Six Winners Announced at East Africa Com 2022 Awards

East Africa Com has spent 19 years connecting and celebrating the leaders in tech and telecommunications in East Africa.

The East Africa Com Awards Ceremony was created to celebrate the best in the business across the region, and six winners were chosen by public vote. Winners were announced during East Africa Com 2022, which took place virtually over 10 - 11 May.

So, without further ado, here are the six winners of the 2022 East Africa Com Awards!

Connectivity Champion Award

The Connectivity Champion Award celebrates the network providers and services going above-and-beyond to ensure connectivity in East Africa.

Why they won:

Poa! internet connects the underserved communities of Africa, improving lives through unlimited access to knowledge and opportunities. For over 5 years, poa! internet has been steadily building it's ambition to be the leading internet provider in Africa.

Poa Home offers unlimited data residential broadband service for half the price of other offerings in the market, to low-income and underserved communities in Kenya.

Fintech Innovation of the Year Award

Winner: Krypia Finance

This award honours the top companies and products leading in FinTech innovations in East Africa.

Why they won:

Krypia is an easy & inclusive financial platform that empowers millions of people by providing SMEs with quick access to affordable financial services so they can truly flourish and improve their lives.

Female Innovator of the Year Award

Winner: Nisha Sanghvi, Founder & Creative Director of Khanga Rue

This award will recognise the outstanding achievements of women who are playing a crucial role in driving Africa towards the fourth industrial revolution, as well as underscore the need for increased gender parity within the industry.

Why she won:

Khanga Rue is a majority woman-led agency and Nisha (Tanzanian) is the main creative driver behind some of the most innovative ed-tech tools being used to change behaviors and improve people's lives in East Africa.?This includes the "Lenga" app currently used to teach financial skills to low income earners, the "smart duka" app providing business skills to duka owners in Kenya, the "Mjanja Connect" app helping adolescent girls know about contraception and their bodies.

Changing Lives Award

Winner: KamiLimu

This award recognises innovation where ICT meets socio-economic development and digital inclusion. This award will celebrate a product, initiative or social enterprise that is having a life-changing impact on individuals or communities in East Africa.

Why they won:

Up to 80% of Kenyan tertiary-level students do not receive mentorship outside the classroom, which leads to insufficient expertise in 21st-century skills.?

KamiLimu, an award-winning non-profit organization, addresses this. Their mission is to bridge the skills gap between classroom learning and global competitiveness for tertiary-level tech students in Kenya.

Inspiring Leader of the Year Award

Winner: Dr. Chao Mbogho, Founder & CEO, KamiLimu

The Inspiring Leader is the top accolade at the East Africa Com Awards. Formerly known as the CxO of the Year Award, this category includes all leaders (including management, as well as CxO level). The award celebrates individuals demonstrating exceptional leadership, with an outstanding ability to advance technologies, deployments and ecosystems.

Why she won:

Dr. Chao is a Founder, Mentor, Innovator, Educator and one of the few Kenyan women with a PhD in Computer Science. Her prowess in all these areas has made her one of the most inspiring role models of our generation. She has received over 25 awards, fellowships, and grants for her work to date.

Most Innovative Product or Service Award

Winner: AR Edu

The Most Innovative Product or Service Award recognises a game-changing product or service that provided its target market with significant new opportunities for revenue growth or customer satisfaction.

Why they won:

UNICEF identifies poor quality content and poor quality teaching processes as some of the most significant barriers to education in developing countries. In an age where East Africa is embracing practical and digital learning, AR Edu offers powerful augmented reality technology that requires as little infrastructure as a smartphone.

Not only does AR Edu make it easier for students and teachers to access and study learning materials but the 3D interaction with the materials via Augmented Reality makes learning fun and enjoyable which would have students spending more time studying and getting a better understanding of concepts.

You can watch the Awards Ceremonies and access all other sessions on demand for up to 30 days after the event. Click here to access the event platform.