In a major push to advance tech skills across the continent, Qhala, Huawei, and Konza Technopolis co-hosted the Africa AI Literacy Week Hackathon, drawing 50 university students from across Africa for a 24-hour innovation sprint.
Participants were challenged to develop AI-powered solutions in five key sectors: Agriculture, Fintech, Healthcare, Education, and Governance. Agriculture, vital to Africa’s economy, emerged as a dominant theme.
The winning team built an AI platform to predict market prices for produce by combining historical data, real-time trends, and weather forecasts. The tool aims to reduce price volatility and empower smallholder farmers.
Two teams tied for second. One created a chatbot-powered farm advisory tool that works offline and in local languages. The other developed an AR-enhanced app for infrastructure planning, adapted for agricultural use with features like irrigation mapping.
Winners received Huawei MatePad tablets, while runners-up were awarded smartwatches. Beyond prizes, participants received mentorship from experts across academia, tech, and government.
Konza Technopolis’ Josephine Ndambuki said the initiative aligns with Kenya’s ambition to become a hub for AI innovation. Qhala CEO Dr. Shikoh Gitau emphasized the need for African-led solutions, while Huawei’s Adam Lane highlighted the importance of local capacity-building.
Organizers hailed the event as a success and plan to scale future editions, reinforcing Africa’s growing role in shaping the global AI landscape.
