MTN, together with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and its strategic partners, has announced the winners of the 2025 Africa PachiPanda Challenge, concluding a continent-wide search for scalable, youth-led environmental enterprises driving Africa’s green economy.
The finale, hosted at the MTN Innovation Centre in Johannesburg this week, capped a competitive process that attracted 2,484 youth-led small and medium enterprises from across multiple African markets. The Challenge was guided by the theme, “Nourishing Tomorrow: Innovation for Food, Energy and Water Security,” and focused on commercially viable solutions addressing environmental pressures while supporting inclusive, low-carbon growth.
Arnaud Njita of Cameroon won first place for nTron STEM Kit, converting plastic waste into 3D-printing filament for STEM education. Ndaman Joshua Olayinka from Nigeria placed second for BuyScrap, a tech-enabled e-waste recycling platform, while Bill Agha of Cameroon took third for AgriCheck, a climate-smart digital agriculture solution.
“Africa’s youth are not just responding to the climate challenge – they are shaping the solutions,” said Nompilo Morafo, MTN Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer. “Through the PachiPanda Challenge, MTN is backing youth-led innovation that can scale environmental impact and unlock economic opportunities that could help enable long-term resilience for communities across the continent.”
Organisers said the Challenge reflects growing opportunity in Africa’s climate economy, particularly in agriculture, renewable energy and water security. Agriculture remains central to employment across the continent but is constrained by land degradation, limited irrigation and climate volatility, while Africa’s renewable energy and water potential remains underdeveloped.
The PachiPanda Challenge is positioned as a flagship pan-African platform for youth-led environmental innovation. Beyond ideation, the programme provides entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship and governance support to build investment-ready enterprises that create jobs and measurable environmental outcomes.
“What we have seen confirms that this is far more than a competition. It is a statement of intent. It shows that Africa is not waiting to be rescued by ideas from elsewhere, but is actively generating its own solutions—solutions rooted in local realities, driven by African entrepreneurs, and designed to deliver both economic value and measurable benefits for nature and communities” Alain Ononino, WWF Cameroon Country Director.
A panel of industry experts selected the winners from finalists spanning clean energy, food security ecosystems, circular economy solutions and waste-to-value innovations. Deloitte participated in the judging and said the programme helped participants strengthen business models and governance.
“The PachiPanda Challenge highlights the growing pipeline of African innovators who are developing practical solutions to complex environmental challenges. Through the masterclass and ongoing mentoring, our focus has been to help participants strengthen their business models, governance and investment readiness, so that these ventures are well positioned to scale and deliver meaningful environmental and social impact,” said Jane Mammatt, ESG, Sustainability and Climate Change Partner at Deloitte.
Other awards were also announced. Flame Innovation Zambia, led by Agatha Mumba Mwansa, received both the Thematic Excellence Award and the Ubuntu Award for transforming waste materials into clean-energy alternatives such as fire blocks and eco-friendly household products. The Baobab Growth Award went to EcoDrop Project from Uganda, founded by Kanyesige Pascal, Kigozi Martin Koyamu and Nyesiga Promise, for an incentive-based recycling model that rewards communities with cash, data or airtime for responsible plastic disposal.
MTN said winners will receive funding to support the next phase of growth, alongside structured post-competition mentoring from Deloitte to strengthen governance and investment readiness. The programme will also include an executive immersion hosted by Wits Business School aimed at exposing finalists to leadership and enterprise development frameworks to support scaling.
