Prince William received a warm welcome in Cape Town as he arrived for his first engagement ahead of the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony on Wednesday.
Greeted by cheers, the Prince of Wales joined 120 young environmentalists from Africa and Southeast Asia for the inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme.
In an inspiring speech, the 42-year-old royal encouraged the group, saying, “You are going to change the world.”
The young leaders, ages 18 to 25, will participate in immersive workshops throughout the week, honing their skills in leadership, storytelling, and networking to support climate action and secure potential future roles.
The youth leaders, selected from nearly 2,000 applicants representing 50 of Africa’s 54 countries, were joined by 20 additional participants from Asia as part of the program’s legacy from last year’s event in Singapore.
Speaking to the group at Rooftop on Bree, William praised their dedication, telling them, “The Earthshot Prize believes in you. The reason we set up this prize is for moments like this.” He encouraged them to use the platform freely to drive change.
During the event, William met young designer Xolile Mabuza, whose business, Tendalo Trading, creates handbags from repurposed rubber tubes, including car tires.
“That’s an old car tire? That’s incredible!” he remarked, impressed by the sustainable fashion initiative.
Wearing an eco-friendly outfit himself—a shirt by sustainable Spanish brand ECOALF and a matching blue-and-green bracelet—William also joined the group for a selfie, later sharing his enthusiasm on social media by saying he was “already feeling inspired.”
The Prince’s day continued with a game of touch rugby alongside former South African rugby stars Joel Stransky and Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira, jokingly dubbed “legends.”
Playing against local schoolchildren benefiting from a rugby project founded by former England rugby star Jason Leonard, William shared laughs and memories with the former Springboks.
Ahead of the engagement, Earthshot Prize CEO Hannah Jones expressed optimism for the young leaders, stating, “This cohort is passionate about driving transformative change in climate action and sustainability. By the end of the week, we want them to feel they have wind in their sails and our support behind their mission.”
The Earthshot Prize has also launched initiatives aimed at inspiring children as young as five to engage in environmental action, ensuring future generations are equipped to help protect the planet.
