What can technology solve for Zambia’s greener future?

GreenCode is looking for solutions that combine technology, entrepreneurship and sustainability to tackle real challenges facing Zambia.

You can work with AI, IoT, data, automation, digital platforms, mobile solutions, hardware – or any other technology that helps solve the problem effectively.

Choose one of the challenge areas below, bring your own problem within the theme, or discover your challenge together with your team during the hackathon.

🌱 1. Climate-smart agriculture & food systems

How might we help Zambia produce more food while using resources smarter and becoming more resilient to climate change?

Agriculture is increasingly exposed to unpredictable rainfall, drought and other climate pressures. Zambia’s recent droughts have affected agricultural production and rural livelihoods, making resilience an important national priority.

Think about solutions for:

• smarter irrigation and water use;

• crop and soil monitoring;

• weather and climate information for farmers;

• pest and disease detection;

• reducing post-harvest losses;

• connecting farmers with markets and buyers;

• farm logistics and supply chains;

• data-driven farming and decision-making;

• traceability and sustainable production.

Your solution could help farmers make better decisions, reduce losses, save resources or create more value from what they produce.

⚡ 2. Clean energy & energy resilience

How might we make energy cleaner, more reliable and more accessible?

Zambia's dependence on hydropower has made the electricity system particularly vulnerable to drought, while diversification into renewable energy is an important part of strengthening the country's resilience.

Think about solutions for:

• solar and distributed energy;

• smarter energy consumption;

• energy monitoring and management;

• battery and storage solutions;

• energy efficiency for homes and businesses;

• productive use of renewable energy;

• energy access for underserved communities;

• digital marketplaces or financing models for clean energy;

• tools helping businesses operate during power disruptions.

This does not have to mean building a new power plant. A digital tool that helps people generate, manage, save or access energy better can be equally powerful.

♻️ 3. Waste to value & circular economy

How might we turn waste from a growing problem into a valuable resource?

Think beyond simply collecting rubbish. What if materials currently thrown away could become inputs for new products, businesses or services?

Think about solutions for:

• waste collection and tracking;

• recycling and sorting;

• e-waste;

• plastics and packaging;

• food and agricultural waste;

• marketplaces connecting waste producers with recyclers;

• repair, reuse and sharing models;

• traceability of materials;

• tools that help businesses reduce resource use and waste;

• new products made from recovered materials.

Zambia's National Green Growth Strategy specifically identifies waste, e-waste, pollution control and innovation investment as areas requiring action.

Can you make waste economically valuable instead of environmentally costly?

💧 4. Water & climate resilience

How might technology help communities and businesses prepare for and adapt to climate extremes?

Drought, changing rainfall patterns and other climate shocks affect water, agriculture, energy, businesses and households. Zambia's current climate-development priorities include stronger resilience systems, water security and better management of climate risks.

Think about solutions for:

• monitoring water availability and quality;

• smarter water distribution and consumption;

• drought and flood preparedness;

• early-warning systems;

• climate-risk information;

• community reporting and mapping;

• water conservation;

• climate-smart infrastructure;

• data tools helping businesses or communities prepare for climate shocks.

How can better information lead to better decisions before a crisis happens?

🏙️ 5. Greener cities & communities

How might we make Zambia's cities and communities cleaner, more efficient and more resilient places to live?

As cities grow, technology can help tackle everyday problems while reducing environmental impact. Green and resilient urban development is also identified as a current development priority for Zambia.

Think about solutions for:

• smarter and cleaner transport;

• mobility and route optimisation;

• air and environmental monitoring;

• greener buildings;

• energy and water efficiency;

• urban waste management;

• safer and more efficient public spaces;

• mapping environmental risks;

• digital services that make cities work better;

• tools that encourage greener everyday choices.

The best solution might be something residents use every day – or something operating quietly behind the scenes that makes an entire system work better.

🚀 6. Open Green Challenge

See a problem we haven't mentioned? Bring it.

Not every important challenge fits neatly into a category.

If you have identified a real environmental or economic problem in Zambia and believe that technology can help solve it, GreenCode wants to hear from you.

Your challenge could come from your workplace, community, university, industry or your own everyday experience.

The key questions are simple:

Is the problem real?
Does someone genuinely need it solved?
Can technology help?
Could the solution grow beyond one user or one community?

If yes, bring it to GreenCode.

What are we not looking for?

We are not looking for technology just for the sake of technology.

A chatbot, an AI model or an app is not automatically a solution.

Start with a real problem and a real user. During GreenCode, you will test your assumptions, talk to potential users and customers, develop the business model and turn the strongest ideas into working prototypes.