PROGRAMUpdated 2 months ago

MEST Africa Challenge 7th Edition (FinTech focus)

Annual Pan-African pitch competition by MEST Africa & Absa. Grand prize USD 50,000 in equity funding for the winning startup. Focused on FinTech, InsurTech, and SaaS.

English, French, Portuguese or Arabic, machine translated, with the original kept beside it.
Key Information
Organisation
MEST Africa & Absa Group
Location
Pan-Africa
Status
Awarded
Program Type
Competition
Amount
USD 50,000
Size
small
Cohort
2025 (7th Edition)
Language
English
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About this Program

The MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) is a flagship Pan-African pitch competition by Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST). The 7th edition (2025) focused on FinTech, InsurTech, and SaaS, in partnership with Absa Group. Winning startup receives USD 50,000 in equity funding, entry into the MEST Portfolio (mentorship + business development + investor connections), and pilot opportunities with Absa's business units. Thematic focus areas: Smart Credit & Alt-Lending, Fraud & Trust Tech, Next-Gen Payments & Wallets, AgriTech Engines linking agriculture to finance.

Benefits & What You Get

Grand prize USD 50,000 in equity funding, entry into MEST Portfolio with mentorship and investor connections, pilot opportunities with Absa business units, Pan-African network access.

Eligibility

Tech startup with at least 2 co-founders/founding members. Must align with FinTech, InsurTech, or SaaS-related solutions. Ability to pitch fluently in English. Delaware C-Corp or neutral jurisdiction registration preferred but not mandatory.

Equity Terms

Equity-based investment terms