The FNB Hackathon, the largest of its kind in Africa, took place at the end of October, uniting over 10 000 participants in a shared mission to design tech-driven solutions that tackle some of Africa’s most pressing social challenges in just 72 hours.
The event was hosted at 22 on Sloane in Bryanston, Africa’s largest startup campus and entrepreneurship hub, and joined by thousands of online participants from across the continent.
The annual FNB Hackathon has evolved into a continental movement, celebrating Africa’s coding talent and proving that local developers possess the creativity, skill, and determination to drive meaningful change.
Teams of developers, designers, and innovators collaborated on powerful solutions addressing real-world challenges across five key impact areas:
- Jobs & Economic Resilience: Using technology to create new pathways into the economy, reduce unemployment, and build resilience for young people and small businesses.
- Infrastructure & Essential Services: Designing tools that improve access to reliable power, water, and transport, helping communities better manage service disruptions.
- Inequality & Social Cohesion: Harnessing digital innovation to bridge divides across income, race, gender, and nationality — fostering inclusive communities.
- Climate Resilience & Food Security: Creating solutions that help communities prepare for and respond to climate-related disasters while strengthening local food systems.
- Public Safety & Gender-Based Violence: Developing technologies to make communities safer and strengthen trust in emergency and safety systems.
All participating teams who successfully submitted a solution now qualify for the Best Hackathon Solution category at the upcoming FNB App of the Year Awards taking place in December 2025.
This Hackathon also marked the culmination of the FNB Business App Academy, a fully funded nine-week virtual coding programme held earlier this year that saw over 33 000 participants graduate as full-stack developers.
“What we witnessed at the hackathon was extraordinary, a tenacious, talented, and determined community of developers giving up their weekend to use their skills for good. The innovation, teamwork, and optimism shown in just 72 hours is exactly what we believe will drive Africa’s digital future. We’re incredibly proud of every participant for showcasing their brilliance, helping to bridge the digital skills gap, and opening doors to new economic opportunities,” says Janis Robson, Business Development Head at FNB.
As a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship, youth development, and the vital role of SMEs in South Africa’s economy, Robson, who heads the SME Segment at FNB Commercial, is dedicated to empowering small businesses with innovative financial and digital solutions that help them scale sustainably.
Also speaking at the Hackathon’s opening were Marianne Kekana, Chief Data and Analytics Officer for ConnectMe, FNB’s digital innovation division, and Katleho Mahloane, Marketing Executive Head for the Commercial Segment at FNB.
The opening session also featured Bertha Kgokong, part of the team Tati Digital, who developed Jiinue, a transformative platform addressing unemployment in Africa and who took home the Best Hackathon Solution at last year’s FNB App of the Year Awards.
