Programmes and highlights
The Airtel Africa Foundation fellowship
The Airtel Africa fellowship, which creates a pipeline of tech talent by providing full STEM scholarships to meritorious young Africans from low-income backgrounds, has now expanded beyond its initial cohort of ten students at IIT Madras in Zanzibar. The Airtel Africa tech fellowship strategy is anchored in the Foundation’s FEED agenda (financial inclusion, education, environmental sustainability and digital inclusion), advancing its commitment to empowering Africans. The fellowship utilises targeted investment in youth capabilities, expanded access to education and strengthened pathways to meaningful employment to cultivate a new generation of tech leaders.
As of 31 March 2026, the Foundation has funded 257 scholarships across Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, the DRC and Uganda.
Financial inclusion and economic empowerment
Financial inclusion is a cornerstone of economic empowerment. Across Africa, millions of people, particularly women and those in rural communities, remain excluded from formal financial systems. Without access to savings, credit or digital money services, they cannot fully participate in the economy or build resilience against shocks.
The Foundation's Financial inclusion programmes focuses on foundational literacy and early enterprise support, particularly for women and youth. The goal is to empower one million Africans through financial literacy programmes.
School adoption programme
The School adoption programme focuses on transforming learning environments through infrastructure development and systems strengthening. With a budget of approximately $3m in 2025/26, the Foundation approved renovation of more than 50 schools, and is set to support more schools in the next financial year.
As of 31 March 2026, the Foundation has completed renovations of two schools in Niger, with five almost completed in Zambia. In addition, it has broken ground on five schools in the DRC, ten each in Nigeria, Malawi and Uganda as well as two schools each in Chad, Tanzania, Gabon and Seychelles. Additional school renovation initiatives are planned for Kenya, the Republic of the Congo, and Madagascar in 2026/27.
Digital inclusion with a focus on women and youth
The Foundation’s digital inclusion programme is designed to expand access to digital skills, tools and opportunities for Africa’s youth, with a strong focus on women and underserved communities. Through support for digital learning hubs and fully sponsored professional technology training, the programme equips young people with in-demand skills, promotes digital and financial literacy and enables participation in the growing digital economy to support inclusive and sustainable economic transformation.
Transforming lives in action
The Airtel Africa Foundation fellowship programme in Uganda
In 2025/26, in Uganda, after a rigorous selection process that attracted over 300 applications, 20 high-achieving students were awarded fully funded, four-year scholarships, representing a total investment of more than 3.85bn Ugandan shillings (equiv. $1m). The comprehensive package covers tuition, accommodation and stipend. It provides each student with a laptop, data packages and access to a formal mentorship programme with industry leaders.
This holistic support removes financial barriers and provides the guidance needed for academic and career success. The 20 fellows, all from disadvantaged backgrounds, are now pursuing degrees in essential technology fields. Beyond individual transformation, the programme is directly addressing Uganda's tech skills gap by creating a pipeline of highly skilled professionals who will contribute to the nation's digital economy.