Absa Bank Kenya in partnership with GirlCode has launched the 2025 edition of GirlCodeHack, a Pan-African hackathon that will empower 100 young women from Kenya and across the continent to build real-time solutions in FinTech, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The 30-hour innovation sprint will take place on October 11–12, 2025 in seven African cities: Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Gaborone. This year’s hackathon with the theme “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity and AI” will challenge participants to think big, innovate and solve real world problems.
The winning team will get a grand prize of KES 725,802.
Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Tech
This is open to university students, recent graduates and young professionals aged 18-35. Participants will compete in teams of two to four, doubling Kenya’s target from last year and expanding opportunities for women across the country. The event will be hosted on Absa’s ReadytoWork platform, a mobile-based initiative that provides young people with digital and employability skills.
According to Julius Kamau, Chief Operations and Digital Officer at Absa Kenya, “This hackathon is a gateway to opportunity. By creating inclusive spaces like GirlCodeHack, we are not only investing in the future of tech but also advancing key Sustainable Development Goals – from quality education to gender equality and decent work.”
Fostering Inclusion and Diversity in Tech
Absa and GirlCode are prioritizing inclusion and diversity, making sure the hackathon reaches young women from all counties across Kenya. Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation at Absa Group, said the bank is committed to empowering young women in technology and that diversity and inclusion are part of its digital transformation strategy. Last year’s hackathon was held in five cities and saw over 400 young women from across the African continent participate. The winning team from Kenya built a web application that provided gamified sexual and reproductive health information to women and girls. Other notable innovations included a carbon footprint calculator, an AI-powered mental health tool, blockchain-based land registries and fraud detection solutions for African SMEs.
Scaling Impact Across Africa
“We want to expose 10 million women and girls to technology by 2030,” said Zandile Mkwanazi, CEO and Founder of GirlCode. “With Absa’s partnership we are scaling impact and making sure more women see themselves not just as coders but as problem solvers, innovators and leaders.”
This year participants will get hands-on technical experience, mentorship from industry professionals and exposure to Africa’s growing digital economy – a space where women are increasingly becoming key players.
How to Apply
Applications are now open for the 2025 GirlCodeHack, and aspiring participants have until August 8, 2025 to submit their applications. To apply, candidates can download the ReadytoWork App, available on both Android and iOS platforms, where they can apply for the hackathon and get access to the platform's wealth of learning resources.