The Africa Digital ID Hackathon returns in 2026! We are back after our successful first edition, which was concluded at the ID4Africa annual general meeting in Addis Ababa in May 2025. This second chapter of Africa Digital ID Hackathon is the result of a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University Africa's Upanzi Network and MicroSave Consulting (MSC).
The pan-African Digital ID hackathon 2026 has a dual focus. It will build local capacity as well as identify and develop locally contextualized digital ID use cases across sectors, such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and public service delivery.
Who can participate?
University students studying in Africa
- Team size: 2–5 members
- Academic level: Undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral students
- Gender inclusion requirement: At least one female participant per team
- Refugee inclusion: Open to refugees and asylum-seekers enrolled at any accredited university in Africa
Stages of the Africa Digital ID Hackathon
The Africa Digital ID Hackathon 2026 follows a comprehensive, four-phase approach designed to maximize learning, innovation, and real-world impact.
Phase 1: Upskilling and ideation
Duration: December 2025–January 2026
Activities:
- Bi-weekly expert webinars that span technology, policy, and use-case design (in English/French)
- Rolling idea submissions through the Devpost platform
- Virtual office hours on Discord for guided support and mentorship
- Country outreach held both virtually and on-site
The top six submissions per region will be shortlisted and advance to Phase 2 for prototype development.
Phase 2: Prototyping and development
Duration: January 2026–March 2026
Activities:
- 24 shortlisted teams will receive dedicated use-case mentors (non-technical) and technical mentors (from MOSIP and technology partners).
- Technical webinars will be led by partner organizations to enhance your capabilities.
- Weekly mentor-led prototyping sessions with regular check-ins (access to the MOSIP Innovation Sandbox will be provided for your intended use case development).
- Mid-cycle presentations and pre-judging reviews will ensure teams are on track and their ideas are technically feasible.
- Regional semi-finals will be hosted at partner institutions across Africa.
- Community support will be available through Discord and WhatsApp platforms.
Phase 3: Regional semi-finals
Duration: March 2026–April 2026
Activities:
- The semi-finals will be conducted at four different locations. Details of this will be announced soon.
- The semi-finals will include live demonstrations of prototypes and presentations.
The top two teams per region will advance to the continental finals at ID4Africa
Phase 4: Continental finals
Venue: ID4Africa 2026 Annual General Meeting at Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Duration: May 12–15, 2026
Grand finale activities:
Special showcase events:
- Day 1: Panel discussions and short presentations by finalist students
- Day 2: Finals competition and judging
- Day 3: Open house and networking—meet the innovators
Timeline of the Africa Digital ID Hackathon 2026
- Application is open!
- Registration and application submission: February 18, 2026
- Webinars: December 2025–January 2026
(Please follow us on social media and join us on Discord to get timely updates on webinar schedules)
- Prototype submission: To be announced soon
- Announcement of semi-finalists: To be announced soon
- Grand finale: May 12-15, 2026
- 2026 ID4Africa, AGM [Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire]
Prizes and recognition
Grand prize winners
- Exciting prizes for winners of the final round
- Internship opportunities with Upanzi Network
- Support from the CMU-Africa Innovation Lab business incubation program
Regional winners
- Goodies and prizes for the winners
- All-expenses-paid trip to ID4Africa 2026 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Certificate of achievement
- Access to mentorship and networking opportunities
Get involved: For partners and sponsors
We welcome partnerships with:
- Government agencies that are planning or implementing national digital ID programs
- Technology companies that provide platforms, infrastructure, or tools on digital ID
- Universities and research institutions that seek to host regional events
- Investors and accelerators that seek to support digital ID innovations
Partnership opportunities:
- Sponsor a thematic track aligned to your organizational priorities
- Provide mentorship and technical expertise
- Sponsor prizes (cloud credits, equipment, funding)
- Host regional semi-finals at your institution
- Support pre-incubation program for top teams
- Deliver expert sessions to the participants
- Provide internships to interested candidates
Partners
To learn more about how you or your company can support or partner with the Upanzi Network for Digital ID Hackathon Africa, please email upanzi@andrew.cmu.edu.
Media coverage of the hackathon
- Upanzi Network digital identity hackathons to continue nurturing African talent
- Biometrics experience, policy and tools must converge to transform lives
- African digital identity hackathon winners present diverse ideas: ID4Africa 2025
- CMU-Africa digital ID hackathon round 2 open; MOSIP blog reveals round 1 winners