MTN is expanding its Africa PachiPanda Challenge, a youth-focused climate innovation programme it runs with the World Wide Fund for Nature, as the telecom group positions digital connectivity and entrepreneurship as key drivers of Africa’s green economy.
The 2025 edition, themed “Nourishing Tomorrow: Innovations for Food, Energy, and Water Security,” aimed at supporting eco-entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 who are building climate-smart businesses rooted in local challenges, from waste management and clean energy to food security and sustainable agriculture.
MTN said applications have risen by about 35% to 40% this year, while the number of participants trained through mentorship and pitch preparation has almost doubled to more than 150 across the participating markets.
The programme has also widened its footprint. The continental edition, which previously covered Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria and Cameroon in 2024, added Uganda in 2025, reflecting growing regional collaboration and rising interest in youth-led climate solutions.
MTN framed the initiative as both a sustainability programme and a pipeline for scalable green enterprises, as companies and governments across the continent seek investment and job creation opportunities tied to low-carbon growth. Africa contributes a small share of global greenhouse-gas emissions but is disproportionately exposed to climate shocks, which are intensifying pressure on food systems, water availability and energy access.
The telecom group said the Challenge is designed to help innovators attract capital, partnerships and policy exposure beyond the programme, with a stronger post-competition support structure introduced this year.
Among the 2025 national champions were Nigeria’s OneGrid Energies, which is upcycling plastic bottles and used lithium-ion batteries into affordable lanterns for underserved communities. The model includes solar-powered charging stations operated by rural women, combining circular waste reduction with household energy access.
In South Africa, CarbonSmart Solutions Africa is targeting sustainable agriculture by helping smallholder farmers improve soil health while earning verified carbon credits. The enterprise uses biochar and digital monitoring tools supported by IoT technology, and provides farmers with training and carbon market insights through an app.
Uganda’s FarmGate Digital is using market data to support food security, aggregating farm-gate prices from local markets and providing predictive insights to help farmers plan harvesting, storage and sales. MTN said the approach reduces spoilage and improves market transparency.
Zambia’s McKingtorch is converting waste plastic into products such as bags and slippers, while creating green jobs and skills development opportunities, particularly for youth and women.
Cameroon’s first-place champion, nTron STEM Kit, is linking sustainability with education by transforming plastic waste into 3D-printing filaments used to produce hands-on STEM kits for electronics and robotics training.
MTN said the programme’s alumni have delivered measurable outcomes across multiple sectors, including preventing more than 120 tonnes of food waste through solar-powered cold-chain solutions, expanding digital learning access to more than 15,000 underserved learners, improving women’s health through menstrual-care ecosystems, and delivering clean energy and STEM skills through circular e-waste models.
Finalists in the 2025 edition took part in a Masterclass hosted in partnership with Deloitte on Feb. 9 focused on business readiness, governance, scaling strategies and investor engagement. Winners will receive funding from MTN and post-competition mentoring support from Deloitte, with additional learning sessions planned with Wits Business School.
The Africa PachiPanda Challenge finals will be hosted at MTN Group’s headquarters in Johannesburg today, Feb. 10, 2026, marking the culmination of the 2025 programme and MTN’s broader push to position itself as a catalyst for youth-led green innovation across its markets.
