Three Absa Know-how groups have emerged as winners of the 2025 Absa Know-how Hackathon, having had solely 24 hours to develop prototype options with the potential to be built-in into the financial institution’s know-how and product portfolio.
Designed to floor innovation from throughout the financial institution’s personal ranks, the Hackathon is an annual problem that permits Absa Know-how workers to create digital options to real-world enterprise issues. This yr’s theme is Ignite the Future: Innovate. Speed up. Elevate invited groups to assume boldly about how Absa can ship larger buyer worth via know-how.
“The Hackathon displays the form of tradition we’re constructing at Absa, the place innovation is a mindset shared throughout the organisation as we work towards our ambition of changing into a digitally powered enterprise,” stated Johnson Idesoh, Absa Group Chief Info and Know-how Officer. “It’s about empowering our groups to assume boldly, collaborate throughout borders, and develop options that advance our buyer, consumer, and colleague expertise and embed purpose-led know-how on the coronary heart of every part we do.”
The 2025 Hackathon drew entries from 82 groups throughout the Group’s Know-how crew. After a rigorous shortlisting course of, the highest 36 groups had been chosen to take part in a 36-hour reside “Hackerverse” expertise, hosted from 28 October, with contributors representing a number of international locations, together with South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, and the Czech Republic.
Over a 24-hour growth dash, groups constructed working prototypes underneath intense time strain earlier than pitching their options to a panel of judges. Winners had been chosen in every of the three problem classes: Commercialisation of Quick-Tracked Concepts, AI for Impression, and Blue Sky.
- ‘The Solvers’, from Zambia, took prime honours within the Commercialisation of Quick Tracked Concepts class.
- ‘Mighty Pythons’, from South Africa, gained the AI for Impression class • ‘Hustle Hub’, from South Africa, and ‘Digital Islanders’, from Mauritius, had been each awarded the Blue-Sky prize.
Every successful crew member acquired R25,000 in Absa Rewards or the money equal in native foreign money.
The Hackathon types a part of Absa’s broader concentrate on creating homegrown options and creating pathways for digital expertise throughout the organisation. Guided by its goal,
Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, collectively… one story at a time, Absa continues to discover how know-how can develop entry to monetary providers, drive inclusion for the unbanked and underbanked, and enhance buyer experiences throughout the continent.
“The competitors is a celebration of collaboration, variety, and the relentless pursuit of higher methods to serve our clients, purchasers, and colleagues,” stated Idesoh. “The successful concepts will now transfer into the subsequent stage of validation and growth, with a view to implementation throughout the enterprise. I’m extremely pleased with each crew that took half. Their creativity and execution have raised the bar for what’s attainable.”
