A 24-year-old developer somewhere in Kumasi quits his day job to build a platform connecting rural artisans to global buyers; his friends might laugh. Not until he pitches it at the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) and walks away with a $50,000 seed fund and a new team of mentors.
That’s the power of the MEST Africa Challenge 2025, the pan-African pitch competition that is not only changing lives but also transforming the tech narrative of Africa from bootstrapped dreams to bankable innovations.
This year, it’s back. Bigger. Bolder. And ready to meet the continent’s most promising early-stage tech startups where they are.
What’s the Story This Year?
Applications are now open for the MEST Africa Challenge 2025, a search for Africa’s brightest early-stage software entrepreneurs with scalable tech solutions.
Whether you’re building an agritech app in Arusha, a health platform in Lusaka, or a payment gateway in Accra, the challenge is calling. It’s open to startups from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa, with more countries in focus as MEST expands its ecosystem footprint.
But this isn’t just a competition; it’s a growth journey.
Finalists receive:
- Targeted coaching
- Investor exposure
- Media visibility
- And the big prize: $50,000 in equity funding
All roads lead to the Demo Day in Accra, Ghana, where finalists pitch live to a global stage of investors, tech leaders, and ecosystem builders.
Why This Matters for Africa’s Tech Renaissance
MEST—short for Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology has been shaping Africa’s startup scene since 2008. Its alumni now run companies in e-commerce, fintech, logistics, and AI, many of which started from a pitch just like Kwabena’s.
In a continent brimming with young talent and digital-first solutions, MAC isn’t just a competition. It’s a platform for homegrown innovation to thrive and stay rooted.
Who Should Apply?
You should if:
- You run a tech or tech-enabled business in any of the participating countries.
- Your startup is early stage (not idea stage) with product-market fit or growing traction.
- Your team is coachable, scalable, and ambitious.
Oh, and passion counts.
Africa’s New Capital Is Talent
From Lagos to Dakar and Nairobi to Cape Town, MAC 2025 is stitching a new story: of young founders coding Africa’s next unicorns. Not in Silicon Valley but in their own cities, on their own terms.
Apply HERE before the September 26th, 2025 deadline.
- Top 20 participants announced: 10 October 2025
- Virtual semi-finals: Week of 27 October 2025
- In-person finals in Cape Town, South Africa: Week of 24 November 2025
