Accra, Ghana — October 11, 2025:
Over 100 young women from across Ghana came together for 30 hours of coding, collaboration, and creativity at this year’s GirlCode Hackathon Ghana 2025, held at the ABSA Bank Club House in Accra.
The event, themed “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI,” aimed to empower women in technology to design innovative solutions that tackle real-world challenges.
The hackathon was part of a continent-wide initiative by GirlCode, organized locally by Mobile Web Ghana, with support from MTN Ghana and Absa Bank Ghana.
Across 10 African cities, the hackathon provided a platform for young women aged 18–30 to learn, build, and innovate while bridging the gender gap in tech.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zandile Mkwanazi, Co-founder and CEO of GirlCode, highlighted the initiative’s mission:
“GirlCode is about giving women across Africa the skills and confidence to take their place in the future of technology. Every line of code written here today is a step toward that goal.”
Also addressing participants were Robert Kuzoe, Head of the MTN Ghana Foundation; Anita Twum-Ampofo, Head of Technology and Service Management at Absa Bank Ghana; and Florence Toffa, Director of Mobile Web Ghana, who encouraged participants to “collaborate, innovate, and have fun while building real solutions.”
For two days, teams worked tirelessly, brainstorming, coding, testing, and refining their ideas with guidance from 25 mentors and industry experts.
The energy in the room was high as participants explored solutions in FinTech, AI, and Cybersecurity, bringing creativity and critical thinking to every challenge.
Even as the night went on, the excitement and focus never faded. Teams worked through the night, presenting at midnight checkpoints and sharing progress updates filled with excitement and determination.
After intense final presentations and judging, Team LockedIn emerged as the overall winner, earning first place with an impressive project that stood out for its innovation and practicality. Their project focused on a digital savings platform that helps individuals and groups in Africa save money safely and easily, even without a bank account. It modernizes the traditional susu savings system into a secure, mobile-friendly platform that tracks payments, provides financial tips, and prevents fraud using ID and mobile money verification.
The Real Woman placed second with a voice-assisted app designed to empower market women and small business owners with simple, efficient bookkeeping tools that make managing finances easier.
And finally, team Aid Connect placed 3rd with a global AI-powered emergency alert system that enables users to silently reach out for help during emergencies such as fires, robberies, or medical crises.
Three other teams , The Mega Girls, The Net Force, and Sanguis Line received honorable mentions for their creativity and strong presentations.
All top teams received prizes including tablets, Bluetooth speakers, books, and tech accessories. The winners also earned mentorship and internship opportunities to help further develop their projects.
Reflecting on the event, Florence Toffa, Director of Mobile Web Ghana, expressed her excitement about the outcomes:
“Every year, the GirlCode Hackathon proves that young women in Ghana have the creativity and skill to drive digital transformation. We’re proud to be part of a movement that’s not just teaching code but inspiring change.”
The GirlCode Hackathon continues to serve as a platform for capacity building, mentorship, and inclusion preparing young women to lead Africa’s digital future.GirlCode is a non-profit organization based in South Africa, dedicated to empowering women and girls through technology education and innovation. The annual GirlCode Hackathon runs across multiple African countries, fostering collaboration, skill development, and community impact.
