Absa Bank Kenya has joined hands with GirlCode to roll out the 2025 edition of GirlCodeHack, a women-led tech innovation challenge aimed at equipping young Kenyan women with essential digital skills and industry exposure.
The hackathon, set for October 11–12, will take place simultaneously in seven cities across Africa, including Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Gaborone. This year’s event comes with a bigger Kenyan spotlight doubling the number of local participants from last year.
Open to women aged 18 to 35, including university students and early-career professionals, the 30-hour tech sprint invites teams of two to four to compete for a top prize of KES 725,800, with support from seasoned mentors across fintech, cybersecurity, and AI sectors.
“This isn’t just about coding it’s about creating spaces where women can innovate, build confidence, and become leaders in tech,” said Julius Kamau, Absa Kenya’s Chief Operations and Digital Officer. “We’re proud to back this initiative as part of our commitment to youth empowerment through the Ready-to-Work program.”
Last year’s hackathon brought together over 400 young women from five cities. Among the standout projects was a Kenyan-built gamified web app focused on sexual and reproductive health education.
Other entries included a blockchain-based land registry, a carbon footprint tracker, and an AI-powered mental health tool.
This year’s theme, “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI,” reflects the evolving landscape of digital challenges and opportunities facing young Africans.
Tamu Dutuma, Absa’s Head of Strategy and Transformation, said the bank’s support is part of a long-term vision to drive inclusion and close the gender gap in Africa’s tech ecosystem.
GirlCode founder and CEO Zandile Mkwanazi echoed that view, noting that the hackathon is a stepping stone toward their bold mission to expose 10 million women and girls to tech by 2030.
“With Absa’s support, we’re scaling our impact,” Mkwanazi said. “We want young women to see themselves not just as coders, but as innovators and leaders solving real problems.”
To promote regional inclusion, this year’s edition is also reaching out to counties across Kenya, giving more young women outside the capital a chance to participate.
Applications are open until August 8, 2025, through the ReadytoWork App, available on Android and iOS.
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