Yango Group has announced the selection of 24 talented participants for its 2026 Yango Fellowship programme. Chosen from over 600 applicants, the fellows hail from Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique, and Ghana, which is a significant expansion from the two countries covered in the previous edition.
- Yango Group has announced the selection of 24 talented participants for its 2026 Yango Fellowship programme.
- Chosen from over 600 applicants, the fellows hail from Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique, and Ghana, which is a...
- Phases of the Yango Fellowship The fellowship is organised into three key phases: problem identification and market analysis, product development, and...
- Yango’s Growing Impact in Zambia In Zambia, Yango has demonstrated a strong commitment to education and youth development.
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Over the next 12 weeks, the fellows will work on science- and technology-driven projects, with a strong emphasis on applied artificial intelligence. They will develop practical solutions such as health literacy tools, energy monitoring systems, traffic optimisation models, and personalised learning platforms in local languages.
The programme culminates in a demo day in Abidjan, where participants will present their work to industry experts and potential partners.
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Phases of the Yango Fellowship
The fellowship is organised into three key phases: problem identification and market analysis, product development, and final presentation. Outstanding projects may receive seed funding to support the creation of minimum viable products (MVPs).
“The Yango Fellowship is part of our long-term investment in local technology ecosystems,” said Adeniyi Adebayo, Chief Business Officer at Yango Group. “By supporting early-stage talent and enabling cross-market collaboration, we aim to contribute to the development of scalable solutions that address real needs across African markets while helping founders build and grow products that can operate beyond a single country.”
This initiative comes at a critical time, as the World Bank estimates Africa faces a shortage of more than 2.5 million STEM professionals. The programme seeks to bridge this gap by offering hands-on experience, mentorship, and project-based learning to strengthen pathways into technology careers.
Yango’s Growing Impact in Zambia
In Zambia, Yango has demonstrated a strong commitment to education and youth development. Its STEM Fellowship has supported 30 university students through funding, mentorship, and paid internships. Fellows have also contributed to community projects, including painting classrooms for 300 underprivileged children at St Charity School. Additional efforts include sponsoring the EGYD Career Fair for 450 students and a football tournament for 72 teenagers in Kalingalinga.
On road safety, Yango partnered with the Zambia Road Safety Trust to install speed humps and zebra crossings at five government schools and to train over 8,000 children. The company also rolled out a Driver Safety and Conduct Training Programme for more than 50 drivers. These efforts complement earlier innovation initiatives, such as the 2023 and 2024 urban mobility hackathons organised with Zindi, which engaged over 200 participants in solving transport and data challenges using AI and predictive modelling.
Yango’s Proven Track Record
Previous Yango Fellowship cohorts have produced impactful solutions in health, education, and engineering. Many alumni have secured internships with partner organisations, received funding for community projects, and gone on to launch startups, digital products, and nongovernmental initiatives, extending the programme’s positive influence well beyond the 12-week period.
The 2026 cohort continues Yango’s mission of nurturing homegrown talent and fostering innovation that can scale across Africa.