UNDP and GSMA launch partnership to expand African-led AI solutions
UNDP and GSMA will work to improve access to AI infrastructure, connect African innovators with deployment opportunities, and support solutions built around African languages and local needs.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and GSMA have announced a partnership aimed at helping African AI innovators move from developing prototypes to deploying and scaling solutions.
A key focus will be access to computing infrastructure. Through UNDP’s timbuktoo initiative, the organisations plan to support AI pilots with greater access to compute, while connecting innovators with opportunities to test and deploy their solutions in real-world settings.
The partnership will also strengthen connections between universities, AI laboratories, innovation hubs and other organisations working on AI across the continent. The partners said they will support applications based on African languages, local data and use cases that address needs in African communities.
The collaboration builds on existing initiatives from both organisations. GSMA’s ATLAS Umoja AI initiative, launched in July 2026, brings together language data and expertise from across Africa to support AI services that better reflect local contexts. UNDP’s timbuktoo programme works with African innovators and institutions to strengthen technology and innovation ecosystems.
The partnership is intended to provide African AI developers with access to infrastructure, expertise and opportunities to take locally developed applications beyond experimentation and towards wider deployment.
