The 24-hour event saw 50 university students from across the continent compete to create impactful technologies. While the hackathon covered various themes including Fintech, Healthcare, and Education, it was the innovations in agriculture that took centre stage, reflecting the sector’s critical importance to Africa’s economy and food security.
The competition produced several high-potential solutions designed to empower smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of Africa’s agricultural economy but often face significant challenges in accessing markets and information.
The top prize went to a team that developed an AI platform to forecast market prices for agricultural goods. This tool addresses a critical vulnerability for farmers: market uncertainty and exploitation by middlemen. By analyzing historical data, real-time market trends, and weather patterns, the platform gives farmers, traders, and financial institutions the data needed to make informed decisions. This aims to increase transparency and profitability for smallholders, ensuring they get a fair price for their produce. The winning team members were awarded Huawei MatePad tablets to support their future development work.
Two teams shared second place, each tackling different aspects of the agricultural value chain. For their efforts, both teams received Huawei Band 10 smartwatches.
The hackathon was structured as an intensive learning and collaboration environment, not just a competition. Participants received mentorship from academic and industry experts, including technical teams from Huawei and Konza Technopolis, guiding them from ideation to prototyping.
Dr. Shikoh Gitau, CEO of Qhala, stressed the importance of these initiatives, stating, “Africa cannot afford to be left behind as AI transforms industries and societies. We must create the awareness, support, and platforms that allow African youth to innovate and solve problems through AI, because they understand our challenges best.”
This vision of a locally-led tech boom was echoed by Josephine Ndambuki, Chief Manager for Business Development & Innovation at Konza Technopolis Development Authority. “Artificial intelligence is a key driver of the next frontier of development, and Konza is determined to be at the center of its growth and application across the continent,” she said, reaffirming Konza’s commitment to empowering the youth who will lead the “Silicon Savannah.”
The event also underscored the importance of public-private partnerships. Adam Lane, Director for Policy and Partnerships at Huawei Kenya, confirmed the company’s dedication to providing skills and resources to empower African developers. Organizers hailed the event as a major success and plan to scale future editions, building on the foundation of this year’s hackathon and fostering the continent’s growing pool of tech talent.
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