Standard Bank Malawi Plc has supported a hackathon challenge for female students at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).

The bank provided K10 million for the female students to crack some of the bank’s digital problems.
 
 During final presentations of the solutions and award of the winners on July 18, 2024, at the university campus in Thyolo, 16 female students competed.

The female students were operating under the MUST Technology and Innovation Garage run by the MUST Institute for Industrial Research and Innovation (MIIRI).

From the teams’ pitched ideas, Digital High, Hack Heroes, Infibyte Cyber-Tech, and Tech-Titans emerged outstanding and went away with K400,000; K300,000; K200,000, and K150,000, respectively, in prize money.
 
 After the awards to the winners, Standard Bank Malawi Plc head of commercial banking, Pempho Chalamanda, said they wanted to promote creativity and innovation.

“So in this particular case, we thought this can best be achieved by bringing together the varied minds of students, professionals, and experts to work on challenging projects that solve real-life issues,” she said while reiterating the bank’s commitment to advance digital solutions.
 
 MUST Vice Chancellor, Professor Address Malata, said the university aspires to be a go to centre of local solutions for Malawi, especially through MIIRI’s Technology and Innovation Garage.

The garage is open to students and staff within MUST, players in the industry and communities to bring any innovative ideas and those with potential for impact, would be supported through incubation up to commercialisation stage.