Namibia’s Amperra Charging Company has been selected among 10 startups for the fourth edition of Qualcomm’s Make in Africa Mentorship Programme, placing the country at the forefront of Africa’s emerging electric mobility sector.
The company’s AI-driven, grid-adaptive smart EV charging platform is designed to support scalable electric mobility across the continent, aligning with broader goals around energy efficiency and industrial development.
Speaking at the announcement in Johannesburg, Wassim Chourbaji, President for the Middle East and Africa and Senior Vice President for Government Affairs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Qualcomm, said the selected startups reflect the strength of Africa’s growing innovation ecosystem.
“Four years into Qualcomm Make in Africa, what stands out is not only the growing number of applications we receive, but the increasing sophistication of the solutions being built. These startups are pushing the boundaries of what technologies such as edge AI and 5G can enable, and how they can be deployed at scale across the continent,” he said.
The programme provides participating startups with resources including product design guidance on Arduino AI platforms, business coaching, engineering support and intellectual property training through L2Pro Africa.
Fabio Violante, Vice President and General Manager of Arduino at Qualcomm Technologies Inc., highlighted the industrial relevance of the tools provided.
“Arduino UNO Q and the upcoming Arduino VENTUNO Q give the 2026 Qualcomm Make in Africa cohort a fast track from idea to intelligent machine. By bringing perception, decision-making and actuation onto a single, affordable board, founders can prototype and deploy edge AI solutions directly where challenges exist in farms, clinics, factories and cities,” he said.
The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) has returned as a partner for the fourth consecutive year, reinforcing the programme’s regional policy impact.
ATU Secretary General John Omo said the initiative continues to empower African innovators.
“Qualcomm Make in Africa embodies the principle of putting cutting-edge technology directly in the hands of African innovators to solve African challenges. Having seen firsthand the quality of startups this programme produces, returning as a partner in 2026 was not a question of if, but of how we could deepen our contribution,” he said.
The initiative attracted more than 1,200 applications from 45 African countries, with selected startups spanning sectors including agriculture, assistive technology, smart infrastructure, electric mobility and education.
Each participant will receive a US$5,000 stipend upon successful completion of the programme, along with opportunities for patent filing support and access to Qualcomm’s Social Impact Fund.
