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 their AI-powered fintech innovation, Jasho – Powering Your Hustle, emerged top during the national competition.
The team, known as Team Avytria, comprises women aged between 21 and 26. Their winning solution stood out for its focus on financial inclusion for gig economy workers and persons living with disabilities, offering real-time expense tracking, personalised financial coaching, and advanced fraud prevention powered by artificial intelligence.
The platform also integrates facial recognition and voice command features to ensure accessibility for all users, reflecting Kenya’s growing push for inclusive and human-centred innovation.
This year’s hackathon brought together 112 women aged 18 to 35 under the theme “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI.” Participants took part in a demanding 30-hour challenge aimed at equipping young women with digital skills while promoting secure, resilient technology solutions for Africa’s digital future.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Charles Wokabi, Vice President and Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at Absa Bank Kenya, commended the teams for their creativity and resilience.
“These teams have shown great creativity and problem-solving under very intense conditions,” said Wokabi. “Each team had an opportunity to pitch ideas around financial inclusion, cybersecurity, and fraud prevention before a highly experienced panel of judges. The winners will be supported with hardware, software tools, and incubation resources to help them advance their innovations.”
He added that the top three teams will also benefit from an incubation programme through a partnership between Absa Kenya Foundation and ALX, offering workspace access, mentorship, and business development support to help transform their ideas into viable ventures.
The Pan-African overall winner will walk away with a grand prize of USD 5,500 (approximately KES 700,000). Last year’s competition attracted 280 participants across nine African cities, but this year the initiative has expanded to over 450 young women from seven cities, signaling growing momentum for female-led innovation in tech across the continent.
Zandile Mkwanazi, CEO and Founder of GirlCode, said the hackathon continues to empower women to take their place in Africa’s fast-evolving digital economy.
“This initiative was created to tackle the underrepresentation of women in tech. The hackathon gives women the platform to showcase their skills and develop real solutions to real problems in their communities,” said Mkwanazi.
The judging panel in Nairobi included industry leaders such as Muthoni Kanyana, CEO, MK-Africa; Lucy Mbuthia, Country Manager, Women in Tech Kenya; Mumbi Kahindo, Chief People Officer, Absa Bank Kenya; Moses Okundi, Chief Information Officer, Absa Bank Kenya; and Seline Awuor, Head of Digital Marketing and Next Gen, Absa Bank Kenya.
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