Masakhane Hub Issues $430k Call for Proposals to Integrate 50 African Languages into AI
The Masakhane African Languages Hub (the Hub) has launched a major Request for Proposals (RFP) aimed at dismantling the “linguistic wall” currently excluding over one billion Africans from the AI revolution.
The Hub is inviting African researchers, startups, and community organizations to develop high-quality, ethically sourced datasets for 50 African languages. The initiative comes as a response to the stark reality that none of the top 34 languages used globally on the internet are African, leaving the continent’s 2,000+ languages virtually invisible to modern Artificial Intelligence.
Supported by a heavyweight coalition including Google.org, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IDRC, and the UK’s FCDO, the project seeks to ensure that the next generation of AI is built on data that is accurate, inclusive, and culturally grounded.
The RFP is structured around three core areas designed to solve specific bottlenecks in African language technology: Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR): Focused on creating voice data for 18 African languages, with a strict mandate for gender balance and authentic local contexts. Benchmarking “In the Wild”: Funding for studies that pressure-test how existing AI models actually perform in real-world, practical African environments and Culturally Relevant Multimodal Datasets: Supporting the creation of combined image, text, and speech data for 40 languages to power advanced translation and educational tools.
The project is more than a technical exercise; it is a movement to preserve Africa’s linguistic heritage while unlocking economic growth. The ultimate goal is to empower one billion Africans by 2029 with AI tools that speak their mother tongue.
“This call for proposals goes beyond building models; it is a movement toward a more equitable digital future,” said Chenai Chair, Director of the Masakhane African Languages Hub. “It’s an opportunity to center marginalized groups such as women, rural communities, and the elderly, and take forward the wisdom of our elders and embody the spirit of Ubuntu.”
The Hub is specifically looking for African-based non-profits, social enterprises, and research institutions. The process begins with an Expression of Interest (EOI).
The initiative follows a highly successful 2025 pilot that saw nearly 100 applications from 22 countries, signaling a massive appetite for locally-led AI development across the continent.
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