Applications open · Cohort 2026
Real African Problems. Global Possibilities.
A worldwide search for innovators solving real African problems with the potential for meaningful impact.
Bring the problem you know best. Show us why it matters and who it affects. We’ll guide you through the journey from problem to solution.
Safari to Entrepreneurship Stardom
Africa's Problems. Africa's Problem-Solvers. Africa's Future.
A worldwide search for people who can identify, understand and ultimately solve Africa's most consequential problems.
Participant journey · How it works
From open submission and Public Participation to the AFRIX 360, masterclasses, the Problem Pitch, Nairobi and the Final 6.
Stage 1 · Open Participation
Open to all. Register with your basic information and submit one Problem Statement of no more than 100 words. You may enter individually or as an existing team of up to three. Individuals and pairs can complete Stage 1. Every eligible 100-word Problem Statement will be published for Public Participation.
No video. No prototype. No proposed solution. No pitch deck.
Stage 2 · Eligibility & Quality Screening
AFRIX checks whether the submission meets the eligibility and quality criteria for publication. Every submission meeting the criteria is published for Public Participation.
Screening is not competitive selection.
Stage 3 · Public Participation · Problems That Matter
Every eligible 100-word Problem Statement is published for the public to explore. Through "THIS MATTERS", the public helps identify the problems they believe deserve attention. Public participation informs the assessment, alongside the AFRIX judges’ evaluation. Judges have the final say in selecting the AFRIX 360.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION INFORMS. JUDGES DECIDE.
Stage 4 · The AFRIX 360
After Public Participation and Judges’ Assessment, judges make the final selection of 360 problems/participants that progress into the programme. Only the selected AFRIX 360 progress to the Masterclasses.
Judges have the final say.
Stage 5 · AP — Anatomy of Problems
The AFRIX 360 selected by the judges are invited to take part in the online masterclasses. The masterclasses strengthen participants’ understanding of problems, their causes, available evidence, scale and consequences, and how to investigate a problem more deeply.
The online learning programme is administered by faculty from MIT and Babson College.
Stage 6 · Reflection & Problem Choice
After the masterclasses, selected participants reflect on what they learned, refine their understanding, review their original problem and form their final team. Participants who entered individually or as a pair must form a team of three before the Problem Pitch; existing teammates confirm their final team.
The Problem Pitch must be submitted by exactly three people.
Stage 7 · Problem Pitch
Teams whose members have completed the required masterclasses submit a revised problem statement, supporting information and evidence, and one three-minute Problem Pitch video. Judges assess this Problem Pitch using the approved problem-first criteria to select the AFRIX 18.
A team of exactly three. No prototype or developed solution is required at this stage. Is it real, and is it worth a career?
Stage 8 · AFRIX 18
Judges review eligible Problem Pitch submissions and select 18 teams — 54 participants — to advance to Nairobi. Selected teams may be announced publicly, and the selection criteria are published.
Judging, deliberations and individual judge discussions remain private.
Stage 9 · Live Nairobi Evaluation
The 18 selected teams take part in the two-week in-person innovation and entrepreneurship programme in Nairobi, culminating in a final showcase and live evaluation by the judges. Judges select the Final 6.
Stage 10 · Final 6
The Final 6 teams travel overseas to make new connections, gain exposure, and explore collaborative opportunities in China and/or the United States.
Setting the bedrock for African-born global businesses.
Eligibility
At this stage, we care more about proximity and understanding of the problem than credentials. What matters is how close you are to it — lived experience where relevant, genuine research and evidence, and a clear grasp of who is affected and why it matters. No formal academic or professional qualifications are required.
Challenge categories
Agriculture and Food
Healthcare
Education
Energy
Financial Services
Climate
Manufacturing
Housing and Mobility
Governance
Digital Inclusion
The criteria
We're looking for people who understand important African problems deeply enough to do something about them.
Is it real, and is it worth a career?
The problem must be based in Africa and affect people, communities, organisations or systems in Africa. You don't need to live in Africa to apply.
Show us what the problem is, what causes it, who experiences it and what the consequences are — from lived or professional experience, your community, observation or serious research.
Bring evidence that shows the problem is real and how significant it is — data, observations, conversations, experience or other credible information.
Show us why people care about this problem, how serious it is and what could change if it were addressed. You don't need a solution yet.
Tell us why this problem matters to you and what you bring to the challenge. No formal qualifications needed.
Participation in the required AFRIX learning programme is part of the journey and will also be considered as participants progress.
Start with the problem. Understand it deeply. Show us why it matters.
FAQ
Applications close when the cohort fills. Start your submission today.
Faculty are from MIT and Babson College.
The institutions and organisations helping AFRIX turn Africa's problems into opportunities for innovation and impact.
Organisations supporting the development and delivery of AFRIX.
