Four young Kenyan women are set to represent the country at the continental finals of the Absa Bank Kenya–GirlCode Women-in-Tech Hackathon after emerging winners in the national competition.
The group, known as Team Avytria, developed ‘Jasho – Powering Your Hustle’, an artificial intelligence-driven fintech solution designed to support gig economy workers and persons living with disabilities. The platform uses AI to provide real-time expense tracking, personalised financial coaching, and fraud prevention. It also includes accessibility features such as facial recognition and voice commands, making it an inclusive financial tool for all Kenyans.
The women, aged between 21 and 26, will now compete against top teams from Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, and Ghana for the Pan-African title and a grand prize of USD 5,500 (approximately KSh 700,000).
This year’s hackathon brought together 112 participants aged 18 to 35, responding to the theme “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity and AI.” Over a period of 30 hours, the women collaborated to create technology-driven solutions addressing real challenges facing Africa’s digital future.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Mr Charles Wokabi, Absa Bank’s Vice President and Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, praised the teams for their creativity and resilience.
Mr Wokabi added that the top three teams would benefit from an incubation programme offered through a partnership between Absa Kenya Foundation and ALX, which will provide access to workspace, mentorship, and business development support to help refine and scale their innovations.
According to Ms Zandile Mkwanazi, CEO and Founder of GirlCode, the initiative seeks to bridge the gender gap in technology.
Last year’s edition attracted 280 young women across nine African cities, but participation has since risen to over 450 across seven cities, an encouraging sign of growing female leadership in Africa’s technology and innovation space.
The Nairobi judging panel included Muthoni Kanyana, CEO of MK-Africa; Lucy Mbuthia, Country Manager, Women in Tech Kenya; Mumbi Kahindo, Absa Bank