Empowering African start-ups, researchers with Meta's Llama impact grant at UNGA80
- Nhlanhla Muthe
- Sep 27
- 2 min read
By Nhlanhla Muthe
Five trailblazing startups and researchers from across Sub-Saharan Africa have been awarded with Meta’s 2025 Llama Impact Grant at the Unstoppable Africa 2025 event, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York.
As part of their recognition, they will each receive funding, mentorship, and access to global networks to scale AI solutions tackling real-world challenges.
Meta, in collaboration with Data Science Africa, has announced the winners of the Llama Impact Grant, a programme aimed at accelerating AI-driven innovation across Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the investment into the programme that prioritises supporting the continent’s digital future is to ensure that local entrepreneurs and researchers are equipped with funding, tools, and mentorship to solve pressing regional challenges.
Launched in March 2025, the initiative is part of Meta’s global Llama Impact Grants programme and provides each winner with $20 000 in funding, technical mentorship, and access to policy and ecosystem stakeholders. The aim: to scale impactful solutions in healthcare, education, agriculture, and digital accessibility.
Sherry Dzinerova, Director of AMET Public Policy, Programs, Campaigns and Product at Meta, underlined that this year’s submissions reflect the vibrancy of Africa’s AI ecosystem. “These winners embody innovation with purpose, and we are proud to support their journey in building solutions that drive real change for communities,” she stated.
The 2025 winners include Vambo AI (South Africa) who are building multilingual AI infrastructure for over 60 African languages, and PropelMapper (South Africa) who have been boosting farmer productivity with Llama-powered advisory tools. Radease of Nigeria, an innotative startup simplifying access to safe medicines through WhatsApp-based AI and Uganda’s enterprising TeenApp that delivers responsible AI-guided sexual and reproductive health education are the worthy recipients. Easy Read Africa of Rwanda, which is fast becoming a top player in transforming complex documents into accessible formats for people with learning challenges, wraps up the list of star startups recognised at UNGA80.
The grant reflects Meta’s broader push to deepen Africa’s AI and digital innovation ecosystems. Beyond the Llama Impact Grant, Meta has rolled out initiatives like “AI for Africa” research partnerships with universities, the Meta AR/VR Africa Challenge, and training programmes for over 200 000 developers and small businesses across the continent. The company has also invested in connectivity infrastructure, including subsea cables such as 2Africa, which are expanding high-speed internet access across multiple African countries.
Shortly after receiving her funding, Vambo AI Co-founder and CEO Chido Dzinotyiwei stressed that these programmes are more than philanthropy. “By enabling startups and researchers to access cutting-edge AI, Meta is catalysing digital inclusion while also positioning itself as a key enabler of Africa’s next growth frontier,” she said.
“AI innovation in Africa is no longer about catching up—it’s about setting global standards in areas like multilingual models, health inclusion, and climate resilience,” noted Rahman Sanya of Makerere University, one of the grant winners.
With Llama models downloaded over one billion times globally, Meta’s open-source approach is already reshaping how African innovators can localise, adapt, and scale AI solutions—potentially transforming entire sectors for decades to come.
