Deadline: 26th September 2025
Welcome to the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC), a leading Pan-African pitch competition for early-stage tech startups. MAC provides a platform to secure funding, build networks, and gain global visibility, empowering entrepreneurs across Africa to accelerate their growth.
The MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) is a leading Pan-African pitch competition designed for early-stage technology startups ready to scale. The MEST Africa Challenge 2025 is led by MEST Africa and powered by Absa. MAC offers a powerful platform to access equity funding, build strategic networks, and gain global visibility.
Benefits
- Win $50,000 – Stand the chance of winning $50,000 in equity
- Pilot Solution with Absa Business Units – Commercial pilot pathway with Absa business units for qualified solutions
- Get Backed by MEST – A chance to join the MEST Portfolio
- Partner Prizes – Win prizes and perks from sponsoring partners
Eligibility
- Must be an early-stage technology startup
- Must be a fintech, insuretech or operating in similar value chains
- Must offer at least one of the following solutions – Digital payments, Financial inclusion, Insurance innovation and or value chain financing
- Must be operating in at least one of the following key markets:Â Botswana, Uganda, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia and Ghana.
- Monthly Recurring Revenue: A minimum of $5k
- Funding raised: Cumulative $1M or less
- Years in existence: 3 years and below
- Traction: At least 6 months of recurring revenue
- Founding team: At least 2 founding team members
- Registered in Delaware (This is preferred)
Thematic Areas
- Smart Credit & Alt-Lending
- Fraud & Trust Tech
- Personalised Money OS
- Offline-Friendly Rails
- Next-Gen Payments & Wallets
- Investment Gateways
- Agri-Tech Engines
- Financial Literacy Re-imagined
- Omnichannel CX & Super-Apps
- Trade & Cross-Border Boosters
- Product-Landing Platforms
- Value-Add Service Layers
- Integration Orchestrators
- Micro & On-Demand Insurtech
For more information and application.