Nompilo Morafo, MTN Group's chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer.

Applications for the 2024 PachiPanda Challenge are now open, with ultimate objective of empowering Africa's young eco-entrepreneurs in Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

The Africa PachiPanda Challenge, now in its third year, is a joint effort of MTN Group and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) with the goal of motivating young people and youth-led SMEs to come up with innovative solutions to 'urgent environmental challenges'.

According to MTN and the WWF, this will eventually help their communities' long-term sustainability.

The initial challenge was held in Zambia in 2022 and 2023, and this year, MTN and the WWF are expanding the PachiPanda Challenge across the continent, including South Africa and Nigeria.

The challenge is open to young people aged 16 to 35, as well as youth-led SMEs from all three African countries.

The PachiPanda challenge will take held in two stages. During Phase One, applications from each country will be shortlisted.

Following that, selected participants will form teams of up to three people and go through a 'human-centred design' process over a five-day sprint week, according to MTN.

The organisers stated that “this process will include business modelling, consumer identification, and the development of unique value propositions.”

MTN and the WWF said the teams would then have the opportunity to pitch their solutions to a panel of industry experts, with the successful teams receiving $5000 in prizes and progressing to stage two - the Pan-African challenge, where they will participate in the final.

The challenge will conclude with a grand finale in which the most promising concepts from each country compete for recognition and support.

According to the organisers, each round of the challenge will be designed to meet the region's specific environmental challenges, ensuring that the solutions created are contextually relevant.

MTN and the WWF further said the challenge "provides a platform for young innovators to contribute to their communities and the wider continent, creating solutions that address environmental and social issues."

"It also offers the opportunity to connect with a wide network of like-minded individuals, potential investors, and stakeholders, amplifying the visibility and impact of their projects."

Nompilo Morafo, MTN Group's chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer, commented: "Over 60% of Africa's population is under the age of 25.

"By empowering them, we invest not just in their future, but also in the future of our planet. Africa's youth have the creativity, passion, and resilience to lead the charge against climate change, and the PachiPanda Challenge is our way of equipping them with the tools to do so."