Africa Made History at IOAI 2026 – AOAI Receives The Bulgarian Award
From 2 – 8 August 2026, the 3rd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) lit up Astana, Kazakhstan – and Africa arrived with its largest presence ever on the IOAI stage. 28 African countries. One continent. One mission.
Africa received The Bulgarian Award – Outstanding Contribution to IOAI, presented by the LERAI Foundation. The award recognizes leadership and dedication that has shaped the growth, image, and global influence of the IOAI – celebrating those who make AI education more inclusive, accessible, and equitable, so talent can flourish regardless of background.
The countries that made history
- Algeria
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Chad
- Comoros
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Morocco
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Zimbabwe
This moment belongs to everyone who made it possible
Our deepest thanks to the AOAI Board – Grace Kaimburi, Hatem Slimane and Mahuna Akplogan, Ph.D – and the African Scientific Committee – Irakoze Ntawigenga Kelly, Auriol Ble and Jean Marie John – for their extraordinary leadership and coordination. To every team leader who guided their students all the way to Astana, and to every one of our accredited countries: this award is yours.
Africa on the podium
African students earned medals and honours across the individual contest:
Kabel Cisse – Mali
Emmanuel Christiano – Benin
Alongside these medals, students from Rwanda, Cameroon, Burundi, South Africa, Tunisia, Madagascar and more earned Honourable Mentions – a testament to the depth of talent rising across the continent. View the full IOAI 2026 standings →
Moments from IOAI 2026
Our ambition doesn’t stop here
Our goal is 54 African countries on the IOAI map. If your country isn’t on the map yet, reach out – there’s a seat at the table with your flag on it.