Prince William Speaks Nine African Languages at Earthshot Prize Awards

Prince William spoke nine African languages during his speech at the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony.

The Prince of Wales, 42, has been in Cape Town, South Africa this week for the fourth iteration of his environmental initiative’s annual awards ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Five winners were chosen from a group of 15 finalists to receive $1.3 million dollars and a chance to bring their idea to improve the planet to fruition.

At the event, Prince William delivered greetings in nine languages representing North, East, West and South Africa. He said “Sanibonani” in Zulu, which is spoken in South Africa; “Dumelang” in Sesotho, also spoken in South Africa; “Ekaabo” in Yoruba, spoken in West Africa; “Saanu” in Hausa, spoken in North Africa; “Akawaaba” in Twi Ghana, also spoken in North Africa; “Dankie” in Afrikaans, spoken in South Africa; “Enkosi” in Xhosa, also spoken in South Africa; “Daalu” in Igbo, spoken in East Africa; and “Asante” in Swahili, also spoken in East Africa.

It was a sign of respect to a continent the prince said “has always held a special place in my heart.” After the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 15 years old, Prince William said he found “comfort as a teenager” in Africa; he’d later propose to Kate Middleton there in 2010. As he mentioned in his Nov. 6 remarks, Africa also inspired his landmark environmental initiative The Earthshot Prize, founded in 2020 after a trip to Namibia and Tanzania in 2018 and the “sense of optimism” he encountered.

Speaking about The Earthshot Prize, William said, “It was an idea that first came to me on African soil. During a trip to Namibia and Tanzania, I was lucky enough to see some of the stunning wildlife that calls this continent home.”

“But what really struck me was the incredible impact local people were having on the environment around them,” he continued. “Thanks to their ingenuity and creativity, biodiversity was returning, animals were being protected and jobs were being created. I saw first-hand the extent to which people were dedicating their time, talent and vision to fixing environmental challenges, but they weren’t getting the support they needed to speed their solutions to scale or to have them replicated worldwide.”

“However, I believe our world can be rich in possibility, in hope and in optimism. That is why The Earthshot Prize exists,” he added. “To champion the game-changers, the inventors, the makers, the creatives, the leaders. To help them build upon the amazing things they’ve already achieved. To speed their innovations to scale. And to inspire the next generation to create the future we all need.”

The Earthshot Prize has received over 5,000 nominations since its inception four years ago, William said, adding that in 2024 alone nearly 400 were from Africa. 

“Each of those solutions should be seen as a reminder that Africa is a hub of creativity and innovation that will solve our planet’s toughest environmental challenges,” William said, adding in his remarks that Africa is “The continent that, despite contributing the least to global warming, is amongst the most vulnerable to its impact.”

The Earthshot Prize Awards marked the apex of a week’s worth of outings in Cape Town for Prince William, who will depart from South Africa on Nov. 7. Prince William attended the Earthshot Prize Awards solo as the Princess of Wales, 42, continues her gradual return to work following her announcement on Sept. 9 that she had completed chemotherapy. Celebrities like Robert Irwin, Heidi Klum, Nina Dobrev and the ceremony’s co-host Billy Porter helped Prince William award the five winners.

In the category Fix Our Climate, Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems was named the winner. In Revive Our Oceans, High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People won the award, and Keep IT Cool took home the prize for Build a Waste-Free World. In the category Protect and Restore Nature, Alytn Dala Conservation Initiative was named the winner, and Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) won in the Clean Our Air category.

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“That’s why we’re here,” the Prince of Wales said in his speech at the event. “To champion the dreamers, the thinkers and the innovators from every walk of life, who share an ambition to build a better, more sustainable world.”

“We’ll do everything we can to support them and help speed their solutions to scale. Because when they succeed, we all succeed. When they thrive, we all thrive. And when they win, we all win,” he concluded.

Lebo M, who performed at Table Mountain for the start of the show, says, “I’m still high on it. I’m South African. I’ve been all over the world but I’ve never been that near the top of Table Mountain. It was an eye-opener. And considering why I’m here — that made it even more special.”

He adds, “I think this is most important award, especially led by the prince. Preserving the world in its most natural form is the most important, most significant effort. I’m really proud and really humbled to be invited to such a special occasion.”

“Again I was able to relate to it a lot more strongly being at Table Mountain and looking beyond the buildings and the cities and seeing the power of nature and the work that we have to do for the beaches, the trees and greener. That supersedes everything,” he says.

Kelly Adams, CEO of Fix Our Climate winner Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems, told PEOPLE this week, “This is an amazing opportunity for us. We are trying to get out to society and show what’s possible. When you’re at the forefront of innovation, that can take a long time.”

“We don’t have years for this, so this week is a big accelerator for all of us. Earthshot has a global reach and it’s accelerating the education of society and the decision makers and policymakers,” he added. “So what we used to do in months and years we’re now doing in days and weeks because of the way he pulls at the network and gets people looking at the issue and understanding what the problems are and that there are solutions out there.”

“So many people say it is impossible or it can’t happen, but it actually can,” he said.