The United States Embassy in Harare has recognized Zimbabwean social entrepreneur Freedom Mukanga as the recipient of the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Impact Award, making him the first Zimbabwean to receive the prestigious honour since the program’s inception in 2014.
The award, presented annually by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, celebrates one exceptional alumnus from more than 7,800 Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni across Africa for outstanding leadership, community impact, and contributions to economic growth, democratic governance, and regional cooperation.
Speaking at the award ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont praised Mukanga’s transformative leadership and commitment to building sustainable partnerships between Africa and the United States.
“Today, we are proud to honor Freedom Mukanga, the first Zimbabwean Exchange Alumni to receive this recognition,” said Ambassador Tremont. “This prestigious award is reserved for one exceptional leader whose work strengthens economic growth, advances democratic governance, and deepens regional collaboration.”
Mukanga is a 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow who was placed at the University of Iowa under the Business and Entrepreneurship track. During his Fellowship, he benefited from mentorship and training focused on innovation, investment pitching, and enterprise development — skills that he later applied to scale his ventures in Zimbabwe and beyond.
He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FreedPer Scientific, a company providing advanced weather observation systems and meteorological data across Africa. Through strategic collaborations with U.S. partners such as Campbell Scientific, Synoptic Data, and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Mukanga has strengthened weather data collection systems and improved disaster preparedness in Zimbabwe, particularly for vulnerable rural communities.
Beyond science and technology, Mukanga has also partnered with U.S. educational institutions to deliver entrepreneurship and agribusiness seminars for emerging entrepreneurs and poultry farmers. These initiatives have contributed to improved food security, increased investment opportunities, and reduced dependence on foreign aid.
In 2023, Mukanga led an Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund project that trained more than 400 entrepreneurs across Zimbabwe, working closely with fellow U.S. exchange alumni. The following year, he collaborated with the U.S. Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Section to host the Gilman Alumni Food Security Seminar, which was later recognized by officials in Washington, D.C. as a best-practice model for alumni-led programming.
Mukanga currently serves as Chair of the U.S. Exchange Alumni Association of Zimbabwe (2025–2027), representing a network of over 2,500 alumni driving social and economic development through job creation, mentorship, and community initiatives.
He also sits on the Management Committee of the African Meteorological Society, where he chairs the Communications Committee, contributing to meteorological capacity development across the continent. Through his work, Mukanga aims to impact more than 1.4 million people by 2030 by strengthening early warning systems, climate resilience, and agricultural productivity.
A serial social entrepreneur, Mukanga is also the co-founder of Hozi Innovator and Madanha Trust, initiatives focused on youth and women empowerment in business and agriculture.
Described as a “bridge-builder between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa,” Mukanga credits the Mandela Washington Fellowship with helping him expand his vision and strengthen international partnerships.
He lives in Harare with his wife and two daughters and remains committed to building a more resilient, inclusive, and economically empowered Africa.