Prince William is set to walk the green carpet at the Earthshot Prize Awards in Cape Town next week, gearing up for what he describes as his “Super Bowl moment,” with this year’s event promising to exceed all previous editions.
This four-day solo trip marks the Prince of Wales’s first official visit to South Africa since 2010 and his first trip to Africa since 2018, when he traveled to Namibia, Tanzania, and Kenya.
Starting on Monday, William will engage with young environmentalists from Africa and Southeast Asia participating in the inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme.
On the second day, he is scheduled to meet with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, participate in a fireside chat during Earthshot+ Day, and attend the United for Wildlife Global Summit.
The Prince, who founded the Earthshot Prize in 2013 to combat illegal wildlife trafficking, will deliver a significant speech focusing on nature, the environment, and his support for rangers at the summit.
The highlight of his trip will be the Earthshot Prize Awards, hosted in an eco-dome powered by renewable energy from a local wind farm.
William will be joined at the star-studded event on Wednesday by supermodels Heidi Klum and Winnie Harlow, as well as award-winning actor and singer Billy Porter and TV presenter Bonang Matheba, who will co-host the ceremony announcing the five Earthshot winners.
Special performances will feature Afrobeats star Davido, Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz, DJ Uncle Waffles, and Grammy Award winner Lebo M, known for his work on The Lion King soundtrack.
In a groundbreaking move, the awards will be streamed live through a unique partnership with YouTube and will reach 50 African countries via the Multichoice network.
Following last year’s event in Singapore, where William wore a ten-year-old dark green Alexander McQueen blazer, sustainability will again be the theme on the green carpet in South Africa.
Hannah Jones, CEO of the Earthshot Prize, emphasized the focus on sustainable fashion throughout the week, highlighting the fashion industry’s significant impact on carbon emissions and waste, particularly in Africa.
The finalists from countries like France, Ghana, Indonesia, and Nepal are competing for a £1 million prize in five categories: protect and restore nature; clean our air; revive our oceans; build a waste-free world; and fix our climate.
The initiative draws inspiration from former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot project, which aimed to send an astronaut to the Moon and return him safely, ultimately advancing technology.
This fourth awards ceremony in Cape Town symbolizes a full-circle moment for William, who was inspired to create the Earthshot Prize during a 2018 trip to Namibia.
A spokesperson from Kensington Palace noted that during this visit, the Prince was motivated by projects focused on environmental protection and community support, fueling his desire to highlight and scale innovative solutions to global challenges.
