2025 MTN PachiPanda Challenge: Meet SA's eco-leaders
Three South African eco-innovators — Wendile Mpofu, Gift Mabena and Bafokeng Mofokeng — will represent Mzansi at the Africa-wide round of the 2025 PachiPanda Challenge. A collaborative initiative between MTN and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Africa PachiPanda Challenge supports innovative solutions that address pressing environmental challenges across the continent.
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Their solutions address urgent challenges in food security, sustainable energy access and water resilience under the theme: “Nourishing Tomorrow: Innovations for Food, Energy and Water Security.”
Building SA's green economy
To ensure these solutions remain sustainable beyond the pitch event, the top nine finalists will join an incubation programme funded by Nedbank and implemented by Indalo Inclusive South Africa NPC.
The programme provides technical and financial resources, including expert mentorship and capacity-building workshops, to help transform tech-driven ideas into commercially viable, ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive enterprises.
“These young innovators are not just solving environmental problems; they are building the foundations of South Africa’s green economy.
“Their solutions strengthen the food–energy–water nexus, stimulate green SMEs, and open pathways for future jobs.
“This is exactly the kind of youth-led innovation our country needs to drive a meaningful, just transition and unlock inclusive economic growth,” said Keabetswe Mabe, general manager: sustainability and shared value at MTN South Africa.
Meet the eco-innovators representing SA
Wendile Mpofu
Taking top honours, Wendile Mpofu, founder of Carbonsmart Solutions Africa, has developed a tech-enabled regeneration platform that supports smallholder farmers facing declining soil fertility, unpredictable rainfall and limited access to markets and finance.
Her solution integrates digital soil monitoring, precision-input management and access to carbon markets, enabling farmers to measure and improve soil carbon while earning income from verified carbon credits.
Gift Mabena
Placed second, Gift Mabena, founder of AgriAdapt, has built a mobile-first platform designed to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change with practical, accessible and affordable digital tools.
Bafokeng Mofokeng
In third place, Bafokeng Mofokeng impressed judges with his Circularity Verification Platform (CVP).
This hardware-and-software system addresses inefficiencies and a lack of transparency in the e-waste recycling sector.
They will now represent South Africa in the Africa-wide round of the PachiPanda Challenge, competing against peers from across the continent.
Their success already stands as a testament to the power of youth-led eco-innovation, the impact of collaborative support and the promise of a more sustainable and secure future for Africa.