Four talented young Kenyan women are set to represent the nation at the prestigious Absa Bank Kenya-GirlCode Women-in-Tech Hackathon continental finals.
Their winning platform, ‘Jasho—Powering Your Hustle,’ clinched the top national honour, securing their place to compete against innovators from across Africa. The team includes: Veronicah Anzimbu, Faith Chemutai, Mawia Katiwa and Dorcas Kalaka.
Team Avytria, comprised of women aged 21 to 26, impressed judges with an AI-powered fintech solution specifically tailored for gig economy workers and Persons with Disabilities.
The winning platform, Jasho, utilizes artificial intelligence to offer comprehensive financial services designed for accessibility and security. Key features include:
- Real-time Smart Tracking of expenditures.
- Personalized Financial Coaching.
- Robust Fraud Prevention.
- Accessibility Options: Including facial recognition and voice commands, positioning it as a truly inclusive tool.
The national hackathon saw 112 women aged 18 to 35 compete in a rigorous 30-hour challenge under the theme: “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI.” The event aims to empower women with essential digital skills and foster the creation of resilient solutions for the continent’s digital future.
The GirlCode Hackathon acts as a vital launchpad for women in tech, celebrating innovation while supporting national priorities like digital inclusion and entrepreneurship. Team Avytria will now compete against peers from Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, and Ghana.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Charles Wokabi, Vice President, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at Absa Bank, commended the teams’ creativity.
“These teams have shown great creativity and problem-solving under very intense conditions. The winners will be provided with hardware and software tools to help advance their skills and support their continued learning and innovation,” Wokabi stated.
The top three national teams will also receive a significant boost through an incubation programme in partnership with the Absa Kenya Foundation and ALX. This program will provide them with working spaces, tools, mentorship, and business development guidance to help scale their ideas into viable commercial products.
The Pan-African winner is set to receive a grand prize of USD 5,500 (approximately Ksh. 700,000). This year’s competition attracted over 450 participants across seven African cities, signaling a rising trend of female-led innovation.
Zandile Mkwanazi, CEO and Founder of GirlCode, highlighted the initiative’s impact: “This hackathon is giving women the platform to showcase their skills, be innovative and develop real solutions to real problems within their communities.”
The Nairobi judging panel included industry leaders such as Muthoni Kanyana (CEO, MK-Africa), Lucy Mbuthia (Country Manager, Women in Tech Kenya), and several Absa Bank executives.