Prince William has brought his mission to combat the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges to Africa.
The Prince of Wales, 42, arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, for a four-day visit to showcase his prestigious Earthshot Prize, aimed at finding innovative solutions to climate and environmental issues.
After traveling on a commercial flight from London, his first engagement on Nov. 4 includes a meeting with 120 young environmentalists hailing from across Africa and Southeast Asia as part of the inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Program.
At the meeting for 120 young people from across Africa and Southeast Asia, William told them they would “change the world.”
“The Earthshot Prize believes in you, and the reason we set the prize up is for moments like this,” he said after speaking with them about their ideas to tackle climate issues, which included a business making handbags out of old tires.
“All of you in this room are future changemakers, you’re the leaders, you’re the people going to make the difference going forwards,” he continued. “It’s your platform. Use it as you need to, take it away, play with it, turn it into something different.”
“Because we believe in you, and what you’re going to do is change the world, I really believe that,” William added. “This is the generation that are going to do that. And your solutions and your impact are so important and so needed right now. This is not noble, this is business, and what you’re doing is creating solutions and a better life for all of us. Keep it going. Keep the energy up.”
On Nov. 2, William spoke of his profound personal ties to Africa, recalling how the continent provided him solace in his youth and served as the backdrop for his proposal to his future wife, Kate Middleton.
“Africa has always held a special place in my heart — as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife, and most recently, as the founding inspiration behind The Earthshot Prize,” he said.
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He also recalled a pivotal 2018 visit to Namibia, where he witnessed how innovative environmental solutions could create transformative change.
“It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realized the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature,” he said.
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William’s team has designated this week as Earthshot Week, a series of events leading up to the glamorous gala on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in a 2,000-seat arena.
At the heart of this initiative are young people, particularly from Africa, where Earthshot is being hosted for the first time. One hundred and twenty future leaders aged 18 to 35, deeply passionate about driving transformative change in climate action and sustainability, will immerse themselves in the Earthshot community over the coming days. They will develop essential skills in authentic leadership and networking.
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On the inaugural day of the new Climate Leaders Youth Program, William will engage with these young leaders, listening to their experiences addressing environmental issues. According to his office, he too will gain insights on how his groundbreaking green awards can better support these emerging leaders in their efforts to combat the planet’s environmental challenges.
Throughout his time in Cape Town, William will be wearing and showcasing sustainable clothing, including at his first engagement, where he wore a shirt by sustainable brand ECOALF.
At the center of his visit is the Earthshot Prize ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The star-studded event, hosted by Billy Porter and South African television presenter Bonang Matheba, will feature presenters such as actress Nina Dobrev and model and TV host Heidi Klum.
With a particular emphasis on engaging Gen Z, organizers aim to infuse “urgent optimism into the global narrative … and spark the world’s imagination with an invitation to young people to join the climate creativity movement, solving the world’s problems one creative solution at a time,” says Earthshot Prize CEO Hannah Jones.
She says their “guiding principle has been by Africa, for Africa, to the world,” and it will be shown live across Africa on Multi-Choice for the first time, as well as broadcast live on the Earthshot Prize’s YouTube channel and on BBC iPlayer in the U.K.
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Ahead of his arrival, William said in a statement on Nov. 2, “I am proud that since its inception The Earthshot Prize has traveled to Europe, North America and Asia, spotlighting and scaling 45 groundbreaking solutions, all of which are having a tangible impact as we work as a global collective to secure the future of our planet. This week, we’ll travel to South Africa to spotlight our next cohort of 15 finalists and have the opportunity to join partners from across Africa to celebrate the inspiring approach to environmental innovation that is taking place across the continent.”
“By the end of the week, I want The Earthshot Prize to have provided a platform to all those innovators bringing about change for their communities, encouraged potential investors to speed African solutions to scale and inspired young people across Africa who are engaged in climate issues,” he continued. “I firmly believe that if we come together with collective ambition and urgency, we can reshape the future of our planet.”
