Rootcase 2026
ROOTCASE 2026 | African Dynamism: Building for Sovereignty
What problems are worth solving, and what would it actually take to solve them?
Rootcase 2026 is the DesignPxD UG Student Club’s Applied Business Case Challenge, bringing students from different disciplines together to investigate real-world problems, develop interventions, and test their thinking against reality.
Taking place on 7–8 November 2026 at the University of Ghana, Rootcase is built around a simple idea:
meaningful solutions start with understanding the problem, not rushing to build something.
What will you work on?
This year’s theme is African Dynamism: Building for Sovereignty. Participants will explore challenges across two broad areas:
BUILD
How can Africa strengthen its ability to produce, build, and control the capabilities it needs? Think manufacturing, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, technology, and essential services.
MOBILITY
How can Africa improve the movement of people, goods, services, capital, information, and opportunity? Think logistics, payments, trade, supply chains, market access, and business coordination.
These are starting points, not prescribed problem statements. You’ll investigate a problem worth addressing, examine the evidence, understand the people and systems involved, and develop an intervention that responds to what you learn.
What will you do?
Over two days, you’ll work with other students to:
Investigate problems and understand their underlying causes.
Examine evidence, stakeholder needs, and real-world constraints.
Develop and evaluate potential interventions.
Consider feasibility, resources, commercial viability, and implementation.
Present your thinking and identify how to test or refine your approach beyond the event.
The work doesn’t have to end when the weekend does. Teams will have the opportunity to continue developing their ideas over the following semester, engaging with relevant stakeholders and testing their assumptions against real-world conditions.
Who should apply?
Open to students across disciplines. You don’t need to study business, know how to code, or arrive with a business idea.
You might be:
A business student interested in strategy, markets, finance, or operations.
A developer, engineer, or technical thinker who wants to understand the problems behind what gets built.
A product thinker, designer, or researcher interested in understanding people and shaping better interventions.
Someone with practical experience, a different perspective, or simply the curiosity to investigate problems and learn alongside others.
What are we looking for?
People who are curious, willing to question assumptions, open to learning from others, and ready to contribute to a team.
You don’t need all the answers. You should be willing to investigate, challenge your own thinking, and work with others to develop better ones.
Dates: 7–8 November 2026
Location: University of Ghana
Format: Two-day applied business case challenge, with opportunities for continued work over the following semester.