History was made at the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) with the launch of its first-ever Hackathon, a milestone that placed healthcare at the center of Africa’s innovation agenda. For the first time, the fair, widely recognized as a leading platform for trade and investment across the continent, opened its doors to young innovators who are determined to reshape the future of healthcare. The result was a powerful display of how Africa’s brightest minds are confronting some of the continent’s most urgent health challenges with solutions that are bold, practical and full of potential.
Six visionary teams took to the stage to present their ideas to a distinguished jury of healthcare and development leaders. Their solutions reflected a diverse range of critical priorities in Africa’s healthcare systems, from maternal health to counterfeit drugs and diabetes management. Each pitch was a reminder that Africa’s youth are not only thinking about the future but actively building it. The jury included Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary for Health Services & Environment in Abuja, Safia Agueni, a healthcare expert, Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director of Export Development at Afreximbank, Brian Deaver, CEO of the African Medical Centre of Excellence and Funmi Adewara, Founder and CEO of Mobihealth. Their presence gave the competition credibility and reinforced the importance of linking innovation with expertise and capital.
Among the standout ideas, Organo Gummion introduced an ecosystem focused on making nutrition and wellness more accessible and sustainable, targeting the foundations of preventive health. Team Safe Access addressed maternal and infant mortality with a digital platform designed to provide timely transport for mothers and babies to clinics, a solution that could save countless lives. Mina took on diabetes, a growing concern across the continent, with a digital tool to help patients manage their condition in an effective and affordable way. Amira Fertility tackled stigma around women’s health by creating a digital fertility tracking and support platform for families. MedTrace Africa presented a response to the dangerous spread of counterfeit drugs, using QR-code technology to verify the authenticity of medicines. Lastly, InfoCare proposed an integrated health data solution capable of linking patient information across systems and even across borders, a step that could transform the continuity and quality of care.
The Hackathon was more than a contest. It was a clear signal that Africa’s future lies in the creativity, drive and resilience of its youth. The energy in the room showed that young innovators are ready to take ownership of Africa’s healthcare challenges, not by waiting for solutions to come from elsewhere but by designing homegrown responses that reflect the realities of their communities. The competition was also a reminder that health is not just a social issue but an economic one, with innovation in healthcare tied directly to productivity, well-being and long-term growth.
This groundbreaking Hackathon formed part of the wider IATF2025, a key event boosting trade and investment across Africa. Taking place in Algiers, Algeria from 4 to 10 September 2025, the fair drew nearly 40,000 visitors from more than 140 countries. As a collaboration between the African Union, the AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank, IATF2025 was designed to give businesses across the continent access to the single African market established by the African Continental Free Trade Area, the largest free trade area in the world by membership.
The event brought together countries, corporates and small and medium enterprises, while a four-day trade and investment forum convened Africa’s leading investors and trade specialists to discuss solutions to existing barriers and celebrate milestones achieved. But IATF2025 was more than a traditional trade fair. Central to the week was a vibrant showcase of Africa’s creative economy and its diaspora, highlighting the cultural and commercial connections that stretch far beyond the continent’s borders. The Africa Automotive Show provided a platform for auto manufacturers, assemblers, Original Equipment Manufacturers and component suppliers to exhibit products and build connections with potential buyers and partners.
Most importantly, IATF2025 placed Africa’s youth at the heart of its agenda. The dedicated Pavilion for African Youth Start-Ups gave the entrepreneurs of tomorrow a chance to showcase pioneering ideas, flagship prototypes and transformative innovations to an audience of investors and potential partners. From healthcare to technology and creative industries, the pavilion reflected the boundless ambition of young Africans and the crucial role they will play in shaping the continent’s economic future.
Diaspora Day added yet another layer, celebrating the deep cultural and commercial ties between Africa and its global diaspora. By highlighting the shared identity and opportunities that link communities across borders, the day underscored that Africa’s economic story cannot be told in isolation but as part of a global network of people and ideas.
The Hackathon at IATF2025 was a defining moment because it connected healthcare innovation directly to the broader goals of trade, investment and development. It showed that the solutions to Africa’s healthcare challenges are already being imagined and built by its youth. It also showed that by giving young innovators a platform, Africa can unlock not only better health outcomes but also stronger economies and more resilient communities. The spirit of the Hackathon captured the essence of IATF2025: a continent in motion, confident in its talent and ready to lead its own future.
