10 African Innovators Named as TEDGlobal 2017 Fellows

TED Returns to Tanzania with a New Generation of Visionaries

Arusha, Tanzania – May 23, 2017 — This August, Arusha will once again become a hub of groundbreaking ideas as TEDGlobal returns to Tanzania for the 2017 conference. Ahead of the event, TED has unveiled the latest class of 21 global Fellows, including 10 trailblazers from across Africa who will share their innovative work and perspectives on the iconic TED stage.

The African Fellows hail from Uganda, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Liberia, and Kenya, representing a broad spectrum of fields — from science and technology to the arts, activism, and social entrepreneurship.

TED’s return to Arusha marks a symbolic homecoming. The 2007 TEDGlobal conference, also held in the Tanzanian city, brought together 100 of Africa’s most promising thinkers and leaders — a gathering that inspired the creation of the TED Fellows program. That inaugural group included influential figures such as Juliana Rotich, Patrick Awuah, Erik Hersman, William Kamkwamba, and Fred Swaniker.

Since its launch in 2009, the TED Fellows program has featured over 400 Fellows from 94 countries, whose talks have collectively reached more than 155 million views. The initiative has built a global network of scientists, artists, activists, entrepreneurs, and thinkers driving change in their communities and beyond.

Below are the 10 African TEDGlobal 2017 Fellows joining policymakers, business leaders, academics, and creatives from around the world in Arusha:

• Abdigani Diriye (Somalia | UK) – Tech entrepreneur and computer scientist advancing innovation in Somalia and Somaliland through coding camps, incubators, and accelerators.
• Mennat El Ghalid (France | Egypt) – Mycologist researching fungal infections in humans and co-founder of ConScience, a nonprofit promoting science education.
• Robert Hakiza (DRC | Uganda) – Co-founder of YARID, empowering urban refugees through vocational training, education, and community engagement.
• Saran Kaba Jones (Liberia | USA) – Founder and CEO of FACE Africa, improving water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in rural Sub-Saharan communities.
• Adong Judith (Uganda) – Playwright and director creating socially conscious theater tackling themes from LGBTQ+ rights to post-war trauma.
• Yasin Kakande (Uganda) – Investigative journalist uncovering human rights abuses faced by migrant workers in the Middle East.
• Katlego Kolanyane-Kesupile (Botswana) – Performance artist and activist, founder of the Queer Shorts Showcase Festival, Botswana’s first LGBT-themed theater festival.
• Kasiva Mutua (Kenya) – Acclaimed percussionist blending African traditional rhythms with global genres like jazz, hip-hop, and reggae to elevate women’s roles in music.
• Carl Joshua Ncube (Zimbabwe) – Comedian challenging cultural taboos through humor and creative storytelling.
• Wale Oyéjidé (Nigeria | USA) – Fashion designer and artist using his brand, Ikiré Jones, to tell stories of migration and identity through African-inspired textile art.

TEDGlobal 2017 promises to showcase a new generation of African innovators shaping the continent’s future — and the world’s.