Four young Tanzanians scoop prestigious Commonwealth awards

LONDON, UK: Four Tanzanians have been named among the winners of the prestigious **Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT) **100 Young Leaders Award 2026, with one of them invited to attend the award gala at St James’s Palace in London, UK.

A statement issued by the QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards and recently published on the Trust’s official website named the Tanzanians among the 100 exceptional young changemakers from across the Commonwealth as Editha Mshiu, Noely Mapunda, Suleiman Salum Suleiman and Julius Mbungo, who attended the gala.

According to the Trust, the initiative marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the late Queen Elizabeth II and honours her enduring belief in the power of young people to strengthen communities and shape the future of the Commonwealth.

“Selected through a highly competitive process from thousands of applications, the awardees represent impactful work across education and employability, environment, food and agriculture, health, and inclusion. Their initiatives address pressing local challenges while contributing to global progress,” the statement emphasised.

The QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards, the statement added, provide a global platform to elevate these changemakers, strengthen their visibility, and connect them with supporters, policymakers and fellow leaders.

Over the coming months, the awardees will participate in curated programmes, learning opportunities and engagement activities across the Commonwealth, according to the statement.

“This centenary year holds profound significance. Through the establishment of QECT, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II created a lasting legacy to support young leaders whose work transforms lives. Today, that commitment continues under the patronage of His Majesty the King,” the statement added.

Mbungo, founder of Toolboksi and the entrepreneur behind the Spana automotive application, attended the award ceremony in London before visiting Tanzania’s High Commission in London.

Accompanied by his wife, Joyce, he briefed High Commissioner Mbelwa Kairuki on his project and his plans to scale up the business to reach more people.

The diplomat congratulated Mbungo on the achievement, describing the recognition as an accomplishment that brought credit to Tanzania and could help open doors to credible investors, business partners and wider markets.

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The High Commissioner encouraged Mbungo to build on the recognition through continued innovation, integrity and greater public awareness of his services.

Toolboksi started as a platform connecting skilled tradespeople with customers. According to Mbungo, growing customer confidence subsequently enabled the business to expand into construction projects.

One opportunity lies in helping Tanzanians living abroad manage construction projects back home. Distance, limited oversight and difficulties finding reliable contractors can make such investments challenging.

Mbungo cited the experience of a Tanzanian client living in Lincoln, UK, who contacted his company online to rectify defective construction work in Tanzania. The assignment prompted him to consider how many other members of the Tanzanian diaspora might need similar support.

He explained that customers can discuss and coordinate projects remotely, while clarifying that the business does not sell land.

His second venture, Spana, addresses a different challenge: helping mechanics keep pace with increasingly sophisticated vehicles.

In East Africa, Kenya matched Tanzania with four award recipients, while Rwanda had two and Uganda had one.

In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, other member states whose nationals received the awards included South Africa, with four recipients; Malawi, with three; and Mozambique and Zambia, with two each.

The Commonwealth is a global family of 56 countries, home to 2.5 billion people, 60 percent of whom are under the age of 30.

The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust places young Commonwealth leaders at the centre of its work, supporting their organisations with flexible funding, practical tools, resources and a vibrant network to help them transform their communities.

Its work focuses on agriculture and food, education and employability, the environment, health, and inclusion.

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