$2m AI and manufacturing challenge to supercharge Africa’s industrial future

Building on three previous innovation challenges in AgriTech, Energy & Sustainability, and FinTech, the Milken Instituteand the Motsepe Foundation have announced their most ambitious competition yet: the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing. With US $2 million in total awards, including a US $1 million Grand Prize, the new challenge calls on entrepreneurs worldwide to deploy artificial intelligence, data analytics and smart-factory technologies that can localise production, reinforce supply-chain resilience and create high-quality jobs across Africa.

“We’re excited to see what bold entrepreneurs are doing for the 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.

Manufacturing underpins roughly a sixth of global GDP, yet Africa, home to nearly 18% of the world’s population, contributes less than 2% of that output – a gap that leaves the continent heavily reliant on imports and vulnerable to external shocks.

In South Africa, the importance of re-industrialisation has become stark. Statistics SA’s latest data show GDP inching up just 0.1 % in Q1 2025, with manufacturing the single largest drag on growth. Weak investment disrupted value chains and declining inventories underscore the need for fresh industrial dynamism.

Long-range modelling by the Institute for Security Studies finds that a manufacturing-led growth path not only accelerates GDP expansion but ultimately generates more employment than agriculture, thanks to its economy-wide spillovers into services, logistics and high-value Agri-processing.

In other words, revitalising factories is central to absorbing Africa’s fast-growing urban workforce.

Launched at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, the competition seeks breakthrough solutions that, in combination, can:

Harness advanced technologies to optimise production, reduce waste, and localise value chains.

Encourage models that promote equitable access to essential goods (e.g., healthcare, food processing, affordable construction materials).

Unlock job creation and export potential across African economies.

Registration is open until 31 July 2025. Companies from around the world are encouraged to apply. Sign in and Apply here.

Since 2021 the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program has channelled more than US $6 million to over 50 breakthrough teams, whose technologies have already reached 530,000 people and attracted significant follow-on investment. The new AI & Manufacturing challenge amplifies that momentum by targeting the sector with the greatest potential to transform Africa’s economic trajectory.