M-PESA Ethiopia Concludes 2026 Cashless Communities Hackathon

M-PESA Ethiopia  has concluded its CODE! CASHLESS COMMUNITIES M-PESA Hackathon 2026, an initiative aimed at helping local fintech developers build digital payment solutions for integration into its ecosystem.

The hackathon attracted 200 applicants, with M-PESA Ethiopia partnering with Yenetta Code to bring together more than 80 developers for a three-day bootcamp focused on M-PESA application programming interfaces (APIs). Participants also received hands-on mentorship to develop their ideas into functional prototypes.

Following the bootcamp, 20 semifinalists presented their cashless payment solutions at M-PESA Ethiopia’s headquarters, competing for a place among the five finalist teams. The company said all 20 semifinalist ideas would have the opportunity to be considered for integration into M-PESA.

At the grand finale, the five finalist teams presented fintech solutions designed to address local needs and strengthen Ethiopia’s business ecosystem. Judges evaluated the projects based on simplicity, adaptability and market opportunity.

The top three teams received cash prizes of ETB 200,000 for first place, ETB 100,000 for second place and ETB 70,000 for third place.

M-PESA Ethiopia said the initiative was intended to attract emerging local talent to its ecosystem, encourage the development of scalable digital payment solutions and introduce new product capabilities.

The company also thanked the participating developers, mentors, judges and partners, including Yenetta Code, for their contributions to the programme.