The Africa Quantum Consortium (AQC) today announced the launch of Hack the Horizon: the Pan-African Quantum Challenge, a landmark initiative designed to assemble and activate the continent’s sovereign quantum ecosystem.

Registration for this continent-wide challenge, which unites Africa’s top innovators with the global diaspora, opened on 19 November.

Hack the Horizon is more than just a competition; it is the strategic assembly of Africa’s quantum future. It will unite leading university researchers, top software developers and visionary industry leaders with next-generation problem-solvers to co-build solutions for the continent and the world.

“We are excited to bring this hackathon to all corners of Africa and the diaspora. It is more than a hackathon – it is a challenge to begin working together as a continent, not as fragmented countries. It is a stepping stone in the quest for Africans to work together to take their place in the quantum industry and to use the incredible power of quantum and AI to solve the unique challenges facing Africa,” says Temitope Adeniyi, programme lead at AQC.

Participants will experience collaboration, mentoring and the opportunity to compete for recognition and prizes at the closing ceremony of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025) in Ghana in February next year.

Professor of Quantum Computing at Alexandria University Ahmed Younes says, “Across our continent, the seeds of a quantum revolution are being sown. By bringing our brightest minds together at events like Hack the Horizon, the Africa Quantum Consortium is cultivating a forest of innovation that will shape Africa’s tomorrow.”

The quantum technology industry is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, with technological advancements announced almost weekly by enterprise-level companies as well as start-ups and scale-ups from around the globe. Quantum advantage – when quantum computers can solve problems better and faster than classical computers – is not here yet, but industry analysts, as well as many quantum companies, predict it could be here by 2030.

Government and venture capital funding have both accelerated in 2025, with more than $13-billion added so far this year, bringing total investments worldwide to over $40-billion. While China, the EU and the US are the primary investors in the industry, the Global South, including Africa, has not been part of these growing levels of investment.

As part of this year’s IYQ, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization wishes to bring more attention and more funding to the Global South.

The Pan-African Quantum Challenge opens a strategic partnership opportunity for visionary companies and organisations to co-build the continent’s sovereign quantum ecosystem. This initiative is a powerful response to the global quantum imperative and offers an opportunity to partner directly with Africa’s agile innovators and quantum leaders on their own turf.

To this end, the AQC is structuring partnerships focused on mutual growth, ranging from co-investment in the ecosystem to providing technical expertise and co-developing industry-focused challenges.

AQC executive director Farai Mazhandu explains, “This is an invitation to move beyond conversation and into co-creation. It is more than a hackathon; it is a living laboratory for innovation. Partners are not just meeting talent, they are forging a strategic alliance with Africa’s top innovators. This is a first-mover opportunity to co-develop and deploy quantum solutions directly within the continent’s most dynamic markets for global impact.”

Says Jannes Stubbemann, CEO of Aqora, the global platform hosting Hack the Horizon, “We believe the future of quantum computing is open, distributed and built by many. Hack the Horizon puts that vision into practice, connecting talent across Africa to tackle region-specific challenges and build independent, durable capability.”

Benefits to sponsors include access to quantum professionals in Africa, as well as its large and growing pool of young talent. A shortage of quantum-ready workers is a concern to many, if not all, companies in the quantum tech industry.

The AQC is seeking financial support through small sponsorships, as well as in-kind assistance from companies, such as mentorship and use cases for the participants’ challenges.

• Register and explore partnership opportunities here

About the Africa Quantum Consortium

The Africa Quantum Consortium is the central hub for Africa’s sovereign quantum future. It unites the continent’s key innovators, institutions and policymakers to build a self-sufficient commercial ecosystem. As a gateway to the global community, it rejects a zero-sum ”quantum race” by forging equitable partnerships on its own terms. Its entire mission embodies its principle: Forging local strength, driving global impact.