Black Swan, a Mauritius-based FinTech startup co-founded by Derick Kazimoto, won the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025 after an intense Grand Finale at Innovation City in Cape Town on November 26, 2025, Tech In Africa reported.
The competition, organized by the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa) and powered by Absa Group, is a leading pan-African pitch event supporting early-stage startups with funding, mentorship, and global visibility.
This year’s edition focused on FinTech solutions advancing inclusion, smarter payments, and digital transformation.
Black Swan, whose mission is to “Make Africa Bankable,” tackles the challenge of fragmented and informal data that keeps millions of consumers and MSMEs invisible to formal lenders.
Its platform converts scattered data into real-time credit intelligence, enabling accurate affordability assessments and inclusive lending at scale for financial institutions across the continent.
“Africa’s financial system cannot accurately assess the creditworthiness of millions of consumers and MSMEs because their data is fragmented, informal, and hidden from traditional lenders,” said Kazimoto.
“This invisibility prevents capable borrowers from accessing credit, limits growth, and hampers economic mobility. Our goal is to make Africa bankable.”
He added, “We believe Africa is shifting from informal, collateral-based lending to data-driven credit, changing how banks and FinTechs lend, trust, and grow.”
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MAC 2025 drew hundreds of entries from Absa’s priority markets, including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Mauritius, with ten startups selected to pitch to investors, Absa executives, and industry leaders in the finale addressing solutions across payments, credit, insurance, and trade finance.
“Congratulations to Black Swan and all the finalists,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa.
“Founders are now building scalable, compliant, and cross-border-ready solutions that serve real sectors like agriculture, energy, and trade, reflecting a new maturity in African innovation.”
As winner, Black Swan receives $50,000 in equity investment, entry into the MEST Portfolio, and the opportunity to pilot with Absa business units across Africa to scale its technology and impact.
“This year’s Challenge showcased solutions built for simpler, more accessible financial lives,” said Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations.
“Black Swan stood out because their solution meets a critical need and complements the services we deliver.”
Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation for Technology at Absa Regional Operations, added, “What impressed us was their technical discipline, architectural vision, and plan for responsible scaling.”
Now in its seventh year, the MEST Africa Challenge continues to connect emerging founders with major industry players.
Since 2008, MEST Africa has trained over 2,000 entrepreneurs and invested in more than 90 startups, with MAC serving as its flagship pan-African pitch competition aimed at identifying and supporting high-potential technology ventures.
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Image Credit: Tech Labari
