MEST Africa, in partnership with Absa, has launched the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025, a Pan-African pitch competition for early-stage technology startups. The programme offers entrepreneurs access to equity funding, strategic networks, and global visibility, with the winner set to receive $50,000 in equity funding.

The 2025 edition focuses on fintech and related value chains, with solutions spanning payments, alternative lending, fraud detection, agri-tech, insurtech, and super-apps. Eligible startups must be less than three years old, generate at least $5,000 in monthly recurring revenue for six months, and have raised no more than $1 million in cumulative funding.

Applicants must operate in Botswana, Uganda, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, or Ghana, with at least two co-founders. Applications close on 26 September 2025.