Telecommunications group Vodacom South Africa has launched the Eco-Warriors Sustainability Competition, a nationwide learner-led initiative aiming to mobilise the country’s next generation of environmental leaders.

The Eco-Warriors Competition, targeting grades 9 to 11 learners from Vodacom-supported Schools of Excellence across five provinces – KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga – is a call to action for young South Africans to design real, technology-enabled solutions to tackle environmental challenges in their schools and communities.

“The solutions to our biggest challenges are already coming from young minds. Eco-Warriors is our investment in a generation of problem-solvers who think boldly, act locally and innovate sustainably. Through this programme, we aim to ignite lifelong purpose and community impact,” said Vodacom South Africa external and regulatory affairs director and Vodacom Foundation chairperson Takalani Netshitenzhe.

Learners will form teams and compete on four pressing environmental themes: waste management, energy conservation, water conservation and biodiversity protection, with submissions evaluated on innovation, creativity, use of technology, feasibility, impact and quality of presentation.

Entries can include anything from recycling campaigns to solar power innovations or multimedia storytelling that educates and inspires.

Vodacom will support students through virtual workshops, learning toolkits and mentorship sessions.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony, with prizes including funding for the top three winning schools and the opportunity to implement their projects as well as exposure on Vodacom’s digital platforms.

The competition, which supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular Quality Education (SDG 4), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and Climate Action (SDG 13), complements Vodacom’s growing ecosystem of purpose-led environmental partnerships.

In collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, Vodacom has deployed an e-learning platform to reach underserved communities.

Its partnership with Circular Energy champions safe e-waste disposal and recycling, while in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature, Vodacom is advancing marine conservation using digital tools to promote awareness and preserve marine ecosystems.

“We believe in the power of partnerships to scale impact and support purpose-led interventions, such as the Eco-Warriors campaign, that advance sustainability goals. By working together across sectors and investing in education initiatives that promote environmental awareness, we can build a more sustainable future,” Netshitenzhe concluded.