Progress

Carnegie Mellon University Africa

• Third round of internships: Successfully placed 35 CMU-Africa students in 22 innovative startups, deepening the real-world experience of our learners.
• Student and startup profiles: Released the first edition of the Student and Startup Profiles publication, spotlighting talent and emerging ventures.
• TechSkills Leads Workshop (June 2025): Hosted a workshop to align program leads from partner institutions, sharing best practices and frameworks for scaling impact.
• Innovation to Impact Series: Successfully launched the "Innovation to Impact Series" a monthly engagement that brings together students, startup founders, and industry leaders to explore how technical skills can be transformed into scalable solutions, fostering entrepreneurial thinking and real-world innovation across Africa.

The American University in Cairo

The American University in Cairo (AUC)'s TechSkills Marketplace continues to nurture entrepreneurial problem-solving through student and startup collaborations.

Program highlights

• The program successfully placed 60+ interns in deep-tech fields such as AI and control systems, IoT, solar energy, embedded systems, biomedical applications, and CAD design
• 200+ companies submitted internship requests through the AUC labor market portal, reflecting strong industry demand
• Close follow-up with startups showed significant intern contributions, with several students offered full-time employment post-internship

Spotlight projects

• Volo: Students developed an AI-powered Smart Wheelchair addressing mobility challenges for individuals with disabilities, incorporating obstacle detection, adaptive navigation, and real-time control.
• Empower Energy Systems: Interns worked on solar fault detection using AI, mobile app development, and embedded systems for renewable energy efficiency.
• Suitera LLC: Students contributed to circuit simulation software, performing algebraic operations, transient analyses, and hardware integration.
• Tenohira Solutions: Designed palm vein biometric technology using near-infrared imaging, achieving 1,000× higher accuracy than fingerprint systems.

University of Lagos

University of Lagos (UNILAG)'s implementation of the TechSkills Marketplace Program, modeled after CMU-Africa's framework, has been transformative for students and startups in Lagos. Since September 2024, 51 students have completed internships with 21 startups hosted across three hubs — National Information Technology Development Agency IT Hub, Innovation and Technology Management Office, and the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre.

Impact

• 96 percent of participants reported major improvements in technical abilities
• 98 percent felt better prepared for the job market
• 90 percent of startups expressed satisfaction and interest in continuing

Success stories

• Ezike Jessica (PayEasy), Abdul-Salaam Yahya (Heem Walker), and Philip Kayode (Reisty) secured continued employment after their internships.
• Samuel Olamilekan Johnson, founder of Waltersam Technologies, exemplified the program’s success with his AI-powered EdTech solution recognized at the NextGen Innovation Challenge.

Inclusive innovation

Partnership with Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development enabled visually impaired students to join the program through donated assistive laptops.

New milestones

The second cohort introduced a co-payment model—students like Jedidiah Akindele now earn competitive stipends (₦250,000) during internships with startups such as Vesta AI Labs.

Al Akhawayn University

Al Akhawayn University (AUI) has continued to show strong leadership in the Afretec Network by turning the initiative's vision into tangible programs which develop digital talent, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and expand research capacity across Morocco, Africa, and the global stage.

Key outcomes

• 67 percent of partner companies expressed intent to hire interns
• 50 percent of internship projects are planned for full implementation
• 33 percent of projects have already been successfully executed
• Establishment of an advisory board to support and empower startups and SMEs across Morocco
• Students gained substantial technical and professional competencies through real-world project exposure

In 2025, AUI reached a milestone with the launch of its first TechSkills Marketplace Program: An initiative designed to accelerate more active collaboration between academia, industry, and local communities. This new platform will link students to start-ups, SMEs, and organizations seeking support for technology-enabled problem-solving, making it one of the most impactful university Afretec contributions to date.

The first edition of the TechSkills Marketplace saw 100 percent participant satisfaction, demonstrating its impact as a training experience and talent pipeline for Moroccan industry.

Participating students worked on a portfolio of varied internship projects across four technical domains, allowing them to contribute to innovation challenges, test prototypes, design new solutions, and optimise existing tools and systems within real-world environments.

This experiential learning aligns with Afretec's ongoing mission to develop a generation of tech-excellent African professionals, who are able to solve some of the continent's most challenging development issues.

Early outcomes of the program further illustrate its strategic importance, with 67 percent of partner companies indicating they plan to hire students as a result of their internship experience.

In addition, half of all projects generated from internships are heading toward full implementation, meaning these are practical solutions being developed by students to meet organisation’s needs.

A key pillar of the TechSkills Marketplace will be a newly established Industry Advisory Board, designed to further strengthen guidance for student projects and help broaden support for Moroccan startups and SMEs.

This brings together sector professionals, innovators, and entrepreneurs wanting to contribute to the shape and direction of the program, further elevating the quality of student engagement and AUI's leadership and commitment to fostering innovation.

The depth of student learning and professional growth arising from the program is evident in the testimonials of AUI's partners and participants.

Lina Bouyahyaoui, an intern on Campus Maroc TV, explains that her experience "reinforced my interest in building digital solutions for education and research," solidifying her long-term plans in software engineering and impact-focused data platforms.

On the employer side, the reported benefits area similarly significant. "The internships will create long-term value for our organisation by laying the foundation for scalable cybersecurity capabilities and a recurring service model," commented Moussa Koita, CEO of Innovatech Consulting, who added that integrating students' talents into strategic technical projects can result in transformation.

Beyond the TechSkills Marketplace, AUI remains active across a variety of Afretec pillars, contributing to research advancement, responsible AI discourse, and capacity building for faculty and innovators.

These combined efforts make AUI an integral Afretec partner and emphasise the university's commitment to shaping Morocco's and Africa's digital future through education, innovation, and enhanced community impact.

University of the Witswatersrand

University of the Witswatersrand (Wits) successfully rolled out its first TechSkills Marketplace Program, placing 20 science and engineering students with innovative startups and MSMEs across Gauteng, including Analytics Advertising, Bright Innovation Technical Solutions, Brilliware, LC Dynamics, Spaza Eats, Stylish Imprints, and Libex. The program promoted hands-on learning, entrepreneurship, and employability through a practical industry experience supported by the Wits Entrepreneurship Hub and the Counselling and Career Development Unit.

The cohort reflected diverse participation, with nearly equal gender representation and interns from South Africa, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. Students benefited from wrap-around support, including workshops on entrepreneurship, design thinking, personal branding, and career readiness, alongside regular one-on-one check-ins and structured performance monitoring.

In April 2025, Wits hosted a webinar on the MSME Internship Marketplace, where startups, student interns, and partner universities shared insights from the first cycle. The event spotlighted successful collaborations, learning outcomes, and best practices to guide the next phase of implementation across the Afretec Network.

Impact

• Eight startups engaged with 20 interns, several of whom have since secured full-time employment.
• Average satisfaction rating: 3.6/5 for internship experience.
• Key highlights: Real-world project delivery, collaboration, and exposure to business development processes.
• After six months of dedicated training and support from the program, we are thrilled to announce that five students have successfully secured permanent employment through this programme, showcasing their hard work and determination.

Testimonials

"Through my internship at AnalyticsX, I gained hands-on experience in real-world data science projects, turning raw data into meaningful business insights. This opportunity bridged my academic knowledge with practical industry applications."
-Sylvia Honwana, Wits intern

"As the product owner of Libex, I can confidently say that our involvement in the Afretec program has been one of the most transformative partnerships we've experienced. The initiative not only bridged the gap between academia and industry but also gave us access to a pool of young, brilliant minds eager to innovate and learn. Through the student internship program, we had the opportunity to work with passionate individuals who brought fresh energy, creativity, and critical thinking to our projects particularly within our Blockchain-based solutions and tokenization platform. Their contribution enhanced our operational capacity and helped us refine our technology strategies in ways that continue to create lasting value.

Beyond the technical skills, the Afretec program fostered a culture of collaboration and problem-solving that aligned perfectly with Libex's mission of driving financial inclusion through technology. It has been inspiring to witness how these students grew professionally within a short space of time, adapting to real-world challenges and demonstrating a genuine commitment to impact.

We're deeply grateful to the Afretec team for curating such a forward-thinking program that empowers both companies and students to thrive together. It's a model of partnership that represents the future of African innovation and entrepreneurship.
-Tumi Ngoepe, Product Owner, Libex

University of Nairobi

The University of Nairobi's TechSkills Marketplace Program showcased the transformative impact of student–startup collaboration, with interns driving innovation, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship across Kenya's tech ecosystem. The first cohort demonstrated how student talent can accelerate growth for small businesses while fostering real-world learning experiences.

Impact highlights

• Jasmine Healthcare: Fiona Abigail Wekulo helped accelerate product development and introduce new operational efficiencies at Jasmine Dental and Medical Centre, proving how young professionals can add measurable value in fast-paced service environments.
• Truride Mobility Limited: Hezron Wekesa redesigned and enhanced the Truride App using React-Native and backend integration, significantly improving its performance and user experience.
• Piczangu Limited: Samuel Karanja strengthened the company’s digital presence by redesigning its landing page, boosting user engagement and modernizing its web interface.
• Jumba: Ezra Ashuku stood out for his adaptability and innovative contributions, helping the company enhance client satisfaction through improved project execution and teamwork.
• Bio Afriq Energy: Will Angole Developed an e-commerce platform to connect smallholder farmers with agricultural processors — a project that inspired him to co-found Okralink, a startup tackling food insecurity through tech-enabled market linkages.