Stellenbosch was buzzing with the return of students and Varsity Cup rugby, but there was another movement starting. The university engineering building hosted live demonstrations for the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy and each team had the same 24 hours to generate a minimum of 60kWh of electricity from their solutions. The grand prize is $1m in cash, with a runner-up prize of $250,000.
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IP & commercialisation: Aftrak is an innovative microgrid solution that integrates energy access with 100% renewable electric agriculture and deep bed farming to boost crop yield, income and ensure sustainable electricity for millions of African smallholder farmers and their communities. Invented and manufactured at the University in partnership with the Consortium for Battery Innovation and Tiyeni, the solution has accelerated from initial concept to successful trial in less than 18 month. Read the full article here.
“Humanitarian aid should never be a challenge for African societies. If we can coordinate and manage production among 33 million smaller holder farmers, we have enough for ourselves and to feed the world.” Tendai Chitapi, the co-founder of the agritech startup Kuronga, has lived and worked in some of the biggest cities in the world. During a 17-year career in finance, his humble beginnings in Harare took him to Durban, then Shanghai, Dubai, and finally Sandton. No longer inspired by the glamour of a big city life, Chitapi packed it all up to find home on a farm in Vaal River. Read the full article here.
Africa’s first solar-powered tractor is undergoing field tests in Malawi. Experts say the hand-operated “Aftrak,” or Africa tractor, could help smallholder farmers improve crop yields. Here’s a refined version: The solar-powered ‘Aftrak’ tractor aims to assist Malawi’s smallholder farmers in breaking through the tough top layer of their soil. Read the full article here.
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