From Lightning Bootcamp Graduate to Bitcoin Builder: Mabvuto Banda’s Path with BMaGlass Pay in Zambia
Mabvuto Banda, a community member and graduate of Zambia’s inaugural Lusaka Lightning Developer Bootcamp in 2025, had progressed from a novice learner to an international challenge winner and independent open-source builder.
Today, Banda is deploying BMaGlass Pay, a localized financial platform designed to bridge Bitcoin with the Zambian kwacha (ZMW). The platform allows users to buy, sell, send, and hold Bitcoin alongside everyday local currency balances offering a seamless choice between hosted account management and full self-custody via user-controlled seed phrases.
From Bootcamp to Global Recognition
In August 2025, BitDevs Zambia partnered with Africa Free Routing to host Lusaka’s first Lightning Developer Bootcamp. Around 30 developers participated in the five-day program, learning Bitcoin fundamentals, Lightning development, and how to build applications using open-source tools.
For Banda, the bootcamp was a starting point.
Later in 2025, he and fellow Zambian developer Victor Chabunda became winners in the Breez Time2Build Challenge, a global competition focused on building applications with self-custodial Lightning payments.
Banda’s winning project was an OBS Studio donation plugin that enabled livestream viewers to send Lightning payments. His achievement showed that developers trained through local African programs could compete internationally.
Building Bitcoin for Zambia: BMaGlass Pay
Banda is now developing BMaGlass Pay, a platform designed to make Bitcoin easier to use alongside the Zambian kwacha.
The platform aims to let users buy, sell, send, and hold Bitcoin and local currency. It also supports different wallet options, allowing users to choose between platform-managed accounts and self-custody.
With Lightning payments, on-chain transactions, and tools for merchants, BMaGlass Pay seeks to make Bitcoin more practical for everyday payments and business transactions in Zambia.
What This Means for Africa
Mabvuto Banda’s journey, from a local developer bootcamp to an international challenge winner and independent builder, is an example of what targeted Bitcoin education can achieve.
It shows how African developers can use open-source tools and practical training to build solutions that address real needs in their communities.
His story is also a reminder that Africa’s Bitcoin ecosystem is not only growing through adoption. It is growing through the people building the technology behind it.
From learning Lightning to building with Bitcoin, Banda’s journey represents the kind of progress Africa’s developer ecosystem needs.