Two company start-ups being backed by Self Help Africa’s GREENTech4CE Project in Zambia collected major awards at one of Africa’s most influential technology and start-up events, in Morocco last weekend.
Nine Zambian firms that are being supported and mentored by the EU-backed project travelled with a GREENTech delegation to the conference, and made a strong impression on the continental stage when they presented to investors, development finance institutions, corporates, policy-makers and peers at GITEX Africa 2026, in Marrakesh.
Koloso, an innovative new business that focuses on personalised learning by automating assessments won the prize for Best Ed Tech Start UP, while the founders of Dev Draft AI were recognised with an award for Best Young CEO, at the event.
GREENTech4CE is helping unlock market opportunities, strengthen investment readiness, and connect enterprises to blended finance solutions. By combining grant funding and equity support, the initiative is reducing risk for investors while equipping SMEs with the tools needed to grow sustainably and competitively.
The nine Zambian enterprises who were part of the GREENTech4CE delegation at the conference showcased solutions that spanned clean energy, agri-tech, fintech, logistics, and AI-driven platforms. Businesses were engaged in activities including solar-powered irrigation, eco-briquettes, digital education tools and cross-border payments.
The participating companies were Astanah (solar and battery systems integrated with recycling), Solar Move Africa (solar-powered irrigation and cooling solutions to farmers); Green Fire (eco-briquettes), from waste, reducing deforestation and offering cost-effective alternatives to charcoal Jiraffe.ai (voice-first AI to for farmers accessing premium markets), DevDraft AI (cross-border payments through stablecoin), Zanga African Metrics (workforce performance); Corelink (digitised management systems in education), Koloso (AI powered teaching and assessment) and Bwanqu Delivery (delivery services).
Mwiinga Malumo, Technical Manager Digital and Financial Innovations at GREENTech4CE said that the conference had demonstrated that Africa’s innovation ecosystem is not defined by potential alone, but rather by its increasing ability to structure, scale, and deliver investment-ready solutions. “With GREENTech4CE, a clear pathway is emerging in Zambia that can connect innovation to capital, and ambition to execution” he said