Wits University Reveals Winners of Pioneering AI & African Music Project
Five artist–engineer teams selected to shape the future of African music innovation through AI.
Wits University has announced the five winning teams selected for its groundbreaking AI & African Music Project, run through the Wits Innovation Centre and the MIND Institute.
The six‑month programme supports African creators experimenting with AI-powered music creation, preservation, and genre innovation.
More than 150 artists from over 20 countries applied, with 50 proposals undergoing a rigorous multi-stage review.
The final teams—spanning South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, DRC, Ethiopia, and more—were chosen for creativity, cultural grounding, and technical feasibility. Each artist is paired with an AI engineer to co-develop original tools ranging from digital twins and AI instruments to children’s storytelling platforms and archival systems. Winners were selected for how well their proposals align with the Project’s categories, regional representation, creativity and feasibility.
Meet the project teams
Each winner has been paired with an AI engineer to collaboratively develop a culturally grounded, technically robust project that advances African music innovation. Together, these artist-engineer teams bring complementary expertise in creativity, technology, community engagement, and African sonic heritage.
Umlilo (South Africa) — multidisciplinary artist and creative director at Future Kwaai Records — working with Gideon Gyimah (Ghana), an AI engineer specialising in financial‑sector voice‑AI and multilingual African speech‑technology systems. Project: Zazi, a “musical digital twin” enabling real‑time voice, rhythm, and storytelling interaction
Joshua Kroon (Cameroon) — multidisciplinary artist and cultural documentarian — partnered with Emmanuel Apetsi (Ghana), an AI/ML engineer leading open‑source AI infrastructure and multilingual LLM development across Africa. Project: The Bɛ̀bɛ̀i Engine, a performative AI instrument co‑created with the Baka community to preserve endangered polyphonic traditions
Ehinome Ogbeide (Nigeria) — music strategist and digital innovator — teamed with Muhigiri Ashuza Albin (DRC), a creative technologist building culturally grounded AI systems informed by deep community‑based design. Project: Bina.ai, an AI‑driven children’s music and storytelling platform grounded in African genres and early‑learning principles
Linda Nyabundi (Kenya) — DJ, producer, and cultural curator — working alongside Gebregziabihier Nigusie (Ethiopia), an AI researcher advancing machine learning for health, language, and cultural‑preservation challenges in low‑resource contexts. Project: Heritage in Code, a digital archive and AI fusion tool preserving African instrumental heritage while enabling contributor royalties
Tora Nyamosi (Kenya) — AI‑driven music producer and cultural researcher — paired with Lawrence Moruye (Kenya), a machine‑intelligence engineer specialising in speech, language, and multimodal AI systems for African‑centred applications. Project: TIMah AI, a secure web‑based archive documenting Kikuyu traditional music with transcript workflows and community‑centred consent governance
All teams will debut prototypes at a public showcase on 16 April 2026 at Wits University’s Chris Seabrooke Music Hall.
The project, supported by Wits alumnus Charles Goldstuck and partners including Billboard US and Billboard Africa, reflects Wits’ commitment to advancing AI research, innovation, and ethical, community-led design across the continent.
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