After an intensive 5-week hybrid bootcamp and energetic pitch sessions before august audience made up of investors and venture capital firms, the timbuktoo MineTech Accelerator Programme has officially concluded. From ten startups selected from a competitive pool of 350+ applications, today the initiative announced five winners of the critical seed financing. The winners will proceed into a three-month incubation programme to further scale their solutions and prepare for increased market access. Hosted at the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) in Lusaka, the MineTech Hub is part of UNDP’s pan-African timbuktoo initiative to catalyse technology-driven, sustainable mining across the continent.

Addressing the innovators, Hon. Felix C. Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, said: “Today is more than a celebration of achievement, it is a demonstration of what becomes possible when we combine innovation, entrepreneurship, and partnerships for Africa’s transformation.. He further congratulated the top 10 and 5 awardees, noting: “You represent the boldness, creativity, and resilience of African youth. Remember, innovation is not just about technology; it is about solving real problems and unlocking opportunities for growth and prosperity.”

And speaking at the same event, UNDP Resident Representative Dr. James Wakiaga had this to say, “The visionary leadership of Africa’s youth is what inspired the UNDP’s establishment of the timbuktoo initiative. Through the timbuktoo a fire has been ignited that has seen the set-up of 10 sector-specific Tech Hubs and 14 University Innovation Pods across Africa, achieved in just under two years.” Dr. Wakiaga acknowledged the fact that unlocking the potential of the African youth resource called for bold and intentional actions, The timbuktoo Hub was structured to ensure the local talent was cultivated, capacitated and supported to contribute to the target of impacting 100 million lives in its 10-year moonshot.”

Congratulations to the five selected innovators:

• Arthur Abaliwano – Anchor Machines (Uganda)
• Chitula Lukonde – Zanfi Entreprise Ltd (Zambia)
• Taslim Olawale Salaudeen – Milsat Technologies (Nigeria)
• Tukupala Mussa Mwalyolo – Tukutech Company Ltd (Tanzania)
• Walter Mbonyimwami – SYNCHROS (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Their success is a look into the future of mining on the continent and for the global at large. As Tukupala Mwalyolo put it, this programme is an investment in Africa’s future. She adds “to my fellow innovators, look at what we have achieved together. This is only the beginning. Let us carry forward this spirit of inclusion, resilience, and collaboration as we continue to build solutions that matter for our communities and our continent. Together, we will prove that Africa’s brightest days are not ahead of us by chance, but they will be built by us with courage, creativity, and unity.”