Four innovations – a urine-to-fertiliser system; a mobile dialysis machine; a portable electrocardiogram machine; and a medical monitoring system – developed by African entrepreneurs have been selected as the finalists for the UK Royal Academy of Engineering 2026 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.

The four founders will pitch their solutions to a panel of judges at the 2026 Africa Prize Final, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 28, where one will be awarded the £50 000 Africa Prize and the other three will each receive £10 000 each.

The Africa Prize entails an eight-month programme to support a cohort of 16 entrepreneurs to develop and commercialise engineering solutions to local challenges.

“Every entrepreneur has brought something different to the Africa Prize, with innovations spanning different sectors, countries and societal challenges. Each of the four finalists' innovations provide solutions to very different challenges, and show what is possible when engineering is shaped by a clear understanding of a given problem in its local context,” says Africa Prize judging panel chairperson Rebecca Enonchong.

Locally manufactured medical monitoring solution Likita Care, developed by Niger engineer Mamane Kabirou Ousseini, provides healthcare workers with reliable, maintainable tools for patient, cardiac and prenatal monitoring.

Likita Care combines connected hardware, clinical software and local digital fabrication, and includes a cardiograph, cardiotocograph and temporal thermometer to track 12 vital sign parameter indicators across adults, neonates and foetuses.

A central software dashboard supports telemedicine, digital clinical protocols and simultaneous monitoring of 10 to 20 patients, while an embedded AI module interprets vital signs in real-time.

The associated devices are produced in Niger using 3D printing, computer numerically controlled cutting and electronics assembly, which enables rapid repairs and reduces dependence on imported systems.

Following local validation and clinical testing with more than 100 patients and more than 4 000 collected data points, the team has produced and deployed more than 70 monitoring units in Niger.

Five medical centres are actively using the technology, with hospitals reporting strong feedback, repeat orders and responsive after-sales support, including on-site fixes within 24 hours where needed, the Royal Academy says.

The company is now preparing for its next phase of growth. It is working on plans for a manufacturing facility in Niger to support higher-volume production, and is exploring expansion beyond its home market, with opportunities in neighbouring countries under active consideration, it notes.

Further, modular urine-to-fertiliser recovery system Pee-Cycling, co-founded by South African chemical engineer Dyllon Randall, conserves potable water, recovers valuable nutrients and reduces reliance on imported fertiliser.

Urine is collected through purpose-built waterless urinals or no-mix toilets, stabilised to prevent nitrogen loss and subjected to pretreatment and reverse osmosis to create concentrated, nursery-grade liquid fertiliser and clean reusable water.

Instead of evaporation, the system removes water without converting it to steam, thereby reducing the need for energy.

A full-scale unit occupying about 12 m² to 15 m² can process up to 3 000 ℓ of urine a day, while every 1 000 ℓ processed saves about 2 000 ℓ of potable water.

Randall has taken Pee-Cycling from pilot stage into real-world operation, with its plant at Cape Town Stadium now fully operational. Pee-Cycling has also signed its first commercial client, namely Bidvest Prestige, to operate and maintain the system.

The project collected 3 600 ℓ of urine during a recent South Africa–New Zealand rugby game and has been included in the City of Cape Town’s stadium tender for three years.

Fully equipped mobile dialysis clinic Renal Roads, developed by Kenyan nurse Naom Monari, is designed to bring regular, life-saving treatment closer to patients in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

Built inside a repurposed 40-foot shipping container mounted on a trailer, Renal Roads operates from local government health facilities on a fixed weekly schedule.

The unit contains four secured dialysis machines, reclining chairs, an emergency area, a reverse osmosis water-treatment system, integrated plumbing, controlled drainage, solar power and backup systems.

On average, it visits three communities a week and can provide up to 400 dialysis sessions a month, with treatment reimbursed through Kenya’s national health insurance.

The company has since partnered with Japanese dialysis equipment manufacturer Nipro Medical to improve access to dialysis in Kenya. It has also received funding from the World Diabetes Foundation to expand access to mobile dialysis, the academy says.

MoyoECG, developed by Kenyan medical doctor Alice Muhuhu, is a portable, cardiac monitoring platform designed to help frontline healthcare workers identify potential heart conditions and make timely referrals, particularly in clinics with limited access to specialist cardiac care.

The system uses a wearable, wireless multi-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) with embedded AI to capture and analyse the heart’s electrical activity. It can recognise patterns associated with more than 50 cardiac conditions and abnormalities, including atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia, ventricular arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities and signs associated with cardiac ischemia.

By detecting abnormalities such as atrial fibrillation, it can also help identify patients at increased risk of complications including stroke and heart failure.

Early pilots have reduced ECG interpretation time from about 30 minutes to under five minutes, including in settings with unreliable Internet connectivity.

The MoyoECG innovation has also received support and recognition from organisations such as the University of Oxford, Novartis, the Global Fund, Standard Chartered Bank and Kenya Cardiac Society.

Meanwhile, the yearly Africa Prize provides long-term support for innovators through funding, training and networking opportunities, with a proven legacy of scaling solutions that address local challenges.

It equips engineers with tools and professional networks to drive sustainable development, innovation and prosperity across Africa.

Since 2014, the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation has supported more than 180 businesses from 24 countries with invaluable training, mentoring and communications support.

Today, 85% of alumni are generating revenue and, together, have secured more than $34-million in third-party grants and equity funding.