XOL Africa (Tallinn) — Ten companies operating across Africa have been named semifinalists in the $2 million Milken-Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy, a competition seeking to scale businesses that turn waste into commercially valuable products while creating jobs and reducing environmental damage.
The semifinalists, announced by the Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation, span Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Egypt, with solutions ranging from recycled industrial materials and agricultural waste to food preservation and electronic equipment refurbishment.
Each semifinalist will receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding, according to the organisers. Five companies will advance to the final round, with each finalist receiving a further $50,000. The competition will award $1 million to the grand-prize winner and $250,000 to the runner-up at the 2027 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.
The initiative comes as businesses face growing pressure to use raw materials more efficiently, secure supply chains and reduce waste. Circular economy models seek to retain the value of materials through reuse, repair, recycling and the conversion of discarded resources into new products.
“Globally, the circular economy represents a $4.5 trillion opportunity,” said Emily Musil, managing director at the Milken Institute, adding that Africa could bypass legacy systems in favour of technology-enabled, regenerative business models.
The finalists will be assessed on commercial viability, potential to scale, workforce and social impact, and environmental performance.
From agricultural waste to industrial materials
Several of the selected companies are targeting agricultural waste, a potential source of raw materials for manufacturing and farming.
Kenya-based Safi Organics converts rice husks and sugarcane bagasse into organic fertiliser. The company says its Safi Sarvi product can increase crop yields by up to 30% and farmer incomes by up to 50%.
Egypt-based Papyrus Egypt has developed technology to turn banana plantation waste into biodegradable packaging and liquid organic fertilisers. Ethiopia’s Zafree Papers similarly manufactures tree-free pulp and paper from agricultural residues, initially using banana farm waste to supply the packaging industry.
Regen Organics, which operates in Kenya under the Sanergy name, converts sanitation and organic waste into agricultural inputs, including organic fertiliser and biochar. Its model aims to reduce pollution while improving soil health and farmers’ incomes.
In Tanzania, SafeSip processes discarded plastics and agricultural plastic waste into recycled resin and drip-irrigation equipment. Its irrigation-as-a-service model allows smallholder farmers to pay according to the volume of water used, without an upfront capital outlay for the service.
Recycling meets industrial demand
Other semifinalists are focused on industrial supply chains and infrastructure.
Bottle Logistics East Africa uses digital reverse logistics and glass recovery infrastructure to collect and process discarded glass for reuse in packaging and other products.
Tanzania’s Country Materials uses artificial intelligence and digital tracking systems to identify and recover scrap metal for the steel industry. Ethiopia-based EKT Trade and Investment manufactures higher-value products from plastic waste.
Egyptian engineering company Triple M Electrical and Electronic Contracting seeks to extend the service life of electrical infrastructure through transformer-oil purification and the rehabilitation of transformers, switchgear and panels. The approach keeps materials such as mineral oil, copper and steel in use for longer.
Nigeria’s ColdHubs addresses a different source of waste: the loss of perishable food. The company operates solar-powered cold rooms, refrigerated trucks and reusable crates for markets, farms and produce collection centres. It says its cold-storage systems can extend the shelf life of fresh produce from two days to 21 days.
The range of businesses highlights the breadth of the circular economy, which extends beyond recycling to include resource efficiency, product-life extension and infrastructure that reduces losses across supply chains.
Capital for established African businesses
The prize is aimed at companies with established operations and evidence of commercial traction, rather than early-stage concepts alone.
Eligibility requirements include more than two years of continuous operation in Africa, cumulative revenue and capital raised exceeding $500,000, demonstrable social impact and job creation, and the operational capacity to deploy at least $1 million in funding.
The organisers say the programme also offers mentorship, investor connections and international visibility, resources intended to help participating companies attract capital and expand their operations.
The Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation have positioned the competition as part of a broader effort to support African entrepreneurs developing commercially viable solutions to economic and environmental challenges.
The ultimate test for the semifinalists will be whether they can turn their technologies into scalable businesses with measurable impact, while competing for capital that could accelerate expansion across African markets.
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