By: Kanto
Kai Okanta]
M-PESA Ethiopia has
concluded its CODE! CASHLESS COMMUNITIES M-PESA Hackathon 2026, bringing
together emerging fintech developers to create innovative and scalable digital
payment solutions aimed at addressing real-world needs and expanding the
company’s product capabilities.
The initiative attracted 200
applicants before M-PESA Ethiopia partnered with Yenetta Code to bring together
more than 80 developers for an intensive three-day bootcamp focused on M-PESA
APIs.
The bootcamp was followed by
hands-on mentorship to help participants transform their ideas into functional
prototypes.
Twenty semifinalists pitched
their cashless solutions at M-PESA Ethiopia’s headquarters, competing for a
place among the top five finalist teams. The company said all 20 semifinalist
ideas would have the opportunity to be considered for integration into the
M-PESA ecosystem.
At the grand finale, five
finalist teams presented fintech solutions designed to improve the lives of
Ethiopians and strengthen the business ecosystem.
An expert panel of judges
evaluated the pitches based on simplicity, adaptability and market opportunity
before announcing the winners. The first-place team received 200,000 Ethiopian
birr, while the second- and third-place teams received 100,000 birr and 70,000
birr, respectively.
