UCT–Cortex Hub FinTech Lab: Winter School Hackathon 2026
Completed · 6–10 July 2026 · In-person, The Cortex Hub, East London · 61 participants · 12 teams
Run in partnership with the UCT Financial Innovation Hub — part of a three-year collaboration between UCT and The Cortex Accelerator Hub — the Cortex Hub Winter School 2026 culminated in an in-person Hackathon Week from 6–10 July 2026 at The Cortex Hub in East London. All 61 accepted candidates took part, competing across twelve teams under a fully open theme, 'FinTech at the Intersection of Ecosystems.' FNB supported Hackathon Week throughout as the programme's commercial partner.
Theme
'FinTech at the Intersection of Ecosystems' — a fully open theme, with teams defining their own problem within it.
Mandatory criterion
Every submission was required to integrate at least one Bonus Opportunity API — either from a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) or a Point-of-Sale (POS) provider.
Technical mentoring
FastAPI, REST APIs, Git, Docker and PostgreSQL.
Partnership
Run with the UCT Financial Innovation Hub (Dr Allan Davids, Director), part of the wider three-year UCT–Cortex Hub FinTech Lab collaboration.
Evaluation
Teams were assessed against a standardised scoring rubric. Ahead of Demo Day, each team submitted a business plan — using the template matching its business model type — together with a pitch deck.
FNB, commercial partner
FNB supported Hackathon Week throughout in its capacity as commercial partner, distinct from the FirstRand Foundation's role as funder of the wider UCT–Cortex Hub FinTech Lab partnership.
- Thursday 9 July: guest lecture by Monwabisi Poswa, Area Manager: FNB Business (Eastern Cape), covering the FNB Graduate Programme, the FirstJob Learnership Programme, Youth and Business Banking Accounts, and Consumer and Business Education (business start-ups, budgeting, financial planning, goal setting).
- A separate workshop Poswa ran with Cortex Hub and Film Hub startups during the week, with FNB indicating interest in continuing the relationship.
- An on-site FNB activation during Hackathon Week.
- An FNB motivational address to participants ahead of Demo Day pitches.
Demo Day
10 July 2026, at The Cortex Hub. All twelve teams pitched to a nine-person judging panel.
Prizes
R20,000 in prizes.
To be added: the prize breakdown across the placed teams.
Mentors
Brian Tandikhaya Mbana
Technical Mentor
Osaretin "Tina" Johnson
M&E, logistics and pitch/presentation mentoring
Judging panel
FNB
Sipho Jiyane
Customer Marketing Lead, FNB Commercial Marketing
Monwabisi Poswa
Area Manager, FNB Business Eastern Cape
Janis Robson
Business Development Head, FNB
External
Kungela Mzuku
Co-founder, Stacked Logic; previously platform owner for AIOps and Green Engineering at Nedbank; lectures postgraduate fintech at UWC
Timothy Chisale
Head of Finance, Tech Credit Fund
Kagiso Matsitse
Business Development Manager, Consumer OEM, Ctrack
Internal
Anda Ngcaba
Si-Jia Wu
Nico Muka
Results
Final placings
- 1st
Ndinani Pay
Aluta Boyce (University of Fort Hare) · Sisipho Mdoyi (University of Fort Hare) · Bofelo Phutiyagae (University of Fort Hare) · Sibabalwe Ngose (University of the Western Cape)
A zero-fee, voice-guided digital savings and payments platform for SASSA grant recipients and stokvels in rural Eastern Cape communities. Integrates the MTN MoMo API for zero-fee transfers, with full voice navigation in isiXhosa, English and Afrikaans.
- 2nd
Imbewu (The Seed)
Kgomotso Mathombo (University of Fort Hare) · Takatso Lerutla (University of Fort Hare) · Sibabalo Nxiwa (University of Fort Hare) · Ayanda Maphosa (University of Fort Hare)
A mobile fintech marketplace connecting Eastern Cape SMEs with investors and lenders, using Open Banking data to generate verified business health scores and keeping investors engaged post-funding through performance dashboards and milestone tracking.
- 3rd
Nceda Ledger
Yophumelela Mbuthuma (University of Fort Hare) · Mulanga Mukhumeni (University of Fort Hare) · Mbongiseni Innocent Nkambule (Walter Sisulu University) · Tshegofatso Tlhodi (Walter Sisulu University)
Digitises the informal 'on tick' credit system used by spaza shop owners, replacing the paper notebook with a USSD-based digital ledger that generates an alternative 'Trust Score' credit profile for previously invisible borrowers.
The remaining nine teams were ranked by the same scoring rubric; only the podium is published here.
What's next
Applications for GenesisBloc Launchpad Cohort 3.5 open 31 July 2026, with the programme commencing 28 August 2026. The top three teams, along with other strong performers, are being encouraged to apply — progression isn't automatic, and each team must submit a full application through the standard selection process.
Learn more at genesisbloc.africa