African Technology And Telecommunications Heroes Lauded For Their Innovation, Improving Lives, And Increasing Inclusivity

Winners of the 15th Africa Tech Festival Awards (formerly AfricaCom Awards), sponsored by Intelsat, have been announced in Cape Town as the second day of the event, which welcomed yet another record attendance.

Hans Geldenhuys, Director, Intelsat Africa, said: "It has been refreshing and energising being back in face to face contact with the technology and telecoms community again. There has been significant advancement in all things digital across the world and nowhere is that more prominent than in Africa. The awards tonight acknowledge this and those who are at the pinnacle of Innovation in the industry. Congratulations to them and to all who were part of the proceedings."

Agreeing with this perspective, James Williams, Event Director at Informa Tech, organizers of Africa Tech Festival, said: "The technology and telecoms industry never sleeps. There is always something happening and perennial Innovation, which is necessary to march towards a digitally inclusive global society. Selecting winners from the many entries we receive in each category is always a difficult task, and I am glad I do not need to do this alone but can rely on a panel of experts to make those determinations. This is especially true this year, where we had more than 13000 public votes, expanded categories, and more entries than before.

"I too, congratulate all who were nominated. Your efforts are making the difference this continent needs."

The winners of the 2022 Africa tech Festival Awards are:

Start-Up of the Year

This award recognizes the most innovative start-up that has showcased potential over the last year for high growth and purpose-driven impact.

• Womenovate - a female-focused online learning platform based in Nigeria, offering women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics) access to resources, training courses, and jobs from world-class universities and companies, helping to close the gender gap/disparity and increase female participation in STEAM fields and sectors.

HealthTech Innovation of the Year

New for 2022, this award recognizes emerging technologies for healthcare across Africa that are changing lives, advancing healthcare, and impacting individuals and communities for the better.

• Nextwear Technologies - the very first wearable technology start-up in Nigeria and inventor of a smart bra that can detect breast cancer in its earliest stages.

VC / Investor of the Year Award

This award recognizes the most impactful fund in Africa, which provides investment to support, build, and scale their investee businesses.

• Meridiam – an asset and fund manager invested in African infrastructure, including four solar power plants in Senegal, a geothermal power plant in Ethiopia, a hydropower plant in Gabon, a biomass site in Cote d'Ivoire, and solar home systems in West Africa. It has now invested in helping build and develop over 12 tier III carrier-neutral data centres across the African continent.

Fintech Innovation of the Year

This award recognizes the organization, project, or individual who has disrupted the African Fintech space

• Kyanda Africa

Green ICT Champion

This award celebrates the individual or organization leading the development and integration of sustainable energy solutions

• Dr. Olufunso Somorin, Regional Principal Officer at the African Development Bank.

Connectivity Project of the Year

This award celebrates the network providers and services going above and beyond to provide connectivity in an environment where demand has never been higher and broadband has become a lifeline for access to education & economic activity.

• Nuran Wireless

CXO of the Year

This award recognizes the outstanding achievements of CEOs, CTOs, CIOs, and CDOs in driving development within the African tech space.

• Samuel Chiwanda, Click Mobile Malawi