Concours Présidentiel Africain de Jeunesse en Intelligence Artificielle et Robotique 2026

The Presidential African Youth in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Competition 2026 is a continental initiative advancing Africa’s leadership in AI and robotics through innovation, skills development, and commercial pathways. Hosted by Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the competition unites policy, industry, and youth innovators to drive inclusive digital transformation.

What it offers

• 12 dynamic competition categories, including AI in Mining, FinTech, Robotics Design, Healthcare, Education, Ethics, and Agriculture.
• Presidential Award as the highest honour.
• Finalists receive global recognition at the UN ITU AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva (7–10 July 2026).
• Final event attendance required: Presidential Awards Ceremony (12–13 October 2026) and Virtual Awards Ceremony (October 2026).

Who can apply

• Open to African youth aged 15–35.
• Teams or individuals may enter.
• Applicants under 18 must provide written consent from a parent or legal guardian.

How to apply

• Applications open on 10 February 2026 at 10:00 GMT.
• Submit AI or robotics projects by 30 June 2026 at 21:45 GMT.
• Projects must align with the competition theme and guidelines.
• Group entries must be submitted by the group leader, listing all team members.
• Respond to the submission acknowledgement email with your prototype or project paper.

Good to know

• Participants retain ownership of their projects.
• Organisers may use project details for promotional purposes.
• Judging is based on innovation, functionality, and impact; decisions are final.
• Finalists will be announced publicly on 17 September 2026 via email and social media (X and LinkedIn).
• For inquiries, contact innovationhub@ele-vate.co.za.