Cortex Hub has launched the MCP Hackathon Africa 2025, a continent-wide initiative designed to embed African languages, culture and priorities into the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI).
Cortex Hub says the eight-week programme aims to unite developers, researchers, start-ups and students to build practical solutions using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an emerging open standard that enables applications to deliver structured, locally relevant information to large language models.
"This is Africa's opportunity to move from being consumers of AI to creators of the standards that govern it," says Andile Ngcaba, patron of Cortex Hub. "By coding MCP servers for our towns and cities, participants will be embedding African contexts into the fabric of AI's evolution."
It adds that MCP Hackathon Africa 2025 is supported by technology partners including TESPOK, Seacom, Mauritius Telecom, CSquared, Solcon Capital and Datacentrix, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing Africa’s digital future.
Ahmed Mohamed, group CEO of Datacentrix, says: "The MCP is a practical step towards ethical, contextualised AI that is built with Africa’s realities in mind.”
Registration is open until 10 October across more than 40 African cities. It will culminate in a showcase, in Cape Town, on 11-12 November, where finalists will present to global investors, incubators and technology leaders. A total prize pool of $9 500 (just under R165 000) will be awarded, with winners gaining visibility at AfricaCom, one of the continent's largest technology events.
Alpheus Mangale, group CEO of Seacom, says: "In the new AI frontier where artificial intelligence evolves from code to consciousness, the youth of Africa stand as pivotal architects. It’s about transforming abstract algorithms into contextually grounded knowledge.”
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