Johannesburg, South Africa | Six Ugandan startups have made it to the top 20 finalists in the 2025 MEST Africa Challenge, a pan-African competition organized by Absa in partnership with the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa).
The top 20 will now be further shortlisted to 10, who will compete in the Grand Finale this November. The winning startup will receive a $50,000 seed equity investment and the chance to collaborate with Absa on real-world innovation challenges.
“Through this challenge, we’re seeing solutions that are both innovative and strategically aligned with Africa’s evolving technology landscape,” said Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation for Absa Regional Operations. “Some of these ideas have the potential to accelerate digital transformation and create new value for our customers.”
This year’s competition spanned eight of Absa’s nine Regional Operations markets: Botswana, Uganda, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, and Ghana, with each country represented among the top 20 finalists.
“Our partnership with MEST Africa reflects Absa’s commitment to empowering the next generation of innovators and building accessible financial solutions,” said Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations. “The quality of submissions highlights the depth of innovation and entrepreneurial drive across Africa.”
The shortlisted startups address a variety of sectors, including digital financial inclusion, AI, data and fraud prevention, digital payments, alternative lending, and InsureTech. “These founders are reimagining finance for Africans, pairing technology with empathy to solve real problems within their communities,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa.
By supporting these ventures, Absa is investing in Africa’s small and medium enterprises, the backbone of the continent’s economy. “Africa’s startup community is stepping forward with leadership and global potential,” added Dutuma.
The Ugandan finalists include:
- Paytota – Unified payment gateway simplifying Africa’s fragmented digital payments ecosystem.
- Xzerra – Biometric payment system enabling cashless, fingerprint-based transactions in schools.
- Kanzu Finance Limited – Digital banking solution for SACCOs, VSLA groups, and microfinance institutions.
- Axiom Zorn – Data innovation company providing smallholder farmers access to finance and markets.
- Credify Africa, Inc – Trade finance and logistics platform bridging Africa’s SME finance gap.
- eMaisha Pay – Digital payments platform for agro-traders and small businesses promoting financial inclusion.
The finalists from other African countries include innovative ventures across fintech, agri-tech, and digital services, highlighting the continent’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.