BY REUTERS
UK’s Prince William arrived in Cape Town on Monday for a four-day visit to South Africa, focusing on his Earthshot Prize initiative, which celebrates environmental innovation.
During his visit, he is set to attend a global wildlife summit, meet with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and participate in the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on Wednesday.
This marks Prince William’s first trip to South Africa since the year 2010.
The Earthshot Prize
The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William in 2020 and inspired by his time in Namibia, awards £1 million ($1.3 million) each to five winners annually to support innovative projects aimed at combating climate change and tackling environmental issues.
The prize’s name reflects former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s “moonshot” challenge, which led to the first human moon landing in 1969.
Ahead of his trip, William expressed his hopes for the event to amplify the work of environmental innovators.
“By the end of the week, I want The Earthshot Prize to have showcased innovators driving change within their communities, attracted potential investors to accelerate African solutions, and inspired young people across Africa involved in climate action,” he shared in a statement.
The Prince of Wales is making the trip solo, as his wife, Kate, remains in the UK following a preventive chemotherapy course.
South Africa, a former British colony, has recently seen calls from some citizens for the return of diamonds that were mined locally and later incorporated into the British Crown Jewels.
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