As part of sponsorship of this year’s Lionesses of Africa 2016 Annual Conference, GE Africa Innovation Centre, General Electric’s newly launched Innovation Centre, based in Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, and serving Sub-Saharan Africa, sponsored an Open Challenge for Women Entrepreneurs. Key qualification criteria for entrants included “a sustainable digital solution to a pressing challenge – or opportunity - ideally focusing on the sectors, and businesses, that GE SSA serves.”
The winner of the USD 1 500.00 prize, which includes the opportunity to work with the GE AIC team on developing the proposed project, is Vere Shaba, the owner and managing director of Shaba Green Building Solutions. Vere’s renewable energy project presents a potentially sustainable opportunity for Africa and leveragesthe piezoelectric effect (the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress) produced by human footsteps - African footsteps!
In nominating Vere, the GE judges noted that: “Vere’s entry took the Challenge into a truly innovative dimension. Her entry and background assured us that she has the skills, knowledge, drive and insight to take her project well beyond concept to a primary testing and piloting phase. We look forward to working with her on this challenge.”
At Lionesses of Africa, we are delighted to see Vere Shaba winning this inaugural Challenge. Her innovative work in the field of green buildings and sustainable energy solutions within the built environment has the potential to make a real difference to people’s lives here in Africa. She is a worthy winner and an inspiration to others that will follow in her footsteps.