DAKAR, Senegal, Oct. 16, 2025 — In a landmark moment for African innovation, Elly Savatia, a 25-year-old Kenyan engineer and social entrepreneur, has been awarded the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering. The accolade, which includes a £50,000 ($67,000) grant, recognizes Savatia’s creation of Terp 360, a web-based app that translates speech and text into sign language using AI-powered 3D avatars.
Described by Savatia as “Google Translate for sign language,” Terp 360 enables seamless communication between deaf and hearing individuals without relying on human interpreters. The app is designed to function in real time and is already being piloted in schools, workplaces, and public service settings across Kenya.
Innovation with Impact
- Terp 360 uses a dataset of over 2,300 locally recorded signs, ensuring cultural and linguistic relevance.
- The avatars are designed to be photorealistic and expressive, improving comprehension and engagement.
- The app addresses a critical shortage of sign language interpreters in Africa, where millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals face communication barriers.
Savatia’s startup, Signvrse, plans to expand the platform across East Africa and integrate additional regional sign languages.
Recognition and Future Plans
The award ceremony, held in Dakar, Senegal, marked the first Africa Prize final hosted in Francophone Africa. Savatia was selected from four finalists representing Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana.
Rebecca Enonchong, chair of the judging panel, praised the innovation:
“What really stood out about Elly’s solution is the level of innovation. It’s a demonstration that Africans are capable of using cutting-edge technology to solve problems, not just locally but globally.”
Savatia expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying:
“This is a testament to the power of inclusive technology and the potential of African engineering to transform lives.”
Summary: Elly Savatia has won the 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation for Terp 360, an AI-driven app that translates speech into sign language using 3D avatars. The £50,000 award will help scale the platform across Africa, improving accessibility for deaf communities and showcasing the continent’s growing tech leadership.
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