Black Swan, a Mauritius-based fintech startup, has been named the winner of the MEST Africa Challenge 2025.
Founded in Ghana in 2008 by serial entrepreneur Jorn Lyseggen, MEST is a pan-African software and entrepreneurship training programme, seed fund, and incubator helping to launch technology startups across the continent. 
The MEST Africa Challenge, in partnership with Absa, offers winners US$50,000 in equity funding, and for the second year in a row had a specific sector focus, on fintech startups building solutions in digital payments, financial inclusion, insurtech, and value chain financing.
Black Swan was named overall winner following a high-energy grand final at Innovation City, Cape Town on November 26. Co-founded by Derick Kazimoto, the startup is on a mission to “make Africa bankable.” 
“Africa’s financial system cannot see the true creditworthiness of millions of consumers and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) because their data is fragmented, informal, and invisible to traditional lenders,” said Derick Kazimoto, co-founder and CEO of Black Swan. 
“This invisibility locks out capable borrowers, limits credit growth, and slows economic mobility. Our mission is to make Africa bankable. We believe Africa is shifting from informal, collateral-heavy lending to data-driven credit. A transformation that’s changing how banks and fintechs trust, lend, and grow.”
The MEST Africa Challenge attracted hundreds of applications from eight of Absa priority markets, including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Mauritius. After a rigorous selection process, 10 startups advanced to the Cape Town final, where they pitched to a panel of judges comprising investors, Absa executives, and industry leaders.
“Congratulations to Black Swan and all ten finalists of this year’s MEST Africa Challenge,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, portfolio advisor at MEST Africa. 
“This year showed a clear shift toward building for scale; founders are prioritising compliance, interoperability, and cross-border readiness from day one. Fintech is now powering real sectors like agriculture, energy, and trade, and that’s where lasting impact will come from. At MEST, we’re inspired to see entrepreneurs building solutions that are deeply local yet globally adaptable. It reflects a new maturity in African innovation; grounded in customer realities, and ambitious enough to scale across borders.”

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