Prince William meets with leaders fighting to save the planet as he kicks off four-day visit to South Africa
The Prince of Wales will carry out engagements throughout the week before leaving South Africa on Thursday evening
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Prince William has met with young leaders who are fighting to save the planet during the first engagement of his four-day visit to South Africa.
The royal attended the inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme.
William engaged with 120 young environmentalists from Africa and Southeast Asia, discussing their sustainability projects and experiences.
This programme aims to develop vital leadership skills and networking opportunities for future climate leaders.
Prince William has met with young leaders who are fighting to save the planet during the first engagement of his four-day visit to Cape Town.
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Participants, aged 18-35, were selected from a pool of 1800 applications from 50 African countries, with an additional 20 youth joining from Asia.
William joined three conversations with groups of young people on the rooftop, learning about their sustainability projects and experiences.
The programme brings together an international community of young visionaries committed to forging a sustainable future.
Prince William is exploring how he and the Earthshot Prize can support these youth leaders in their mission to save the planet.
On Saturday, Prince William opened up on the "special place" Africa holds in heart in a statement ahead of his arrival in Cape Town.
Prince William is exploring how he and the Earthshot Prize can support these youth leaders in their mission to save the planet.
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The focal point of his journey is the fourth annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, which a Kensington Palace spokesperson described as the Prince of Wales's "Super Bowl" moment.
This marks his first official trip to the country since 2010.
It is also Prince William's first visit to Africa since 2018, a continent where important moments of his life have taken place including his proposal to Princess Kate.
Prince William said: "Africa has always held a special place in my heart – as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and most recently as the founding inspiration behind The Earthshot Prize.
"It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realised the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature.
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On Saturday, Prince William opened up on the "special place" Africa holds in heart in a statement ahead of his arrival in Cape Town.
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"I am proud that since its inception The Earthshot Prize has travelled to Europe, North America and Asia, spotlighting and scaling 45 groundbreaking solutions, all of which are having a tangible impact as we work as a global collective to secure the future of our planet."
He continued: "This week we’ll travel to South Africa to spotlight our next cohort of 15 Finalists and have the opportunity to join partners from across Africa to celebrate the inspiring approach to environmental innovation that is taking place across the continent.
"By the end of the week, I want The Earthshot Prize to have provided a platform to all those innovators bringing about change for their communities, encouraged potential investors to speed African solutions to scale and inspired young people across Africa who are engaged in climate issues.
"I firmly believe that if we come together with collective ambition and urgency, we can reshape the future of our planet."