UK-based startup what3words, Nigerian Fintech Startup, Flutterwave and Nigerian online media platform, Bounce News were part of the ten winners at the AppsAfrica.com Innovation Awards 2017. The winners were announced at a pan-African mobile and tech awards party held at the Shimmy Beach Club in Cape Town, South Africa, yesterday.
what3words was the shining star of the night as it clinched an award in two different categories: Enterprise Solution Award and Disruptive Innovation Award.
Well done to @what3words for their 2 #AppsAfrica Innovation Awards tonight. Super team and remarkable product for Africa @Duffington_Post pic.twitter.com/lanvGr6ipZ
— .đylan (@DylanRichts) November 6, 2017
The other winners are:
Best Social and Messaging Award: Flare Dispatch (A Kenyan Emergency response platform)
And the first #AppsAfrica Award of the night goes to @FlareDispatch – Kenya. Well done to the whole team on the win! pic.twitter.com/1SI52y6ctN
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 6, 2017
Educational Award: Snapplify (A South African Content distribution and publishing platform)
Winning the 2017 #AppsAfrica Award for Education is @Snapplify – South Africa. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/oncucEH4v2
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 6, 2017
Fintech Award: Flutterwave (A Nigerian Digital payment platform)
winner of 2017 #AppsAfrica Award FinTech goes to @theflutterwave Nigeria. congrats to the team! Thanks to @BalancingActAfr for accepting pic.twitter.com/O8VSjAMTVT
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 6, 2017
Social Impact Award: Vodacom e-School (A South Africa Educational portal)
Congratulations to @Vodacom – e-School, South Africa for winning the #AppsAfrica 2017 Social Impact Award. Nice work! pic.twitter.com/VUs9trP9IS
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 6, 2017
Best African Award: Boomplay Music (A Nigerian Digital music service)
Huge congratulations to everyone at @BoomplayMusic, for taking home the #AppsAfrica Best African App Award 2017… Boooooom 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/RjOVyBIW7o
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 6, 2017
mCommerce Award: Mazady (Egyptian SMS-based auction service)
Congratulations to @TAtelecom, Egypt for winning the #AppsAfrica mCommerce award 2017 for Mazady 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/OvIK2knX8U
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 6, 2017
Changing Africa Award: Jumo (A South African Financial services marketplace)
Outstanding work @JUMO_WORLD taking home the Changing Africa Award & @MEF membership – congratulations! @rimma1 picks it up on your behalf pic.twitter.com/rhEnh57uuz
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 6, 2017
News and Entertainment Award: Bounce News (Nigerian Data-light news app)
Winning our last #AppsAfrica Awards of 2017 for News & Entertainment is @BounceNewsNg, Nigeria – Congratulations to the whole team! pic.twitter.com/Iq7AqVMTQh
— MEF (Mobile Ecosystem Forum) (@MEF) November 6, 2017
How the Winners Were Determined
The winners have been selected from among 320 applicants from 31 countries. According to the organizers, the judges based their decision based on what they had seen in terms of innovation and scale across Africa. In addition, he said the judges had also taken into consideration longevity of the solutions and the potential to make an impact.
The AppsAfrica Innovation Awards event was created three years ago to celebrate the best in mobile and tech across the continent as many ventures do not get the visibility or recognition they deserve. According to Andrew Fassnidge, founder, AppsAfrica.com, “this year produced a vast array of great entries from exciting new technologies utilising artificial intelligence, bots and drones to mobile, health and education initiatives scaling across Africa.”
The award celebrates the best in mobile and tech from across Africa in 12 categories from ventures who can clearly demonstrate innovation using mobile or technology to meet the needs of any African market.Entries for this year’s edition was opened in August.You can check the list of nominees here.
What is in for them?
They will be invited to exhibit at the African Tech Summit which will take place on 14 and 15 February next year, in Kigali. According to organizers, Award winners will also get a year’s membership of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) and tickets to the MEF Connects at the Mobile World Congress 2018, in addition to media exposure around the world.
We are #AfricaCom today if you would like get involved in Africa Tech Summit Kigali 2018 – please get in touch https://t.co/nGZLIln8cw pic.twitter.com/DSRACJmoq6
— AppsAfrica (@AppsAfrica) November 7, 2017
Speaking on the testimony of past winners, Fassnidge said that some past winners had told him that after winning the awards that investors were taking them “a little bit more seriously”. He also noted that “Other winners like BitPesa have gone on to win more Fintech awards” while some other winners like the “Slidder App had gone on to the Mobile World Congress” and won the best app in the world six months after winning the AppsAfrica Innovation Awards.
Just that you know…
So many incredible innovative platforms with afrocentric approaches at @AppsAfrica innovation awards, my fav – #What3Words #AppsAfrica pic.twitter.com/3ynREXEVCw
— Indianna (@indi_in_jozi) November 6, 2017
The awards were held in collaboration with Mobile Monday South Africa, Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), Basebone, BoomPlay Music, Content Connect Africa and BBM.
Congratulations to the winners!
Now that you are here, you can also read:
Adeola Balogun, 400L OAU Student, Wins Data Science Nigeria Hackathon
Kenyan Startup, Moringa School, is Teaching Pakistanis How to Code
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