BY THEMBA ZWANE
EZULWINI– The PachiPanda Challenge has expanded its footprint beyond its Zambian roots to Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and now Eswatini, positioning young African innovators at the centre of efforts to unlock the continent’s green economy.
The expansion was highlighted by MTN Eswatini Executive for Corporate Services Sibusiso Nhleko during the announcement of the Top 20 young innovators who will advance to the next phase of the Pachi Panda Challenge Eswatini 2026.
Under the theme “Nature Meets Innovation: Unlocking Africa’s Green Economy,” the initiative is seeking to turn environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation.
Nhleko said the growth of the programme from Zambia into other African markets reflected a shared belief that Africa’s solutions to its environmental challenges could come from its own people, particularly its young generation.
“What began in Zambia has grown into a powerful continental movement, expanding to Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, and now Eswatini,” Nhleko said.
He said the expansion demonstrated the importance of creating platforms through which young people could develop practical responses to environmental challenges while building businesses capable of generating economic value.
The Pachi Panda Challenge is an environmental sustainability programme that encourages young people to identify challenges affecting their communities and develop innovative solutions to address them.
A key component of the initiative is ensuring that these solutions can evolve beyond ideas into viable businesses that can scale, create value and potentially provide employment for other young people.
Nhleko said environmental protection and economic development should not be viewed as competing priorities.
“Protecting our environment and creating economic opportunities are not competing priorities. They are mutually reinforcing goals that can drive sustainable development across our continent,” he said.
The continental expansion gives the Eswatini programme a broader context, placing local young innovators within an initiative that is increasingly connecting ideas and opportunities across different African markets.
In Eswatini, the latest milestone saw the announcement of the Top 20 innovators who will proceed to the Green Innovation Accelerator Programme.
The finalists were selected from a competitive pool of young people and youth-led enterprises that responded to the call to develop solutions to environmental challenges facing the country.
Nhleko congratulated the Top 20, describing their selection as a testament to their innovation, dedication and potential.
He urged the finalists to use the bootcamp to strengthen their ideas, improve their business models and develop the entrepreneurial skills required to turn promising concepts into sustainable ventures.
“This is only the beginning of your journey,” he told the finalists, encouraging them to engage fully with facilitators and mentors, challenge themselves and learn from one another.
The programme also places emphasis on digital skills as an important ingredient for the growth of modern businesses.
Nhleko encouraged the young innovators to take advantage of opportunities available through the Skills Academy, noting that digital capabilities are increasingly important in areas such as business development, marketing, financial management and scalability.
The expansion of PachiPanda also reflects the growing role of partnerships in creating an ecosystem capable of supporting youth-led innovation.
Nhleko expressed appreciation to the Likusasa Letfu Foundation for its collaboration and contribution to driving the programme forward in Eswatini.
He also thanked stakeholders, partners and members of the media for supporting the initiative and helping innovative ideas gain visibility and access to the ecosystem needed for them to grow.
The judges who participated in the evaluation process were also commended for their time, expertise and professionalism in selecting the Top 20 finalists.
Bootcamp facilitators and mentors were similarly recognised for contributing their knowledge and experience towards nurturing the next generation of green entrepreneurs.
For the young innovators, the Top 20 announcement marks the start of an intensive phase focused on developing their ideas into stronger and potentially scalable enterprises.
For PachiPanda, meanwhile, the Eswatini launch represents another step in an expanding African movement that links environmental sustainability with entrepreneurship and economic opportunity.
As the programme continues to grow across Zambia, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Eswatini, its central message remains focused on empowering young Africans to transform environmental challenges into innovative solutions.
Nature Meets Innovation. Unlocking Africa’s Green Economy.
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