Open Foundation West Africa

What Open Foundation West Africa does

Open Foundation West Africa (OFWA) is a soft-skills, tech-based non-profit organization and recognized affiliate of Wikimedia and Creative Commons, founded in 2016 and headquartered at SAL Heights, Abelemkpe, in Accra, Ghana. The organization operates as a network of volunteer communities across Africa whose mission is to digitally represent and preserve African culture, bridge the continent's content gap on Wikipedia, and deliver digital-skills capacity building. Its work is organized around four program pillars: GLAM & Content Creation (digitization of galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, plus recurring campaigns including Africa Wiki Challenge, Wiki Loves Africa, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Festivals, Wiki Loves Monuments, and Africa Day Campaign), Open Education (Summer Open School, Kiwix4Schools, and the OFWA Curriculum), Advocacy (policy and Open Movement awareness), and Consultancy (Creative Commons licensing, copyright, research, and Kiwix deployment).

OFWA's core technology platform is the Wikimedia ecosystem — Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons — supplemented by the Kiwix offline browser that powers the Kiwix4Schools initiative, which delivers Wikipedia, TED talks, Wiktionary, and PhET simulations to secondary schools lacking reliable internet. Supporting infrastructure includes Wiki Hubs (regional volunteer-led centers in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Walewale, Ho, Bono East), Wiki Clubs (campus-based organizations at institutions including KNUST, Ashesi University, UHAS, and others), the African Wikimedia Technical Community (a developer/hackathon track engaging contributors with MediaWiki, Toolforge, and Wikifunctions), and a series of recurring training programs (Train the Trainers, Summer Open School). OFWA has produced 158,117+ new articles through Africa Wiki Challenge since 2021, with the 2024 edition alone engaging 1,230 editors across 30+ countries.

The organization's revenue model is non-profit donation-and-grant based: it accepts individual donations in Ghana Cedi denominations (GHS 10–500 or custom) and receives institutional support from the Wikimedia Foundation, African Union (through the Africa Knowledge Initiative and Agenda 2063 Encyclopedia Africana), Goethe-Institut Ghana, Open Knowledge Foundation, Labdoo, Ghana Commission for UNESCO, the US Embassy Ghana, and other partners. Programs and participation are free to end-users — primarily African communities and volunteers, university and secondary students, librarians and educators, and film/cultural-heritage professionals — with no charges for workshops, edit-a-thons, or training.

Name

Open Foundation West Africa

Legal name

Open Foundation West Africa

Website

https://ofwafrica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Open Foundation West Africa is a Ghana-based non-profit affiliate of Wikimedia and Creative Commons that runs volunteer-driven programs to bridge Africa's content gap on Wikipedia and deliver offline educational access. It serves African communities, students, educators, and cultural institutions across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Knowledge Advocacy and Cultural Heritage Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW) (EDAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open Multimedia OER (video, audio, podcasts, animations) (EDAGAJAF), MOOC & Open Course Platforms (EDAFAIAA), Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing (MPAJABAG)

Keywords

• Open knowledge advocacy
• Offline educational access
• Cultural heritage digitization
• Digital capacity building
• Wikipedia content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a non-profit organization, OFWA operates primarily through donations and grants from partners including Wikimedia Foundation, African Union, and other supporting organizations. The organization accepts donations through its website in Ghana Cedis denominations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Open Foundation West Africa is a soft-skills, tech-based non-profit organization that runs community-driven open knowledge programs, including Wikipedia and Wikimedia content campaigns, offline educational access via Kiwix4Schools, capacity-building workshops (Summer Open School, Train the Trainers), and GLAM digitization initiatives. The organization delivers advocacy, consultancy, and training services supporting Africa's digital representation on Wikimedia and Creative Commons platforms.

Product overview

Open Foundation West Africa is a soft-skills tech-based non-profit organization and network of communities operating as a single unified organizational structure rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization delivers its mission through interconnected programs focused on open knowledge and digital representation of Africa. Key offerings include: the Africa Wiki Challenge (annual content creation campaign), Kiwix4Schools (offline educational access), Summer Open School (flagship educational program), and Train the Trainers Workshop (capacity building). Supporting infrastructure includes Wiki Clubs (campus organizations), Wiki Hubs (regional community centers), Wikipedia Education Program (university partnerships), and the African Wikimedia Technical Community (technical engagement). Additional programs cover GLAM & Content Creation, Advocacy, Consultancy Services, and specialized campaigns like Ghana Polls 2024 and Shine Her Light. The organization is a recognized affiliate of Wikimedia and Creative Commons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kiwix4Schools Offline educational access initiative providing Wikipedia, TED talks, Wiktionary, and PhET simulations through Kiwix software installed on school computers, enabling students and teachers without internet access to use digital educational resources. Kiwix4Schools also includes a mentorship program training volunteers across Africa on deploying offline educational access.
• Africa Wiki Challenge Annual online content creation campaign held in honor of Africa Union Day, empowering Africans and diasporans to create and expand Africa-related content on Wikipedia and its sister projects. Has generated 158,117+ new articles across editions from 2021 to 2024.
• Summer Open School Annual flagship educational program bringing together university students and tech enthusiasts to learn about open resources including Wikipedia, Creative Commons, Open Street Maps, and Mozilla projects.
• Train the Trainers Workshop Annual two-day workshop equipping hub and club leaders with knowledge and skills on Wikimedia project training, hub management, and effective delivery of training to community members.
• Ghana Polls 2024 Election-focused civic initiative comprising workshops on combating misinformation and Wikipedia edit-a-thons to document Ghanaian electoral content, delivered in partnership with Ghana Electoral Commission and Code for Africa.
• Shine Her Light Campaign Campaign focused on highlighting African women's stories and accomplishments through writing contests and webinars to bridge the gender gap on Wikipedia, with 4,490 edits, 705,000 words added, and 5,480 references produced by 35 editors.
• Africa Day Campaign Pan-African campaign in partnership with African Union and Wikimedia Foundation to document Africa's stories and increase visibility around Africa's free trade agenda.
• Wiki Loves Events Series of photo contest campaigns including Wiki Loves Africa, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Festivals, and Wiki Loves Monuments to document African culture and heritage on Wikimedia Commons.
• African Wikimedia Technical Community (AWMT) Technical community managing Wikimedia technical projects, hackathons, and tech programs engaging African developers with Wikimedia technical infrastructure including MediaWiki, Toolforge, and Wikifunctions.
• GLAM & Content Creation Program focused on digitizing resources from Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) into reusable formats and conducting content campaign drives to bridge the African content gap on Wikipedia and digital platforms.
• Consultancy Services Expert advisory services in Creative Commons licensing, copyright, research, and Kiwix deployment for individuals and organizations seeking guidance on open licensing and offline content access.
• Open Education Projects aimed at equipping patrons with necessary digital and open knowledge skills including Summer Open School and Kiwix4Schools flagship initiatives, with the OFWA Curriculum providing community members with skills for content campaigns.
• Wikipedia Education Program Partnership program with universities where students contribute assignments relevant to their field of study on Wikipedia, integrating Wikimedia projects into academic curricula.
• Digitization and Digitalisation Programs Programs contributing to digital representation of Africa including Tour Ghana and curriculum digitization initiatives to convert educational materials and Ghanaian cultural assets into digital formats.

Quantifiable outcome

• 158,117+ new articles created across Africa Wiki Challenge initiatives since 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• The Africa NarrativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2024Partner in AfroCreatives WikiProject campaign to enhance information about African film on Wikipedia. Collaborative effort includes workshops and edit-a-thons for Ghana's film industry.
• National Film Authority GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2024Governmental partner for AfroCreatives WikiProject focusing on Ghana's film industry documentation and Wikipedia content enhancement.
• Goethe-Institut GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024Collaborative partner for WikiSkills for Librarians Workshop and UHAS Wiki Club launch. Goethe-Institut Ghana donated routers and supports digital literacy programs for librarians.
• Wikimedia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Primary strategic partner and implementing collaborator. Wikimedia Foundation provides support, funding, and partnership for OFWA's programs including Africa Wiki Challenge, Ghana Polls 2024, and various Wikipedia education initiatives. Joint activities include edit-a-thons, workshops, and community capacity building.
• Creative CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized affiliate of Creative Commons. OFWA advocates for open resources, copyright awareness, and alternative licensing forms including Creative Commons licensing for African content.
• African UnionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner through Africa Knowledge Initiative and aligned with African Union's Agenda 2063 Encyclopedia Africana. The African Union has supported the Africa Wiki Challenge and Africa Day Campaign initiatives.
• FESPACOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan-African film festival partner collaborating on AfroCreatives WikiProject for African film documentation on Wikipedia.
• US Embassy GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for AfroCreatives WikiProject and Ghana film industry Wikipedia workshop initiatives.
• Code for AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert partner for Ghana Polls 2024 misinformation combating workshop. Martins Ayotunde led sessions on fact-checking and countering electoral misinformation.
• KiwixcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner providing offline software enabling Kiwix4Schools initiative. Stephane Coillet-Matillon (Kiwix CEO) participated in mentorship program launch. Kiwix provides the offline open resource web browser.
• Wikimedia Ghana User GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Wikimedia affiliate collaborating on Ghana Polls 2024 edit-a-thon and other community initiatives.
• Internet Society Ghana ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated for Safer Internet Day 2023 workshop at Labone Senior High School, focusing on digital safety and responsible internet use.
• Open Knowledge FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Kiwix4Schools Africa Mentorship Program launch, contributing to open education resources access.
• Ghana Commission for UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey supporter with Secretary-General Ama Serwaa Nerquaye-Tetteh speaking at Africa Wiki Challenge 2024 launch and Kiwix4Schools program events.
• LabdoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Kiwix4Schools Africa Mentorship Program providing educational technology support.
• Youth Climate Council GhanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for WikiForHumanRights workshop and Climate Change Edit-A-Thon to build capacity of climate activists on Wikipedia.
• ARA Children PlaygroundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Book Exchange Booth launch at Achimota Mall, promoting literacy and book sharing/reuse.
• EPP BookservicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBook donation partner for Book Exchange Booth initiative.
• A Rocha GhanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing book donations for Book Exchange Booth and collaboration on climate/environmental awareness content.
• African Science AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Wikipedia For Schools Programme with Kiwix installation and Wikipedia editing training for female STEM students.
• African Knowledge InitiativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for Africa Day Campaign with African Union and Wikimedia Foundation collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Open Knowledge Foundation: Global open-data and open-knowledge non-profit that supported OFWA's Kiwix4Schools Africa Mentorship Program. Both promote open content, open data, and capacity building in the Global South.
• Code for Africa: Pan-African civic-tech non-profit that partnered with OFWA on Ghana Polls 2024 misinformation work. Both run data journalism, fact-checking, and digital literacy programs across African countries.
• Kiwix: Provider of the offline web reader used in OFWA's Kiwix4Schools program and an active technology partner. Both focus on enabling access to Wikipedia and educational content in low-connectivity environments.
• Wikimedia Ghana User Group: Local Wikimedia affiliate collaborating with OFWA on Ghana Polls 2024 and community events. Operates the same edit-a-thon, training, and content-creation model in Ghana, often co-located with OFWA activities.

Broad incumbents

• Internet Archive: Non-profit digital library archiving web and multimedia content. Mission overlap with OFWA's GLAM and digital preservation of African cultural heritage, though Internet Archive operates at global scale.
• Creative Commons: Global open-licensing non-profit of which OFWA is also a recognized affiliate. Both organizations advocate for open knowledge, alternative licensing, and copyright reform in underserved regions.
• Wikimedia Foundation: The global non-profit that runs Wikipedia and the Wikimedia ecosystem; OFWA is a recognized Wikimedia affiliate. Highly comparable as the parent open-knowledge platform and primary funder, though WMF operates globally while OFWA focuses on Africa.
• Mozilla Foundation: Global non-profit behind Firefox and open-web advocacy, referenced in OFWA's Summer Open School curriculum. Both promote open internet principles, digital skills, and contributor communities.
• Internet Society: Global non-profit promoting open internet development; OFWA partnered with its Ghana Chapter for Safer Internet Day 2023. Both work on digital inclusion, internet literacy, and access across Africa.

Regional players

• Wikimedia Community User Group Nigeria: Country-level Wikimedia affiliate in Nigeria participating in Africa Wiki Challenge and similar content campaigns. Comparable as a regional open-knowledge community coordinating contributors across West Africa.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OFWAFRICA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmoG8dQ8KsbWb7_kanElMfQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ofwafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ofwafrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/ofwafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open Foundation West Africa