Kenyan Innovators To Compete At The Continental Hackathon

Four young Kenyan women, the brains behind the AI-powered fintech platform ‘Jasho-Powering Your Hustle’, are set to represent Kenya at the upcoming continental finals of the prestigious Absa Bank Kenya-GirlCode Women-in-Tech Hackathon. Their solution clinched the top spot in the national round, earning them a coveted opportunity to compete against the best from across Africa.

Team Avytria, comprising women aged 21 to 26, impressed the judges with a financial innovation tailored to gig economy workers and individuals living with disabilities. The solution leverages artificial intelligence to deliver real-time smart tracking of expenditures, personalized financial coaching, and robust fraud prevention. Notably, it features accessibility options such as facial recognition and voice commands, positioning it as an inclusive tool for all Kenyans.

This year’s hackathon saw 112 women aged between 18 and 35 take part, responding to the theme “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI”. Participants engaged in a rigorous 30-hour challenge, aimed at empowering women with essential digital skills and encouraging the creation of secure, resilient solutions for Africa’s digital future.

The GirlCode Hackathon serves as a launchpad for women in tech, not only celebrating their ingenuity but also aligning with Kenya’s national priorities such as youth empowerment, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and economic resilience. As Team Avytria prepares to compete with peers from Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, and Ghana, their journey stands as a testament to the talent and vision driving Kenya’s digital transformation.

Speaking during the award ceremony, Absa Bank’s Vice President, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Charles Wokab, lauded the efforts by the tea, saying:

“These teams have shown great creativity and problem-solving under very intense conditions. Each team had an opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas and solutions, such as financial inclusion, cybersecurity fraud prevention, before a highly experienced panel of judges. The winners will be provided with hardware and software tools to help advance their skills and support their continued learning and innovation.”

“The top three teams will also benefit from an incubation program through the partnership between the Absa Kenya Foundation and ALX. Through this program, they will receive access to working spaces, tools, mentorship, and business development guidance. This will help them develop their idea into a viable product, understand how to scale a business, and learn how to engage potential investors and venture capitalists,” he added.

The Pan-African overall winner is set to receive a grand prize of USD 5,500 (approximately KES 700,000). Last year, 280 young women participated across nine African cities, and the competition has grown this year to attract over 450 participants in seven cities, indicating a rising tide of female-led innovation in Africa’s tech landscape.

“This initiative started with a vision to address the underrepresentation of women in the tech space. This hackathon is giving women the platform to showcase their skills, be innovative, and develop real solutions to real problems within their communities. It has been an incredible experience bringing together talented young women to collaborate, create, and design impactful tech solutions,” said Zandile Mkwanazi, CEO and Founder of GirlCode.

The panel of judges of the hackathon in Nairobi included Muthoni Kanyana, CEO, MK-Africa; Lucy Mbuthia, Country Manager, Women in Tech Kenya; and Absa Bank Kenya Chief People Officer Mumbi Kahindo, Chief Information Officer Moses Okundi, and Head of Digital Marketing and Next Gen Seline Awuor.

Read Also: Absa Commits To Empower 112 Women In Tech As Hackathon Kicks Off