South Africa’s Nedbank has announced the winners of the Nedbank N*ovation Data and Analytics Masters Challenge 2026, following weeks of rigorous virtual competition and an in-person finale in Johannesburg.
The national Data and Analytics Challenge is designed to identify and recruit South Africa’s most advanced data and analytics practitioners, and this year’s edition culminated in a live contest where finalists were tested on their ability to solve complex, real-world banking problems.
The winner of the data engineering track was Mogale Thobejane, with Tshifhiwa Gift Moila and Tinashe Chinyati coming in second and third place. The data science and machine learning track was won by Edward Rycroft, with Alex Jacobs in second and Vusani Khosa in third. Contestants shared ZAR500,000 (US$30,000) in prize money.
The top performers will benefit from a fast-tracked recruitment process, highlighting the bank’s ongoing investment in building future-ready data and analytics capabilities. In collaboration with partners including OfferZen, Zindi, Otinga, and Microsoft, the challenge potentially connects top talent directly with career opportunities.
“This challenge is about more than competition, it reflects our belief that data excellence is a strategic capability, and this challenge was a novel one with a positive outcome demonstrated by the level of quality on display at the challenge,” said Nedbank Group technology executive Thando Lukhele.
