The Cortex Hub has launched the MCP Hackathon Africa 2025, a pan-African innovation drive spanning over 40 cities from September to November 2025, aimed at embedding African languages, cultures, and development priorities into the foundational layers of artificial intelligence. This eight-week initiative will bring together developers, researchers, students, and startups across the continent to build solutions using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an emerging open standard that enables AI systems to access structured, locally relevant data—positioning Africa not as a passive user of AI, but as a co-creator of its global infrastructure.
At a time when much of AI development remains concentrated in North America and Asia, the MCP Hackathon Africa 2025 represents a strategic effort to assert digital sovereignty and ensure African contexts are not overlooked in next-generation AI models. By coding MCP servers tailored to their communities—from local governance systems to indigenous agricultural practices—participants will help shape how AI understands African realities, reducing dependence on closed, proprietary technologies and fostering homegrown innovation.
Andile Ngcaba, Patron of The Cortex Hub, emphasized the transformative potential of the initiative: “The Model Context Protocol is Africa’s opportunity to transition from being consumers of AI to becoming creators of the very standards that govern it. By coding for our towns and cities, participants are embedding African contexts, cultures, and priorities into the evolution of AI itself.”
Participants will join local hubs across Southern Africa—including South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, and Mauritius—as well as West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal), Central Africa (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo), East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia), and North Africa (Morocco, Egypt). They will receive access to technical resources, boot camps, mentorship, and peer collaboration platforms, including starter code repositories and comprehensive MCP documentation.
The hackathon’s innovation tracks span critical sectors such as telecommunications, financial services, agriculture, logistics, healthcare, education, legal technology, and environmental resilience. Challenges include empowering smallholder farmers with real-time advisory tools, designing secure cross-border payment systems, and building AI agents that navigate local governance structures—all using MCP to deliver context-aware intelligence.
The program will culminate in a grand continental showcase in Cape Town on November 11–12, 2025, where top teams will present their projects to a global audience of investors, incubators, and technology leaders, creating pathways for scaling impact and attracting follow-on investment.
The MCP Hackathon Africa 2025 is supported by a coalition of leading African technology organizations committed to advancing the continent’s digital future. Key partners include Datacentrix, Seacom, CSquared, Solcon Capital, Mauritius Telecom, and TESPOK—all of which see MCP as a pivotal tool in shaping ethical, localized AI.
Ahmed Mohamed, Group CEO of Datacentrix, stated, “By coding MCP servers for our towns, you’re not merely writing software—you’re inscribing African contexts into the very fabric of AI’s evolution. At Datacentrix, we believe responsible leadership in the digital age means reimagining society through technology. MCP is a step toward contextualized AI built with Africa’s realities in mind.”
Alpheus Mangale, Group CEO of Seacom, described the youth of Africa as “pivotal architects” in a new era where AI evolves from code to consciousness. “Your work in building MCP servers goes beyond technical labor,” he said. “It’s the creation of cognitive infrastructure that binds real-time intelligence to the lived experiences of our cities.”
Ian Paterson, CEO of CSquared, highlighted the shift toward agentic AI and intelligent connectivity: “We are entering the era of AI Agents. The internet as we know it will never be the same. MCP will drive this transformation forward.”
Pramod Venkatesh, CEO of Solcon Capital, stressed the importance of technological independence: “Africa must build its own sovereign AI capabilities. MCPs enable African-built models to access local data, integrate across systems, and deliver context-rich insights. We’re proud to support this foundational effort.”
Dr. Fiona Asonga of TESPOK and Veemal Gungadin of Mauritius Telecom echoed the call for African leadership in AI, emphasizing that context must be central—not an afterthought—to ensure relevance, inclusion, and equity in the global digital economy.
With registration open via mcp-hackathon.africa , the MCP Hackathon Africa 2025 is more than a competition—it is a movement to democratize AI development, empower African innovators, and ensure the continent plays a defining role in shaping the future of intelligent systems.
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