The word “startup” is often synonymous with the early days of tech titans who pioneered us into a new digital age. But similarly there’s a whole new generation of young startuppers who are making a ripple effect for positive change in areas like medicine, the environment, mental health, renewable energy and agriculture.
Over the last few years, the Startupper of the year challenge by Total has highlighted some of these startups in Africa. The competition for under 35-year-olds was created in October 2015 to promote entrepreneurship across 34 African countries, by supporting good ideas and projects that help address widespread problems affecting communities around the world.
Here are 5 startups from across the African continent that are making an impact:
Davinon Hydroponics
Davinon Hydroponics is the brainchild of Nonhlanhla Phalama, this year’s winner of South Africa’s Startupper of the Year challenge by Total. Davinon Hydroponics aims to establish hydroponics farms in rural schools and orphanages across the country. At the end of the day, 30% of all profit is re-invested back into the schools where the hydroponics farms are set up.
Bidigreen
Bidigreen is a startup in Ghana that aims to tackle deforestation in rural urban communities. Developed by Eunice Kloe, a BSc. Aquaculture and Water Resource Management student, Bidigreen is essentially charcoal produced from crop waste. It burns 2 to 3 times longer, is smokeless and is produced in 2 hours in comparison to 2 weeks for the other forms of charcoal.
Delta Oil
Developed by Mahmoud Eljendy, Delta Oil is an Egyptian startup that collects used cooking oil from individuals through a well-established network of Tamween stores and independent collectors. Individuals can exchange their waste oil for goods, while the used oil is then converted into clean biodiesel.
Infants Health Foundation
Sylivia Kyomuhendo, this year’s top female entrepreneur of Uganda’s Startupper of the Year challenge by Total, is putting the heart back in startups with the Infants’ Health Foundation. This healthcare driven business uses mobile nurses to provide free home-based healthcare services to mothers in remote villages of Uganda throughout their pregnancy.
Autism Aid App
Developed by startupper Alice Amoako, The Autism Aid app is the first app for Autism in Ghana and West Africa. Besides raising Autism awareness, this android app also provides a communication learning tool for children with Autism.
This post is sponsored by Total produced by BrandStudio24 for Fin24.