timbuktoo Africa

08/07/2026

Meet the 47 startups from 23 countries that successfully completed the Get Ready 4 timbuktoo EdTech program, implemented by Pitch Palabre in partnership with UNDP under the timbuktoo initiative.

Over three months, these entrepreneurs took part in an intensive incubation journey combining interactive masterclasses, one-on-one mentoring and coaching, customer discovery and market validation, KPI tracking, weekly ex*****on challenges, and pitch preparation and investment readiness.

Congratulations to the entire cohort, and welcome to the timbuktoo ecosystem!

08/06/2026

This week, Fab Managers from Benin, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Togo are coming together for the UniPods Hardware Program Fab Lab Training on Autodesk.

Through hands-on sessions in digital fabrication, 3D design, prototyping, and Autodesk tools, they are building the skills needed to support young innovators developing solutions for agriculture.

When they return to their UniPods, they'll lead the Hardware Innovation Program and help innovators transform ideas into working prototypes that respond to local challenges.

Thank you to UniPod Togo, Autodesk, the University of Lomé, and all participating UniPods for making this collaboration possible.

Together, we're strengthening Africa's innovation ecosystem, one prototype at a time.

08/05/2026

A week of collaboration, learning, and co-creation has come to a close.

The SPARK Africa Co-Creation Workshop 2026 brought together local and international partners to explore Rwanda's innovation ecosystem, engage with entrepreneurs, and design challenge-based learning experiences for SPARK Africa 2027.

Together, participants developed the foundation for the 2027 Summer Residency, creating a curriculum and implementation roadmap that will help equip future innovators to tackle real-world challenges across Africa.

Thank you to the University of Rwanda, UNDP, Chalmers University of Technology, and all partner institutions for contributing to this shared vision.

08/05/2026

Interested in developing your skills in Data Science and AI?
Our partner, the Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory at the University of Tokyo, is now accepting applications for the GCI World 2026 program.
The program is free for students, delivered online, and offers practical learning to help participants build future-ready skills.
Program launches: 17 September 2026
Apply via : weblab.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

08/03/2026

From 2019 to today, timbuktoo has evolved from a bold idea into one of Africa's most ambitious innovation initiatives supporting youth and startups. This journey has been shaped by Ahunna Eziakonwa's vision and made possible through the dedication of colleagues, partners, governments, founders, and innovators across the continent and beyond.

In her final email to the UNDP team, Ahunna described how timbuktoo has, “fundamentally reframed how we see Africa's future. It has shown the world what we know: that Africa's young people do not need charity or pity. They need opportunity, resources, and belief. timbuktoo has provided all three. The jobs being created, the enterprises already launched, the lives being transformed — these are a testament to what happens when you invest in Africa's human capital and trust in African solutions.”

Those words capture not only Ahunna's vision, but also the spirit and impact of timbuktoo, having become a testament to what can be achieved through bold leadership and the collective efforts of colleagues, partners, governments, founders, and innovators committed to Africa's future.

Thank you, Ahunna, for eight years of exceptional leadership as Director, UNDP Africa, your courage to think boldly, and your commitment to unlocking Africa's potential. Your legacy lives on in every founder, every UniPod, every innovation hub, and every opportunity that timbuktoo continues to create for Africa's next generation of entrepreneurs.

As you begin your next chapter, we celebrate all that you've accomplished and the foundation you've helped build. We wish you every success in the journey ahead.

Enjoy this farewell video from the timbuktoo team—a small token of our immense gratitude. 💙

As Ahunna Eziakonwa embarks on a new chapter of service, we celebra...

07/22/2026

Have a business idea, no matter how early?

The Ignite Bootcamp, Idea to Venture is for students, graduates and aspiring entrepreneurs across Africa looking to transform their ideas into successful business opportunities.

Hosted by UNDP Africa, UniPods in partnership with the Wadhwani Foundation, this 4-week live online programme will guide you through the early stages of building your venture by helping you validate, refine and improve your idea.
Complete the programme and earn a Wadhwani Foundation Certificate of Completion, while unlocking the opportunity to continue your entrepreneurial journey through the 14-week Ignite Business Model Development Program.

📅 Registration is now open
🗓️ Registration closes: 3 August 2026
🚀 Programme begins: 4 August 2026
No matter where you are in Africa, your entrepreneurial journey can start today.

🔗 Register now: https://tinyurl.com/45cycm9y

07/21/2026

Real-world challenges need innovative solutions.

The AI for Public Good Hackathon 2026 invites students, researchers, professionals, and innovators to harness the power of artificial intelligence and collaborate on solutions that create meaningful public impact.

Register today: https://tinyurl.com/ysfduezn

07/20/2026

Sometimes, the best ideas come from challenges we experience every day.

For Masibonge, seeing smallholder farmers in her hometown struggle to access agricultural knowledge became the inspiration behind FarmIoT AI, a smart farming solution that uses technology to help farmers make better decisions and improve productivity.

At the UniPod at the University of Johannesburg, she found the mentorship, technical support, and prototyping facilities that helped turn her vision into a working innovation.

07/16/2026

Join today's discussion on Smart Industry for Critical Minerals & Semiconductors

AISMA/UNIDO, in partnership with IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA), is hosting the second webinar in the "Smart Industry for Global, Trusted and Resilient Value Chains: Shaping the Road to Africa 4.0" series.

The webinar will bring together leading international experts to discuss how smart industry, digital technologies, and international standards can help Africa transform its critical minerals and semiconductor potential into competitive industrial value chains.

Today | 2:00 PM (Central European Time)

Register now: https://lnkd.in/ewCfpNHY

07/14/2026

A new chapter for innovation has begun in Côte d'Ivoire.

The at Lycée Technique d'Abidjan was officially inaugurated by Ahunna Eziakonwa creating a space where students, entrepreneurs, and aspiring innovators can learn, collaborate, and turn ideas into practical solutions.

Equipped with dedicated laboratories in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Digital Fabrication, and Social Innovation, the UniPod is designed to nurture creativity, strengthen technical skills, and support the development of prototypes that address real-world challenges.