Keypoints:
- Ten startups selected from 350+ applications
- Bootcamp to support tech solutions in mining
- Top five to receive global exposure and mentoring
TEN cutting-edge African startups are in Zambia this week for an intensive bootcamp designed to revolutionise how technology is used in the mining sector, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in a statement on Monday.
The startups—selected from over 350 applicants—are the first cohort of the timbuktoo MineTech Accelerator, a bold initiative aiming to embed frontier technology like drones, data analytics, and AI into the mining industry to improve sustainability and efficiency.
The programme is being implemented through a partnership between UNDP, Zambia’s National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR), and tech innovation hub Bongohive. It forms part of the wider timbuktoo initiative, a flagship UNDP campaign to spark a new wave of innovation-led development across Africa.
Transforming African mining through innovation
Hosted at the newly established MineTech Hub in Lusaka, the bootcamp will offer the startups hands-on training to strengthen their business models and refine their prototypes. Participants will also receive critical feedback from industry stakeholders and potential users of their technology.
According to the UNDP, the bootcamp represents a ‘significant step forward in building an African innovation ecosystem focused on real-world impact in extractive industries.’
‘The MineTech programme is not just about mining—it’s about unlocking African innovation to solve African challenges using African ingenuity,’ UNDP stated.
Meet the pioneering cohort
The startups represent a cross-continental blend of innovation, talent, and ambition:
- Light Group – Yves B N Solanga, Cameroon
- Synchros – Walter K Mboninyinwami, DRC
- Eco Mining – Grace Akinyi, Kenya
- Milsat Technologies – Taslim O Salaudeen, Cameroon
- MineTech – Kelvin Rwihimba, Rwanda
- Tukutech Company – Tukuapala M Mwalyolo, Tanzania
- Anchor Machines – Arthur Abaliwano, Uganda
- J&E General Dealers – Eric Kausu, Zambia
- Zanfit Enterprise – Chitula Lukonde, Zambia
- MineProtect – Benette Kadeya, Zimbabwe
Over the next few days, the cohort will engage in solution validation, industry dialogue, and product refinement with guidance from mentors and experts.
Next phase: acceleration and global pitch
At the end of the bootcamp, five standout startups will be selected to move into the programme’s Acceleration Phase, where they will receive extended mentoring, targeted support, and the opportunity to pitch their solutions to global investors and mining sector leaders in a virtual demo session.
UNDP emphasised that the initiative is not only about scaling business ideas, but also about shifting Africa’s mining sector toward more sustainable, tech-driven futures that create jobs and address environmental concerns.
As the bootcamp gets underway in Lusaka, organisers and participants alike are hopeful the MineTech model will become a blueprint for other industries across the continent seeking to integrate innovation and entrepreneurship into legacy sectors.
