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The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) Africa and Absa Announce 20 Semi-finalists for the MEST Africa Challenge 2025

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MEST

Twenty startups have been named semi-finalists in the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025, announced today by MEST Africa (www.Meltwater.org) in partnership with Absa, highlighting the continent’s most promising ventures in FinTech and other high-value chain solutions.

Now in its 7th edition, the Challenge brings to life the theme “You Build, We Scale” — inspiring founders to transform bold ideas into scalable financial solutions across Absa’s eight priority markets: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zambia.

The selected ventures are addressing some of the continent’s most pressing financial innovation needs — spanning next-generation payments, smart credit solutions, cross-border trade, agri-fintech, and digital financial literacy.

“Each of these founders represents a unique path toward reimagining how finance works for Africans,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa and MAC Lead. “Their ideas pair technology with empathy, proving that lasting change comes from solving real problems within their own communities. We’re proud to provide a platform that connects them with investors, mentors, and global opportunities.”

As MEST Africa’s strategic partner for the 2025 edition of MAC, Absa continues to play a pivotal role in driving digital innovation in financial services and inclusion across Africa. The partnership underscores a shared commitment to empowering entrepreneurs who are redefining financial access for individuals and businesses alike.

“Congratulations to the top 20 finalists and to all applicants. The quality of submissions has been exceptional, showcasing the depth of innovation and entrepreneurial drive across Africa. These startups are not only solving real challenges; they’re building the foundation for inclusive growth and lasting impact. Our partnership with MEST and our active participation in the MEST Africa Challenge 2025 reflect our commitment to open collaboration within the FinTech ecosystem. At Absa, we see ourselves as partners in this journey, guided by a purpose to make banking simpler, more accessible, and more relevant for our customers,” says Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations (ARO), Retail and Business Banking.

From hundreds of brilliant ideas, these 20 standout startups have emerged to advance in the MEST Africa Challenge 2025.

Botswana

  • mystock.africa – A retail investing platform giving Africans access to stocks, ETFs, and alternative assets.

Ghana

  • Brydge – A supply chain platform simplifying cross-border trade for African businesses.
  • Kutana Technologies Limited – A multi-currency payment platform powering B2B cross-border trade using stablecoins and AI-driven credit.

Kenya

  • Logistify AI – An AI platform helping SMEs and cooperatives optimize procurement and supply chains.
  • Farmsky Ventures – A digital lending and crop insurance platform boosting productivity for smallholder farmers.
  • Investa Farm – An Agri-FinTech platform offering voucher-backed loans for climate-resilient farm inputs.

Mauritius

  • Black Swan – Uses AI and alternative data to build credit scores for Africa’s unbanked population.

Mozambique

  • Simulador Bancário – A digital platform simplifying financial planning and loan simulations.

Uganda

  • Paytota – A unified payment gateway simplifying Africa’s fragmented digital payments ecosystem.
  • Xzerra – A biometric payment system enabling cashless, fingerprint-based transactions in schools.
  • Kanzu Finance Limited – A digital banking solution for Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations, Village Savings and Loan Associations, and microfinance institutions.
  • Axiom Zorn – A data innovation company enabling access to finance and markets for smallholder farmers.
  • Credify Africa, Inc – A trade finance and logistics platform bridging Africa’s SME finance gap.
  • eMaisha Pay – A digital payments platform for agro-traders and small businesses, driving financial inclusion.

Zambia

  • Ebusaka Green Technology Limited – A FinTech-powered waste-to-value platform digitizing payments and recycling incentives.
  • KreativBox Technology – digital lending company offering salary-backed loans to civil servants.
  • Mighty Finance Solution Inc – Provides embedded digital loans to SMEs and women entrepreneurs.
  • Devdraft Ai – A cross-border payments platform for freelancers and businesses using stablecoin wallets.
  • Homer Price Agency Solutions Limited – A digital banking provider operating 550+ agents nationwide.

Seychelles

  • Fusepay – A licensed Payment Service Provider creating a digital finance hub for frontier markets.

The 20 semi-finalists will pitch virtually during the week of October 27, 2025, with only the top 10 startups advancing to the Final Demo Day in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 26, 2025. The overall winner will receive USD $50,000 in equity investment, access to MEST Africa’s global network of mentors, partners, and investors, and the opportunity to explore pilot pathways with Absa’s business units.

“Through this challenge, we’re seeing solutions that are not only innovative but strategically aligned with Africa’s evolving technology landscape. Some of these ideas have the potential to accelerate digital transformation and unlock new value for our customers,” says Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation for ARO Technology.

Since 2008, MEST Africa has trained and supported over 2,000 entrepreneurs and invested in 90+ startups. The MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) is its flagship pan-African pitch competition designed to identify, support, and scale high-potential technology ventures.

For more information on MAC 2025, visit: https://apo-opa.co/48ZEm9t

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa).

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Energy

Building a Knowledge Hub for China-ASEAN Energy Cooperation

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September 22, 2026

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NANNING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – During the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, China Southern Power Grid showcased a range of innovations designed to support energy cooperation between China and ASEAN. These included the DaWatt – Lao Language Large Language Model (LLM) for the Energy and Power Sector V2.0 and the Flexible Grayscale Intelligent Monitoring & Analysis Platform for power system cybersecurity, highlighting expanding opportunities for cooperation in digitalization, intelligent technologies and green energy.

The Lao-language LLM has been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it can automatically analyze thousands of inspection images within a short period of time. After its algorithms were optimized for Laos’ mountainous and rainforest terrain, the model completed intelligent inspection analysis for four transmission lines, processing 26,000 drone inspection images and identifying more than 3,600 equipment defects.

 




 
 

Liu Ying, general manager of the Digitalization Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., said the company has been building multilingual professional corpora for the power sector, covering ASEAN countries including Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Drawing on the capabilities of the DaWatt foundation model, the company is developing energy and power models tailored to ASEAN languages and real-world power industry applications.

Talent development is another focus of the cooperation. The China-ASEAN Institute of Energy, jointly established by Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Guangxi University, is exploring an industry-university training model with a strong emphasis on practical experience. So far, two cohorts totaling 53 students from ASEAN countries have enrolled.

Cooperation is also evolving from one-way training toward joint innovation. Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have jointly established a laboratory for artificial intelligence and safety equipment, while the company has also launched peer-to-peer exchanges with Electricité du Laos on improving power supply reliability.

To address language barriers in cross-border technical exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has developed an AI-powered translation platform backed by a specialized database containing terminology for more than 1,800 types of power equipment. The platform supports accurate translation between Chinese and English, Chinese and Lao, and Chinese and Vietnamese.

At a recent training program for Chinese and overseas engineers, the system supported one-click generation of bilingual course materials and real-time speech translation, helping participants navigate highly specialized power-sector terminology.

To support regular international exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has also established an international talent pool covering management, technical and skilled personnel. It has developed 24 hours of courses on international affairs as well as 20 short-form video courses.

“This year, we will also explore joint postgraduate programs with universities in ASEAN countries,” said Sun Xiaohua, deputy director of the Human Resources Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd.

Looking ahead, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. plans to further advance a development model featuring “R&D in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, integration in Guangxi, and application in ASEAN.” The company will continue expanding its multilingual power-sector corpora and explore a “Token Goes Global” model for power-sector AI, with computing resources and models based in Guangxi while knowledge services are delivered overseas. The effort is aimed at creating new forms of China-ASEAN energy cooperation and supporting the green development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.
 




 

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Events

24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival to Showcase Asia’s Spectacular Autumn Colors

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2 hours ago

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September 22, 2026

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BAZHONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – The 24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival will run from October 1 to November 18 at the Guangwu Mountain Tourism Area in Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China.

Located in southwest China, Guangwu Mountain boasts a forest coverage rate of 97%, earning its reputation as a “natural oxygen bar.” Each autumn, 680 square kilometers of mountain forests burst into a dazzling palette. Over 40 tree species, including Fagus pashanica, maples and lindens, weave the mountains into a stunning autumn landscape.

Known as “Asia’s longest natural red carpet,” the Mountain has become a top autumn destination for backpackers, photographers and travelers seeking immersive cultural and nature experiences, and is widely recognized as one of western China’s signature autumn attractions.

 




 
 

The tourism area caters to international visitors who prefer slower-paced, in-depth, off-the-beaten-path travel. The new Yanziling Loop Boardwalk, launched in May 2026, winds along mountain cliffs, with a sea of clouds rolling beneath visitors’ feet and brilliant foliage unfolding alongside the trail, creating the feeling of “stepping into a painting.”

Guangwu Mountain offers a wealth of outdoor attractions. Highlights include the 1,888-meter Red Leaf Coaster and a glass water slide certified by Guinness World Record, combining thrilling experiences with stunning natural scenery.

The large-scale immersive production “New Dream of Guangwu Mountain” integrates cutting-edge light and visual technology with Bashan folklore and traditions, transforming the forest into an atmospheric nighttime experience. Visitors can also enjoy welcome performances and interactive robot activities, which offer more ways to discover the mountain’s late-autumn charm.

A major highlight of this year’s festival is the newly completed Micang Avenue. Stretching 85 kilometers, the route connects seven core scenic spots, including Guangwu Mountain, Micang Mountain, and Nuoshui River, reducing a four-hour drive to just one hour. Lined with continuous stretches of colorful forest and layered peaks, the avenue brings brand-new travel experiences for autumn foliage enthusiasts.

The festival will also feature cultural, sports and international exchange activities, including the third season of the “Sending You a Red Leaf” campaign, the China Micang Avenue International Road Cycling Race, and the “World Red Leaf Landmark” global collection campaign.

In addition, 31 scenic attractions and 18 museums and cultural venues across Bazhong will provide special ticket offers and visitor benefits during the festival.

Across mountains and seas, Guangwu Mountain invites visitors from around the world to witness one of China’s most vibrant red-and-gold autumn displays.
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Business

Plast Eurasia invites Middle East buyers for its 35th edition

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2 hours ago

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September 22, 2026

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Tüyap will stage the 35th edition of Plast Eurasia in Istanbul on December 2–5, bringing plastics machinery, raw materials and chemicals together as organisers target 80,000 visitors, including business audiences from the Middle East and North Africa

ISTANBUL, Türkiye, September 21, 2026/APO Group/ –Plast Eurasia (www.PlastEurasia.com), the 35th International Istanbul Plastics Industry Fair, will take place at Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul from December 2–5, 2026, bringing manufacturers, technology providers, raw material suppliers, distributors, buyers and other industry professionals together around cross-border trade and new production technologies.

“Plast Eurasia is designated among the prestigious trade fairs by the Ministry of Trade. For 35 years, it has supported the sector’s development and growth by helping companies build commercial connections,” said İlhan Ersözlü, General Manager at Tüyap Fairs Production Inc. “We are carrying that experience into this edition with a focus on trade, technology and the continued development of the industry.”

 




  

MENA buyers among international visitor targets

 

Interest in the 2026 fair is already reflected in stand sales. Around 3 months before the opening, 90% of exhibition space had been sold, while organizers expect 80,000 domestic and international visitors.

 

Visitor outreach is focused on Germany, Belgium, Greece, Romania, France, Italy and Poland, alongside the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The four MENA markets are part of the fair’s wider effort to attract professional buyers from different regions to Istanbul. The country mix gives the event a regional dimension spanning Europe and MENA.

 

For exhibitors, the international visitor mix is intended to support new commercial contacts and the development of existing trading relationships. For buyers, the fair brings machinery suppliers, materials companies and other plastics industry participants together in one location.

 

Machinery and materials share the trade agenda

 

Plast Eurasia will bring together two core parts of the plastics industry, plastic production machinery and raw materials and chemicals. The exhibition will also cover next-generation production technologies, machinery solutions and developments around efficiency, innovation and value-added production.

 

We are carrying that experience into this edition with a focus on trade, technology and the continued development of the industry

This structure allows industry professionals to review equipment, materials and production approaches during the same visit. New products and technologies will sit alongside meetings aimed at helping companies assess business opportunities across international markets.

 

35th-year program looks back and ahead

 

The anniversary program will include a Milestones Map tracing key stages in the fair’s 35-year history and changes in the plastics industry. A chronological presentation will show how the fair and the sector have developed over that period.

 

An exhibition of historic plastics production machinery will show how production technologies have changed over time. Companies that have contributed to Plast Eurasia’s development during its 35-year history will also be recognized with plaques at the opening ceremony.

 

The Stage is Yours! program will give exhibitors 30-minute presentation slots in the foyer to share value-added products, technologies, success stories and industry solutions with visitors.

 

“Hosted Buyer Guided Tour” focuses on relevant meetings

 

Guided tours will be organized for international purchasing delegations. The program will include guided routes, visits to demo and event areas, access to the Hosted Buyer Lounge and dedicated support services.

 

It is designed to help buyers reach relevant product groups and exhibitors more efficiently, while giving participating companies more focused contact with international purchasing teams.

 

Plast Eurasia is organized by Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc. in cooperation with PAGEV (Turkish Plastics Industry Research, Development and Education Foundation) and with the support of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade. Visitor hours are 10.00–18.00 on December 2–4 and 10.00–17.00 on December 5.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TÜYAP.

 

 




 

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