The Masakhane African Languages Hub (the Hub) has announced a major Request for Proposals (RFP) to address the severe underrepresentation of African languages in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Hub invites African researchers, linguists, startups, technologists and community organizations to build high-quality, inclusive and community-driven datasets for 50 African languages.
While Africa is home to over 2,000 languages, they are almost absent from the global digital landscape; none of the top 34 languages used globally on the internet are African. This imbalance risks not only excluding more than one billion speakers from emerging technologies but also perpetuating harmful biases and inaccuracies that can undermine equitable use of new technologies.
Supported by Google.org, and FCDO, IDRC and the Gates Foundation, the new project aims to counter this trend by ensuring AI technologies are built on accurate, inclusive, culturally relevant, and ethically sourced data.
The hub is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) across three core pillars:
- Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR): Focused on large-scale, culturally grounded voice data for 18 African languages, emphasizing gender balance and contextual authenticity.
- Benchmarking “In the Wild”: Supporting researchers to design studies that test how AI models actually perform in authentic, practical, and real-world African contexts.
- Culturally Relevant Multimodal Datasets: Catalyzing the creation of high-quality image, text, and speech datasets for 40 African languages to power the next generation of translation and education tools.
Successful applicants will receive funding, visibility, and institutional support to help them achieve sustainable growth. Partnering with the Masakhane African Languages Hub will also provide them with a platform to develop African-led AI technology and an opportunity to pioneer inclusivity for languages that have been historically marginalized in tech.
The ultimate goal is to empower one billion Africans by 2029 with locally relevant AI tools and resources, unlocking opportunities for economic development, local innovation, and the preservation of Africa’s linguistic heritage.
“We are committed to championing African-led innovation that ensures AI reflects the continent’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity. This call for proposals goes beyond building models; it is a movement toward a more equitable digital future. It’s an opportunity to center marginalized groups such as women, rural communities, and the elderly, and take forward the wisdom of our elders and embody the spirit of Ubuntu,” said Chenai Chair, Director of the Masakhane African Languages Hub.
Important Dates and Eligibility
- Expression of Interest (EOI) Deadline: January 25, 2026 (23:59 WAT)
- Applicant Webinar: 14 January 2026
- Full Proposal Deadline for shortlisted applicants: February 25, 2026 (23:59 WAT)
- Eligible Organizations: non-profits, social enterprises, and research institutions that are based in or have a presence in Africa.
The initiative builds on the momentum of a successful 2025 call for proposals, which saw 93 applicants from 22 countries shortlisted. Following a rigorous selection process, four grant awardees have been finalized and are currently transitioning into the contracting phase.
For more information on how to apply, visit https://www.masakhane.io/masakhane-african-languages-hub/grants
