The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa) (https://Meltwater.org), in partnership with Absa, has announced the top 10 finalists for the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025 — the Pan-African pitch competition spotlighting and investing in early-stage startups shaping the future of technology across the continent.
After two days of intensive Semi-final pitches on October 28 and 29, ten standout ventures emerged from a highly competitive pool of innovators across eight African markets — each demonstrating exceptional potential to scale and redefine how Africa transacts, invests, and builds digital financial trust.
The top 10 finalists include; mystocks.africa (Botswana), Credify Africa Inc (Uganda), Logistify AI (Kenya), Kutana Technologies Ltd (Ghana), Investa Farm (Kenya), Black Swan (Mauritius), Mighty Finance Solution Inc (Zambia), Devdraft AI (Zambia), Kanzu Finance Ltd (Uganda), and Farmsky (Kenya).
“Each year, the Challenge grows not only in reach but in the depth of innovation it attracts,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor and MAC Lead at MEST Africa. “We’re seeing founders build financial systems that are inclusive, intelligent, and unmistakably African. The Top 10 exemplify the kind of purposeful innovation driving Africa’s next wave of growth.”
Now in its seventh edition, the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025 spotlights FinTech ventures and startups with embedded FinTech rails that are driving inclusion and digital transformation across eight of Absa’s nine priority markets — Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zambia.
“Our ambition is to reimagine financial services through technology, and the innovations presented by these FinTechs showcase what’s possible,” said Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation for Technology at Absa Regional Operations (ARO). “Many of the solutions are directly relevant to our business, with the potential to enhance customer experience, drive efficiency, and accelerate transformation. We’re excited about the opportunity to turn some of these ideas into meaningful partnerships that deliver value at scale.”
The Top 10 finalists will advance to the Grand Finale in Cape Town on November 26, 2025, where one winning startup will receive USD $50,000 in equity investment, access to MEST Africa’s global network of mentors, partners and investors, and the opportunity to collaborate with Absa.
“What stands out in the Top 10 is how digital innovation is being applied to real market challenges,” says Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital – ARO RBB. “From AI-driven insights to seamless payments, these solutions demonstrate how technology can unlock access, efficiency, and financial inclusion. Digital solutions are no longer a luxury – they have become an imperative for the financial sector.”
Since 2008, MEST Africa has trained and supported over 2,000 entrepreneurs and invested in over 90 startups. The MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) is its flagship pan-African pitch competition designed to identify and support high-potential technology ventures.
