MTN Uganda and WWF Uganda have announced the second edition of the PachiPanda Innovation Challenge, an initiative that supports young innovators in developing solutions to environmental challenges while creating economic opportunities. The challenge, now open to applications, targets innovators aged 18 to 35 who are developing solutions in four key areas: climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and green enterprises, biodiversity and natural-resource conservation, and digital solutions for Africa’s green economy.
The PachiPanda Innovation Challenge is more than a competition, offering mentorship, funding, exposure, and growth opportunities to promising ideas. Last year, FarmGate Digital, KampalaBuzzline, and Bottle for Cash Eco-Drop emerged as Uganda’s national winners and represented the country at the continental competition in South Africa. These innovators have demonstrated that PachiPanda can help turn ideas into solutions that create value for both people and the planet.
Ruth Kyobutungi, founder of FarmGate Digital, developed a platform that helps farmers make better decisions on pricing, storage, and when to sell their produce. Through PachiPanda, FarmGate Digital gained visibility, mentorship, and support that strengthened its growth plans and sharpened its value proposition. The platform has since expanded partnerships with farmers and cooperatives, reached over 4,000 members, and facilitated the movement of 217 tonnes of food.
Hannington Sserwanga, founder of KampalaBuzzline, focuses on restoring pollinator habitats through community conservation, digital mapping, and green livelihood opportunities. His initiative operates a nursery with over 10,000 nectar-rich and pollen-producing plants and flowers, generating income through plant sales and creating employment opportunities. Exposure from PachiPanda helped raise KampalaBuzzline’s international profile, with one of its innovations adopted in Costa Rica.
Enid Edroma, General Manager Corporate Services at MTN Uganda, said the challenge aims to give young Ugandans a platform to turn their ideas into solutions that create value for both people and the planet. Rita Kyategeka, WWF Uganda’s Partnerships, Fundraising and Communications Manager, emphasized the need to balance conservation with inclusive economic growth, highlighting that PachiPanda helps young innovators show how conservation and economic development can reinforce each other.
The top three winners of the 2026 Uganda competition will receive Shs15 million, Shs10 million, and Shs5 million respectively, and earn the opportunity to represent Uganda at the continental PachiPanda competition in South Africa in February 2027. Applications for the 2026 PachiPanda Innovation Challenge are open until 30 September 2026 through the PachiPanda Challenge website.
For young innovators wondering whether their idea is ready, the experiences of previous winners offer a simple message: they do not need to have all the answers. What matters is identifying a real environmental challenge, developing a practical solution, and showing its potential for impact. PachiPanda is looking for solutions that show how innovation can help build a more sustainable future.
Key points
- The PachiPanda Innovation Challenge supports young innovators in developing solutions to environmental challenges while creating economic opportunities.
- The challenge targets innovators aged 18 to 35 who are developing solutions in four key areas: climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and green enterprises, biodiversity and natural-resource conservation, and digital solutions for Africa’s green economy.
- Applications for the 2026 PachiPanda Innovation Challenge are open until 30 September 2026 through the PachiPanda Challenge website.
