MTN Africa PachiPanda Challenge 2026 for Young Africans
Applications are open for the Africa PachiPanda Challenge 2026, a pan-African innovation programme designed to identify and support young people developing practical solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges.
The challenge is jointly organised by MTN Group and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and provides young innovators and youth-led businesses with access to funding, mentorship and business development support to help transform promising green ideas into scalable solutions.
About the Africa PachiPanda Challenge
The PachiPanda Challenge brings together young African innovators who are using entrepreneurship, technology and creative problem-solving to address environmental challenges.
Participants are expected to develop solutions capable of creating environmental impact while also demonstrating the potential to become viable and sustainable ventures.
Successful participants will progress through different stages of the challenge, receive expert support and have an opportunity to compete for funding.
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Focus Areas
Innovations should address one or more of the following areas:
Who Can Apply?
The Africa PachiPanda Challenge is targeted at young African innovators and entrepreneurs.
Applicants should:
Successful applicants will have access to:
Applications will be reviewed to identify promising innovations addressing the challenge’s priority areas.
Selected innovators will progress through the competition process, where they will have opportunities to develop their ideas, receive guidance and demonstrate the potential impact and scalability of their solutions.
Top participants can advance to the Africa Grand Finale, bringing together leading innovators from participating countries.
About MTN
MTN is one of Africa’s largest telecommunications and digital services groups, operating across several markets on the continent. Beyond telecommunications, the company supports initiatives focused on digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development.
About WWF
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international conservation organisation working to protect biodiversity, address climate change and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.
The PachiPanda Challenge combines WWF’s environmental expertise with MTN’s technology and innovation ecosystem to support a new generation of African sustainability entrepreneurs.
Deadline: 28 August 2026.
Focus Areas
Innovations should address one or more of the following areas:
- Climate Change and Resilience
- Waste Management and Circular Economy
- Biodiversity and Nature Conservation
- Water Security
- Sustainable Food Systems
Who Can Apply?
The Africa PachiPanda Challenge is targeted at young African innovators and entrepreneurs.
Applicants should:
- Be between 18 and 35 years old
- Be an individual innovator or part of a youth-led SME
- Be from a participating African country
- Have an innovative idea, solution or venture addressing an environmental or sustainability challenge
- Demonstrate the potential for the solution to create meaningful impact
- Be willing to participate in the challenge and its development activities
Successful applicants will have access to:
- Cash prizes and funding opportunities
- Expert mentorship
- Business development support
- Opportunities to refine and strengthen their solutions
- Exposure to industry and sustainability experts
- Networking with other young African innovators
- Opportunity to represent their country at the Africa Grand Finale
Applications will be reviewed to identify promising innovations addressing the challenge’s priority areas.
Selected innovators will progress through the competition process, where they will have opportunities to develop their ideas, receive guidance and demonstrate the potential impact and scalability of their solutions.
Top participants can advance to the Africa Grand Finale, bringing together leading innovators from participating countries.
About MTN
MTN is one of Africa’s largest telecommunications and digital services groups, operating across several markets on the continent. Beyond telecommunications, the company supports initiatives focused on digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development.
About WWF
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international conservation organisation working to protect biodiversity, address climate change and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.
The PachiPanda Challenge combines WWF’s environmental expertise with MTN’s technology and innovation ecosystem to support a new generation of African sustainability entrepreneurs.
Deadline: 28 August 2026.
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