Meta Bets on Sub-Saharan Africa’s AI Future with New Accelerator

Meta  has announced the launch of its Llama Impact Accelerator program across Sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to accelerate open-source innovation in the region.

The company stated that the program will operate as a series of tailored six-week accelerators hosted in Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa. These programs are designed to provide equity-free funding, technical training, hands-on mentorship, business advisory support, and connections to local policy ecosystems for participating startups.

The initiative’s primary goal is to support startups in creating scalable, socially relevant AI tools, thereby deepening the adoption of open-source AI and catalyzing solutions aligned with key regional development priorities. These priorities include agriculture, healthcare, safety and security, financial inclusion, education, and public service delivery.

Each accelerator will conclude with a Demo Day, where participating teams will present their Llama-powered prototypes to a panel of local and international experts, ecosystem players, and policymakers. Winning teams will receive funding and extended support through a six-month post-program phase, which will focus on product refinement, community building, and market scaling.

“Africa is not just the future – it’s a present full of promise and potential. At Meta, we believe that open-source AI is key to unlocking this potential, by democratizing innovation and creating technology that truly serves the needs of diverse communities. By making our Llama ecosystem openly available and investing in programs that matter to the tech ecosystem, we’re empowering local institutions and the next generation of African AI leaders to build, adapt, and shape the future of AI in ways that are tailored to their unique needs and contexts.”

– Balkissa Idé Siddo, Public Policy Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Meta

Meta is implementing this program in partnership with leading national AI and innovation agencies across Sub-Saharan Africa. These partners include the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (Nigeria), the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs (Senegal), the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (Kenya), and the Department of Public Service and Administration and Centre for Public Service Innovation (South Africa), alongside local incubators and training providers.

Through these collaborations, the initiative will provide technical resources, training, and a platform for developers to contribute to the development of critical digital infrastructure that addresses local challenges and influences emerging AI policies. The launch of the Llama Impact Accelerator program underscores Meta’s commitment to advancing open AI innovation globally and marks a new chapter in its support for inclusive, sustainable tech ecosystems in Africa.