Mental health support remains out of reach for millions of people across Africa, especially in low-income communities where healthcare systems are under pressure and trained specialists are limited. In Zimbabwe, up to 70 percent of people living with mental health conditions still receive no formal support. Against this background, Friendship Bench Zimbabwe has emerged as a practical solution that is now receiving international recognition.
The King Baudouin Foundation has awarded the 2025–2026 KBF Africa Prize to Friendship Bench Zimbabwe for its work in transforming mental healthcare through community-based support systems. Founded in Zimbabwe in 2006 by psychiatrist Professor Dixon Chibanda, the initiative has already reached more than one million people through evidence-based talk therapy delivered by over 2,750 trained community counsellors.
The award places a spotlight on African-led innovation and highlights how local solutions can help solve global health challenges. Beyond the monetary value of €250,000, the prize will also give Friendship Bench greater international visibility and help promote its work to wider audiences and healthcare partners around the world.
Friendship Bench operates on a simple but effective model. Instead of relying only on hospitals and clinics, the initiative trains community members, many of them older women known as “grandmothers,” to provide structured psychological support in safe and familiar community spaces. These counsellors are trained in evidence-based therapies including problem-solving therapy and behavioural activation.
Professor Chibanda said the model was created out of necessity due to Zimbabwe’s severe shortage of mental health professionals.
“I began this work as one of 16 psychiatrists working in mental health in Zimbabwe and serving a population of 16 million people,” he said. “We had to find ways to extend care beyond clinics, by working with communities and building on the support systems that were already there.”
Expanding Access to Affordable Mental Health Care
Across Southern Africa, an estimated 25 to 30 percent of adults will experience a mental health condition during their lifetime, yet fewer than one in ten receive adequate care. Depression and anxiety are also affecting growing numbers of young people, with some communities reporting rates as high as 30 percent.
Friendship Bench is helping to close this gap by providing low-cost and scalable support that can be integrated into existing healthcare systems. The organisation says its services cost around $13 per client, making the model affordable and easier to expand in resource-constrained environments.
The initiative describes its work as sustainable community-based psychological interventions that are evidence-based, accessible and scalable. Its long-term vision is to create a world where a Friendship Bench is within walking distance for everyone.
African Innovation With Global Relevance
The KBF Africa Prize specifically recognises organisations that are founded, managed and led by Africans while creating long-term impact in their communities. The award also focuses on initiatives that empower people and respond to challenges in transformative and adaptable ways.
Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola said Friendship Bench represents exactly the type of innovation the prize was created to celebrate.
“Friendship Bench is a strong example of the African-led innovation the KBF Africa Prize was created to recognise,” she said. “Rooted in local expertise and scientific evidence, it offers a practical and scalable response to one of the world’s most pressing and neglected health challenges. What began in Zimbabwe is now influencing how mental health care can be delivered around the world.”
As mental health continues to gain attention globally, the recognition of Friendship Bench signals growing interest in community-driven healthcare models that are affordable, scalable and built around local realities. For Zimbabwe, the award also reflects how homegrown innovation can shape international conversations on healthcare delivery and social impact.
