In June 2026, Yaoundé stepped into the spotlight as Yango Cameroon, in partnership with Zindi, hosted the Yaoundé Mobility Prediction Hackathon. The one-day event drew over 300 students, developers, and AI enthusiasts from across Cameroon to solve a real-world problem: predicting taxi travel times using machine learning.
Turning Data into Smarter Cities
Participants built predictive models using variables including pickup and drop-off locations, time of day, and weather conditions — all in pursuit of more accurate, data-driven urban mobility solutions for a rapidly growing city.
The results spoke for themselves. Within a single day, participants submitted 861 models, representing over 2,000 cumulative hours of work.
A Growing African AI Ecosystem
The Yaoundé hackathon marks Yango’s first such initiative in Cameroon, adding the country to a roster that already includes Ghana, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, DR Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire. The expansion signals a deliberate continental strategy: investing in African youth through digital skills, AI, and practical innovation.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
For many participants, the competition was secondary. The real value was in working with live datasets, collaborating across communities, and applying classroom theory to a problem that plays out on Yaoundé’s streets every day.
Organizers were clear: local talent will be central to shaping Cameroon’s tech future. Practical learning environments like this one are how that future gets built.
The Winners
Top performers were recognised for exceptional solutions:
1st Place — ZE II Jonathan Patrick & BIYEKOA DJINGUI Irénée
2nd Place — VANA ZOKOM Elie
3rd Place — WANCHI YEN Lucia & NYONG NKWAIN Godwill
For the winners, the experience went beyond a podium finish — it was a proving ground for what Cameroonian developers can do when given the right tools and the right challenge.
Building the Future
The initiative extended beyond competition. Introductory workshops and community outreach efforts ran alongside the hackathon, broadening access and lowering the barrier to entry for first-time participants.
Programs like this reframe what a mobility company can be. Yango is no longer just moving people through cities — it is helping build the ecosystem that will define how those cities grow.
This hackathon was not about predicting travel times. It was about proving that the talent is here, the drive is real, and Cameroon’s tech ecosystem is ready for what comes next.
