Spotlight Initiative SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026 for young African Innovators ($10,000 in seed capital grants)

Application Deadline: 18 October 2026 (23:59 CAT) Applications are now open for the Spotlight Initiative SafeTech Africa HackLab. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Eastern and Southern Region & Western and Central African Region), in partnership with the Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme (SIARP 2.0) , the Global Programme to End Child Marriage ( GPECM) , the African Union Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (AU Innovation Lab) , UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women invites young innovators, social entrepreneurs, and digital rights advocates across Africa to submit entries for the Youth Social Innovation Challenge Titled “SafeTech Africa Hacklab ’26 ” Officially launched during the African Union Innovation Festival ’26 (AU InnoFest ’26) in Addis Ababa under the theme “Vibrant Youth Ecosystems for AI & Digital Sovereignty,” this challenge identifies, incubates, funds, and scale youth-led digital and community solutions. Across Africa, young people comprise over 60% of the population, yet adolescent girls and young women, and other marginalized groups face severe structural inequalities: an adolescent birth rate of 93 per 1,000, 1 in 3 girls married before 18, a 26% mobile internet gender gap leaving 230 million women offline, and pervasive technology-facilitated violence (TF-VAWG). Driving a strategy of Decentralised Power and Systemic Shifting , the Hacklab aims to equip local youth leadership to challenge entrenched power imbalances directly. Requirements The program is looking for original, practical, youth-led innovations youth-led innovative ideas designed to directly tackle harmful practices- Technology-Facilitated Violence , Child Marriage, Female Genitale Mutilation. Challenge Themes Applications are accepted in one of the three priority themes below: THEME 1: Safe Physical & Community Spaces (Innovative Protection & Prevention of Harmful practices – child marriage, FGM and TG-VAWG) THEME 2: Safe Informational Spaces ( Dissemination of accurate digital CSE & SRHR Health Information) THEME 3: Safe Digital Spaces (Countering Anti-Rights Narratives that normalize child marriage, Censorship & TF-VAWG) Eligible Innovation Examples (non-exhaustive list): Safety-by-design tools, browser extensions, encrypted reporting systems, and digital self-defense platforms protecting women online. Algorithmic auditing tools, digital and interactive counter-narrative toolkits, and media literacy apps that track and counter anti-rights disinformation campaign networks. Privacy-preserving AI solutions monitoring and mitigating online harassment and deepfake proliferation. Decentralised, privacy-preserving publishing tools and digital spaces for human rights advocates and creators facing online moderation suppression. Eligibility Requirements Applicants must meet the following requirements: Age: All team leads and team members must be 18–24 years old at the time of application. Residency: Open to young innovators residing in Eastern and Southern Africa , as well as Western and Central Africa . The document specifically mentions Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger and Sierra Leone , with solutions addressing child marriage strongly encouraged from these countries. Team composition: Teams of 2–5 members are strongly encouraged. Each team should designate a Team Lead who will serve as the primary contact. Gender equity: Female-led startups and gender-balanced teams with at least 50% female membership will be prioritised. Application category: Teams must apply under one category only . Applications submitted under multiple categories will not be evaluated. Solution stage: Eligible solutions may be at the concept stage, early functional prototype stage or early pilot stage . Inclusivity: Solutions must intentionally address the needs of marginalised and underserved young people, including rural youth, young women, out-of-school adolescents, displaced persons and youth with disabilities. Low-connectivity accessibility: Solutions must work in low-bandwidth, high-cost or intermittent-connectivity environments. Applicants must explain how their technology can operate offline or through low-data approaches such as USSD, SMS fallback, progressive web apps with offline caching, lightweight media compression or local mesh/peer-to-peer syncing. Digital and disability accessibility: Technology interfaces should incorporate inclusive design for people with different disabilities and levels of literacy/digital literacy. Examples include text-to-speech, screen-reader compatibility, high-contrast modes, voice-driven navigation, local-language audio and icon/image-based interfaces. Intellectual property: Applicants retain ownership of their intellectual property . Ethics: Solutions must comply with appropriate standards concerning ethical AI, human rights and data privacy . Benefits Winners and runners-up enter a post-hackathon support program: High-Level Pitching Stage: Shortlisted finalists receive pitch coaching and will present live at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit in November 2026. Seed Capital Grant: Four winners will receive seed grants ranging between USD 5,000 to USD 10,000. Market Access & Investor Matchmaking: Direct exposure to investors, venture funds, and continental development partners present at YCA Summit. Continental Visibility: Spotlight feature across UNFPA, Spotlight Initiative, and African Union media channels, and other media channels during the YCA summit. For More Information: Visit the Official Webpage of the Spotlight Initiative SafeTech Africa HackLab