Five African innovations win ITU’s top global digital awards

Five African countries have emerged among the world’s leading innovators in digital development after their technology projects won top honours at the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 2026 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes, highlighting the continent’s growing role in solving global challenges through technology.

The winning projects from Algeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Benin, alongside an Africa-founded international organisation, were recognised during the WSIS Forum 2026 in Geneva for using digital technologies to improve healthcare, digital inclusion, media literacy and access to information.

The awards attracted nearly 1,600 entries from more than 120 countries, with only 18 projects emerging as category winners.

Africa’s success reflects a shift in the continent’s innovation ecosystem, where technology is increasingly being developed to address local social and economic problems rather than simply adopting solutions created elsewhere.

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Algeria won the Information and Communication Infrastructure category through Algérie Télécom’s “AI for Digital Inclusion” project. The initiative uses artificial intelligence and citizen-generated data to identify digital inclusion gaps and help governments design evidence-based policies that expand access to digital services.

Zimbabwe received global recognition in the Access to Information and Knowledge category through the Internet Society Zimbabwe Chapter. Its project provides digital skills training for persons with disabilities, equipping them with information and communication technology skills needed to participate in the digital economy.

South Africa secured one of the most significant awards in the E-health category through Reach Digital Health’s “MomConnect” platform. The mobile technology initiative supports pregnant women and new mothers with personalised health information and has become a model for using digital tools to improve maternal and child health outcomes at national scale.

Benin was honoured in the Media category for Vérif’All, described as West Africa’s first all-in-one fact-checking application. The platform helps citizens identify and verify false information online, addressing the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation across the region.

An Africa-founded international organisation, iamtheCODE Foundation, also received top recognition in the E-employment category. Its initiative aims to equip one million women and girls with coding, digital and entrepreneurial skills by 2030, expanding opportunities for employment and leadership in the digital economy.

Beyond the winners, the 2026 WSIS Prizes highlighted a broader global shift towards applying artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and data-driven technologies to tackle development challenges in education, healthcare, agriculture, cybersecurity and public services.

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Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General, said the awards demonstrate how technology can create meaningful social impact when focused on people’s needs.

“The WSIS Prizes showcase the best combinations of human ingenuity and life-changing tech innovation on a global stage,” she said while congratulating the winners for advancing people-centred digital development.

This year’s competition received 1,595 submissions, shortlisted 360 projects, named 90 champions, and selected 18 winners after attracting more than 2.2 million public votes. Since the awards began in 2012, the programme has received over 10,000 submissions, making it one of the world’s largest platforms for recognising digital innovations that contribute to sustainable development.

For Africa, the strong showing underscores the continent’s increasing influence in developing practical technology solutions that address pressing development challenges, from healthcare delivery and digital inclusion to combating online misinformation.