A new $2m equity-free prize programme, backed by South African billionaire Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the Milken Institute, is putting AI and manufacturing at the centre of Africa’s tech ambitions.
Announced at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing is the fourth and most ambitious iteration of a growing innovation challenge series focused on solving Africa’s structural challenges through technology. This time, the focus is squarely on artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing — areas that have so far seen only limited African participation despite their global momentum.
The $2m pot — including a $1m grand prize — is aimed at entrepreneurs building AI-driven technologies that localise production, fortify supply chains, and generate high-quality industrial jobs on the continent. Applications are open globally until July 31, 2025.
“We’re excited to see what bold entrepreneurs are doing for the African manufacturing sector to harness the power of AI and other advanced technologies to improve the supply chain in Africa,” said Dr. Emily Musil, Managing Director of Environmental and Social Innovation at the Milken Institute.
Why Manufacturing, and Why Now?
While Africa is home to nearly 18% of the world’s population, it contributes less than 2% of global manufacturing output — a gap that has long kept the continent dependent on imports and vulnerable to global economic shocks.
In South Africa, the urgency for re-industrialisation is particularly visible. According to Statistics South Africa, GDP grew by just 0.1% in Q1 2025 — with manufacturing the biggest drag on growth. Declining inventories, disrupted value chains, and underinvestment have left the country’s industrial base in dire need of rejuvenation.
A new wave of tech-savvy entrepreneurs might offer a way out. Long-term modelling from the Institute for Security Studies suggests that manufacturing-led growth can drive more sustainable job creation than even agriculture, thanks to knock-on effects across logistics, services, and high-value agriprocessing.
What the Prize Seeks to Fund
Organisers are calling for breakthrough ideas that do more than just automate factory lines. To qualify, solutions should:
- Use advanced tech (AI, smart-factory tools, data analytics) to optimise production, reduce waste, and localise value chains;
- Broaden access to essential goods such as affordable housing materials, food, and healthcare;
- Catalyse job creation while unlocking export potential across African economies.
The prize is open to companies globally, but the focus is Africa. In previous editions, 50+ startups from across the continent and beyond received $6m+ in equity-free support — including winners in agritech, fintech, and renewable energy. Organisers claim those startups have already reached more than 530,000 people and raised follow-on capital from investors.
The new prize adds manufacturing muscle to that momentum.
Not Just a Prize — A Platform
The Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize series was launched in 2021 as a joint effort between the Motsepe Foundation, founded by mining billionaire Patrice Motsepe and his wife Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, and the Milken Institute, a US-based think tank. The programme has aimed to catalyse innovation where it’s needed most — across food, finance, energy, and now industrialisation.
Unlike many grant schemes, the prizes are equity-free, accessible to global teams, and structured to support both early-stage innovation and later-stage deployment.
And while the optics of billionaires funding poverty solutions can sometimes raise eyebrows, the long-term backing from the Motsepe family — who joined the Giving Pledge in 2013, vowing to give away half their wealth — lends the initiative credibility in philanthropy and policy circles alike.
Still, the proof will lie in what technologies emerge and whether they translate into real industrial gains for African economies.
For more details or to apply, visit: milkenmotsepeprize.org