XPRIZE, Equity Group Launch Accelerate Learning Prize at G20 Social Summit

At the first G20 Social Summit ever hosted on African soil, XPRIZE Foundation and Equity Group Foundation (EGF) have announced their commitment to collaborate on XPRIZE Accelerate Learning, a competition designed to transform early childhood learning for children across Africa and the Global South.

The prize, valued at 10 million USD, seeks to reward best learning outcomes, for the most students at the lowest cost, practical and scalable innovations that enable young learners to achieve literacy and numeracy within a single year. The long-term ambition is to serve 100 million children over the next decade.

XPRIZE and EGF have signed a Letter of Intent to jointly design and champion the prize, positioning foundational learning at the centre of Africa’s economic future.

Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to be home to 40 percent of the world’s children by 2050. Yet more than 85 percent of ten-year-olds in the region cannot read and understand simple text. This challenge threatens Africa’s ability to compete in a global economy that rewards digital literacy, problem-solving, and scientific competence.

Dr. James Mwangi, Executive Chairman of Equity Group Foundation and Group MD and CEO of Equity Group Holdings, said the partnership signals a decisive shift.

“Africa’s demographic promise will only become a dividend if we prepare our children for a future driven by science, technology, entrepreneurship, and governance. Our partnership with XPRIZE gives us the platform to build this foundation at scale.”

The Accelerate Learning Prize is part of a broader effort to equip African youth with the skills required for twenty-first century industries. EGF’s learning pathways already link early literacy and numeracy to digital and STEM opportunities through partnerships with WorldQuant University, IamtheCODE, and UNDP’s timbuktoo program.

The prize strengthens the starting point, ensuring children gain the cognitive grounding needed for coding, AI literacy, quantitative analysis, and advanced problem solving.

Professor Isaac Macharia, Group Board Chairman of Equity Group Holdings said Africa cannot afford to miss this moment. “Africa is poised to become the world’s most important talent hub. That future depends on strong learning foundations. The Accelerate Learning Prize ensures that every child has a chance to step into the global economy with confidence”.

XPRIZE awards the top learning results for the majority of students at the most economical cost.

“Education fuels human potential,” said Alexander Nicholas, Executive Vice President of Learning + Society, XPRIZE. “If we want Africa’s children to lead in the jobs of the future, we must begin with early learning. This prize calls on the world’s brightest minds to design solutions that can uplift millions, accelerating Africa’s future.”

Announcing the competition at the G20 Social Summit places foundational learning firmly within Africa’s strategic priorities, from digital transformation and innovation ecosystems to enterprise development and global competitiveness. It signals that early learning is no longer a social aspiration but an economic imperative.

Integrated within Equity Group’s Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP), its Private Sector Led Development Initiative (PSLDI), and the Tri- Engine Model (social, economic and sustainability), this initiative embeds foundational learning into the continent’s strategic priorities and supports Africa’s human capital development by

·       Creating the Cognitive Foundations for 21st-Century Competitiveness – Literacy and numeracy underpin all modern work, including coding, cybersecurity, data science, AI training, digital finance, agricultural technology, health innovation, and manufacturing quality control.

·       Strengthening the Talent Pipeline through Equity Group’s Ecosystem – The prize complements EGF’s suite of youth development and skilling programs, including WorldQuant University (expanding Africa’s data science and quantitative talent),⁠IamtheCODE (building coding and STEM competencies for girls and young women) and ⁠UNDP’s timbuktoo (developing Africa’s innovation and startup ecosystem).

·       Positioning Africa as the Next Global Talent Hub – With strengthened foundational skills, Africa’s youth can power the world’s next workforce, drive regional industrialisation, and anchor the continent’s transition to knowledge-intensive sectors.

XPRIZE and EGF will invite African and global innovators, educators, researchers, EdTech builders, and public institutions to participate.

“This is an invitation to help build the workforce of the future,” said Dr. Mwangi. “It begins with the youngest African learners.”

By combining XPRIZE Accelerate Learning with EGF’s educational, digital, and enterprise programs, the partnership creates a systemic pathway that transforms early learning into productive capacity and long-term competitiveness. It ensures that Africa’s children, communities, and economies benefit from a continuous, self-reinforcing cycle of skills, income, and opportunity.

This competition reinforces Africa’s commitment to building a globally competitive talent base. By strengthening early learning, the prize enables the progression from foundational skills to advanced capabilities, supporting Equity Group’s integrated education-to-enterprise pipeline.

“The global economy will be shaped by regions that invest in foundational learning today,” said Professor Isaac Macharia, Group Board Chairman, Equity Group Holdings. “The Accelerate Learning Prize is a critical upstream input into Africa’s economic system. It strengthens the base from which our young people can move into advanced learning, enterprise, and leadership.”

XPRIZE Accelerate Learning is a vehicle of hope for the African continent, an intergenerational investment for the future.