Twenty startups from across the continent have advanced to the semi-final stage of the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025, an initiative by MEST Africa in partnership with Absa.
The competition recognises some of the continent’s most innovative startups in financial technology and other high-impact solutions that address Africa’s financial sector.
Now in its seventh edition, the challenge centres on the theme, “You Build, We Scale,” and seeks to empower founders ensuring access to finance across Absa’s eight key markets which include Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zambia.
The selected startups are developing solutions that cut across payments, credit access, cross-border trade, agri-fintech, and financial literacy, all aimed at rethinking how money moves and works for Africans.
Ashwin Ravichandran, portfolio advisor at MEST Africa and MAC Lead, described the semi-finalists as visionary entrepreneurs whose ideas merge technology with community-focused problem-solving.
“Each of these founders represents a unique path toward reimagining how finance works for Africans,” he said. “Their ideas pair technology with empathy, proving that lasting change comes from solving real problems within their own communities. We’re proud to provide a platform that connects them with investors, mentors, and global opportunities.”
Absa’s collaboration with MEST emphasises its focus on driving digital inclusion and innovation across Africa’s financial ecosystem.
Speaking on the announcement, Tawanda Chatikobo, head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations (ARO), Retail and Business Banking, said: “Congratulations to the top 20 finalists and to all applicants. The quality of submissions has been exceptional, showcasing the depth of innovation and entrepreneurial drive across Africa. These startups are not only solving real challenges; they’re building the foundation for inclusive growth and lasting impact.
“Our partnership with MEST and our active participation in the MEST Africa Challenge 2025 reflect our commitment to open collaboration within the FinTech ecosystem. At Absa, we see ourselves as partners in this journey, guided by a purpose to make banking simpler, more accessible, and more relevant for our customers.”
The 20 startups, selected from hundreds of applications, include:
Botswana:
- mystock.africa – A retail investing platform offering Africans access to stocks, ETFs, and alternative assets.
Ghana:
- Brydge – Simplifying cross-border trade for African businesses.
- Kutana Technologies Limited – Enabling B2B payments and trade using stablecoins and AI-powered credit scoring.
Kenya:
- Logistify AI – Optimising procurement and supply chains for SMEs and cooperatives.
- Farmsky Ventures – Providing digital lending and crop insurance for smallholder farmers.
- Investa Farm – Offering voucher-backed loans for climate-resilient farm inputs.
Mauritius:
- Black Swan – Building credit scores for Africa’s unbanked using AI and alternative data.
Mozambique:
- Simulador Bancário – A platform for financial planning and loan simulations.
Uganda:
- Paytota – Simplifying fragmented digital payments through a unified payment gateway.
- Xzerra – Facilitating cashless transactions with biometric fingerprint technology.
- Kanzu Finance Limited – Providing digital banking solutions for cooperatives and microfinance institutions.
- Axiom Zorn – Enabling smallholder farmers’ access to finance and markets through data innovation.
- Credify Africa, Inc. – Bridging Africa’s SME finance gap with trade finance and logistics solutions.
- eMaisha Pay – Promoting financial inclusion for agro-traders and small businesses.
Zambia:
- Ebusaka Green Technology Limited – Turning waste to value through digitised recycling incentives.
- KreativBox Technology – Offering salary-backed loans to civil servants.
- Mighty Finance Solution Inc – Providing embedded digital loans for SMEs and women entrepreneurs.
- Devdraft AI – Supporting freelancers with cross-border payments using stablecoin wallets.
- Homer Price Agency Solutions Limited – Operating a digital banking network of over 550 agents nationwide.
Seychelles:
- Fusepay – A licensed Payment Service Provider building a digital finance hub for frontier markets.
The semi-finalists will present their pitches virtually in the week of October 27, 2025. Only 10 startups will proceed to the final round in Cape Town, South Africa, scheduled for 26 November 2025.
The overall winner will secure a $50,000 equity investment, gain access to MEST Africa’s global mentorship network, and explore pilot opportunities with Absa’s business divisions.
Tamu Dutuma, head of Strategy and Transformation for ARO Technology, said the competition unearths ideas capable of accelerating digital transformation across the continent.
“Through this challenge, we’re seeing solutions that are not only innovative but strategically aligned with Africa’s evolving technology landscape. Some of these ideas have the potential to accelerate digital transformation and unlock new value for our customers,” she said.
Since its founding in 2008, MEST Africa has supported more than 2,000 entrepreneurs and invested in over 90 startups. The MEST Africa Challenge is a key platform for identifying, nurturing, and scaling promising technology-driven ventures that are building Africa’s economy sustainably.
