Afretec Network Invests $2.3 Million in Research to Advance Africa’s Digital Transformation

When the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec) announced $2.3 million in new research grants, it wasn’t just another academic funding round. It was a signal that Africa’s universities are beginning to play a more intentional role in shaping the continent’s digital future.

Led by Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa), Afretec’s latest funding cycle will support multi-institutional research teams across Africa. The projects span artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, robotics, and cybersecurity, each tied to urgent continental needs in health, environment, energy, and inclusion.

Building Africa’s Own Research Backbone

Afretec was launched in 2022 to connect Africa’s top science and technology universities into a shared research network. The goal is to drive “inclusive digital transformation,” not by importing solutions from Silicon Valley or Europe, but by building them locally.

Members include the University of Lagos (Nigeria), University of Nairobi (Kenya), University of Rwanda, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), The American University in Cairo (Egypt), and Université Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal), among others.

Since its inception, the network has disbursed over $7.4 million in grants, with the current $2.3 million round marking its largest yet.

The Projects Driving the Next Wave of Research

The selected projects are not abstract. They tackle problems Africans face every day, from climate change to digital accessibility.

Some of the funded initiatives include:

• AI-powered voice interfaces to improve financial inclusion for visually impaired users relying on USSD mobile money in Rwanda.

• Smart aquaculture systems using IoT and data analytics to boost catfish farming efficiency in Nigeria.

• Digital biofilter systems for wastewater treatment and monitoring in Morocco and South Africa.

• AI tools to reduce human–wildlife conflicts, led by CMU-Africa and the University of Nairobi.

• Ethical and autonomous vehicle frameworks developed by teams from Cairo and Johannesburg.

• Cross-border digital learning models connecting universities in Rwanda, South Africa, and Eswatini.

• Studies on heatwaves, air pollution, and human health across West and East Africa.

Each project involves multiple institutions collaborating across countries, an intentional design that encourages resource sharing, knowledge transfer, and long-term regional ties.

Shifting from Dependency to Self-Determination

Africa’s tech research ecosystem has often been limited by dependency on foreign universities and funding agencies. Afretec’s model aims to change that by keeping leadership, innovation, and intellectual property within the continent.

As Dr. William Kisaalita, Afretec’s director, put it, the initiative is not just about grants but about “building a community of practice” that anchors innovation in Africa’s context. The collaborative approach also gives African researchers access to peer networks and infrastructure they may not have locally.

Still, there are open questions: how will these projects measure success? Will they scale beyond academic papers into policy, products, or startups? And can a $2.3 million fund meaningfully shift a landscape as vast and uneven as Africa’s digital ecosystem?

Nurturing African Digital Sovereignty

The true value of Afretec’s work lies in the precedent it sets. It’s a rare example of African universities coordinating around shared research agendas, not competing for isolated grants. If sustained, this model could help nurture the next generation of researchers who understand Africa’s unique data, languages, and development constraints, and can innovate from within.

Whether it’s building AI models for local dialects, or designing IoT systems that work offline, the long-term potential of this network goes beyond the labs. It’s about intellectual sovereignty, Africa solving its own problems, with its own data and its own people.