal supply chains.

Organic waste and composting With large volumes of agricultural and food waste, Africa has significant potential for composting and biogas — turning waste into soil fertility and clean energy simultaneously.

Upcycling and creative reuse African designers and entrepreneurs are turning waste materials — tyres, plastic bottles, textiles — into furniture, building materials and consumer products, creating livelihoods while reducing waste.

Community-based conservation Models that give local communities ownership and benefit from conservation — including wildlife corridors, community conservancies and forest stewardship — are proving more effective and durable than top-down approaches.

Forest restoration and reforestation at scale Programmes such as the Great Green Wall are pioneering large-scale land restoration across the Sahel, combining ecological recovery with livelihoods for millions of people.

Marine and coastal ecosystem protection East and West African coastal communities are developing models for protecting mangroves, coral reefs and fisheries that provide both carbon sequestration and food security.

Compressed earth and natural building materials Using locally sourced soils, clay and natural fibres, African builders are constructing durable, thermally comfortable homes at a fraction of the cost of conventional construction.

Modular and rapidly deployable housing Systems designed for fast assembly with minimal waste are helping address urgent shelter needs in both urban expansion zones and post-disaster contexts.

Climate-adapted design for extreme heat and flooding Architects and engineers across the continent are developing building designs that stay cool without air conditioning and remain resilient in flood-prone areas — principles with global relevance.