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Annual Awards

Top 40 Under 40
AI Awards

Celebrating Africa's 40 most impactful young AI leaders under 40 — founders, engineers, policymakers and advocates shaping the continent's AI landscape.

Official Award Film

Watch: Africa's Top 40 in Action

Meet the elite African AI achievers whose work has fundamentally shaped the global AI discourse, policy and technological landscape.

Class of 2025

Africa's Top 40 — Under 40 AI Achievers

These are elite Africans whose work has fundamentally shaped the global AI discourse, policy, or technological landscape.

Africa's Top 40 Under 40 AI Achievers
Why This Award Matters

Recognising Real Impact

The Top 40 Under 40 AI Awards identifies and honours Africa's most outstanding young AI leaders — individuals not just building products, but reshaping markets, influencing policy, and shifting culture.

Celebrate Continental Excellence
Recognise and amplify Africa's most outstanding young AI leaders on a global stage.
Inspire the Next Generation
Provide visible role models for aspiring AI practitioners and innovators across all 54 African nations.
Build the Ecosystem
Create a lasting, interconnected network of Africa's top AI talent bridging research, industry, policy and society.
Guide Stakeholders
Help funders, governments and institutions identify and engage Africa's high-impact AI rising stars.
AI Robot
Selection Framework

10 Dimensions of Excellence

01
Organisations Built & Led — Founded and scaled organisations that are operational and influential
02
Commercial Success & Funding — Built financially sustainable ventures or secured significant investment
03
Team Building & Jobs Created — Created employment opportunities and built high-performing teams
04
Industry Behaviour Change — Forced changes in how major companies or entire industries operate
05
Products & Services Deployed — Created actual products and services actively being used in the world
06
Market & Ecosystem Creation — Created new markets or enabled others to build businesses
07
Policy Implementation — Shaped actual policies that were adopted and implemented at scale
08
Institutional Advisory Roles — Formal positions influencing major continental and global institutions
09
Regulatory & Safety Frameworks — Created frameworks adopted for AI governance and safety across Africa
10
Narrative & Culture Change — Shifted public understanding and cultural narratives around AI in Africa
Awards Gala Summit delegates Speaker Networking
Nominations Open

Nominate for Top 40 Under 40

Open to AI leaders under 40 across all 54 African nations. Self-nominations, peer nominations and institutional nominations all welcome.

Submit a Nomination