Nine organisations from Africa have been selected for the fourth cohort of the Amazon web services (AWS) social entrepreneur accelerator, making the continent the largest represented in the global programme.
Amazon.com Inc. announced the selection on June 23, saying the African organisations are among 42 social enterprises chosen from 16 countries for the 2026 accelerator.
The selected organisations are from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon and Tanzania, while other participants come from countries including the United States, Australia, India and the United Kingdom.
Delivered in collaboration with Deloitte, the AWS social entrepreneur accelerator provides technical training, strategic business planning, and ongoing support from AWS and Deloitte to help mission-driven organisations scale their impact.
Since its launch in 2023, the programme has supported more than 100 social entrepreneurs across 34 countries, helping innovators address global challenges in education, healthcare and climate resilience.
Speaking on Africa’s strong representation, Jyoti Ball, general manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at AWS, said the selected organisations reflect the growing innovation ecosystem across the continent.
“Africa’s representation in this cohort reflects what we’re seeing across the continent, a generation of founders who don’t wait for conditions to be perfect. They build anyway,” Ball said.
“Our role is to ensure they have access to the same world-class cloud and AI technology as any startup in Silicon Valley and the support to scale impact across borders.”
According to AWS, the selected organisations are using cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle challenges such as youth unemployment, education gaps, digital inclusion and food security.
Nigeria recorded the highest number of selections with three organisations — Sabi Scholar, Kayode Alabi Leadership and Wetech Inc.
Sabi Scholar is building a digital platform that enables African universities to launch online degree programmes within 30 days.
Kayode Alabi Leadership focuses on empowering underserved young people through leadership development, education and technology-driven solutions.
Wetech Inc. is expanding opportunities for women in technology through digital skills training, mentorship and employment pathways.
Kenya secured two places through KuzeKuze and STEM Centre Africa.
KuzeKuze develops digital “education passports” that enable learners to maintain lifelong academic records, while STEM Centre Africa promotes coding, robotics and digital skills training for young people.
The remaining organisations are BASICS International from Ghana, FunHouse Digital from South Africa, EduCloud from Cameroon and Fiqra Academy from Tanzania.
According to AWS, the organisations will receive technical expertise, cloud and AI resources, and business advisory support throughout the programme to help expand their solutions and reach more communities.
At the end of the accelerator, participants are expected to be better positioned to scale their innovations using AWS cloud technology and Deloitte’s consulting expertise.
