Pan-African initiative aims to drive blockchain education and innovation across 16 countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Orange Middle East and Africa, in collaboration with The Hashgraph Association and Dar Blockchain, has announced a strategic partnership to advance blockchain adoption and digital innovation across the region through the Hedera Africa Hackathon.
The initiative, launched on 1 August 2025, will bring together over 10,000 developers, entrepreneurs and digital talents from 16 countries in a hybrid hackathon aimed at building impactful blockchain solutions. With more than US$1 million in prizes on offer, the programme is expected to catalyse innovation and skills development in decentralised technologies across the continent.
Blockchain training at scale
Central to the initiative is a certifying training programme in Hedera technology—deployed across Orange Digital Centers (ODCs) in the Middle East and Africa.
The online course is designed to upskill young professionals and entrepreneurs in Web3 and distributed ledger technologies, providing the technical foundation required to participate in the hackathon.
This effort reflects Orange’s continued commitment to digital inclusion and its long-term vision of empowering the next generation of African tech leaders. The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss non-profit driving adoption of the Hedera network, and Dar Blockchain, a pan-African Web3 hub, will support the technical and strategic components of the training.
Hybrid hackathon across 16 countries
The Hedera Africa Hackathon will be hosted both virtually and through in-person hubs at Orange Digital Centers. Participants will gain access to physical infrastructure, mentoring support, and networking opportunities with ecosystem experts.
Co-organised with the Exponential Science Foundation, the competition is focused on developing real-world applications using the Hedera network—ranging from digital identity to transparent supply chains and secure financial services.
The organisers emphasise the event’s ambition not only to reward innovation but to build a sustainable pipeline of blockchain talent across Africa and the Middle East.
