The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) has continued its expansion across Africa by announcing recruitment of entrepreneurs-in-training (EITs) from Ivory Coast, the first French-speaking country in which it will have a presence.
The Ghana-based MEST already accepts applications from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, and will publicly announce its presence in Ivory Coast at the Africa Web Festival in Abidjan this week, where it will be hosting recruitment sessions.
EITs accepted onto the programme will undergo training that blends an MBA-type education with hands-on training in software development, taught by experienced fellows and faculty.
The expansion into Ivory Coast is a strategic move for MEST, as it expands into a fifth African country and bridges the gap between the English-speaking and French-speaking African economies to expand the tech ecosystem even further.
MEST is now accepting applications from Ivorians, Ghanaians, Kenyans, Nigerians and South Africans who wish to spend a year at the flagship campus in Accra to take part in an intensive entrepreneurial training programme, launch their own software startup, and pitch to receive seed funding from the Meltwater Foundation.
The organisation is currently undertaking a phased rollout of incubators in key economic centres on the continent. Startups that receive investment enter the MEST Incubator, where they receive continued hands-on support as they launch and grow their businesses.
