• The Africa Tech Festival takes place in November this year and the organisers are looking for nominations for the annual awards.
• The awards take place on 15th November but before that nominees need to be selected and shortlisted ahead of a public vote.
• There is a new Creative Visionary Award dedicated to honouring exceptional media, broadcasting, and entertainment professionals across Africa.

At the end of the year, just before the festive season puts everybody into a haze, Cape Town plays host to the Africa Tech Festival which includes AfricaCom and AfricaTech.

These conferences have a focus on connectivity and technology on the African continent. It’s a great destination for anybody interested in business, technology and telecommunications.

As part of the event the organisers host the Africa Tech Festival awards as a way to honour the movers and shakers in the tech sector.

Motunrayo Opayink, founder of Womenovate and winner of the Start-up of the Year Award in 2022 said, “[The Africa Tech Festival Awards] brought significant visibility and recognition to Womenovate. As a result, we experienced various positive changes, including increased brand visibility and new collaboration opportunities. We were also able to expand our network with like-minded individuals, experts, and mentors, which for us is very valuable in our mission to support Nigerian women in STEAM.”

Nominations for the awards are currently open but close on 7th September. Thereafter a shortlist of candidates will be announced and that shortlist will placed online for the public to vote for the winners.

The Award categories for 2023 are as follows:

• Creative Visionary Award – this new award is dedicated to honouring exceptional media, broadcasting, and entertainment professionals across Africa.
• Connecting for All Award – dedicated to recognising and honouring network providers and services that have demonstrated exceptional commitment and effort in ensuring connectivity for all.
• Innovation for Impact – recognises innovations in products or services that have disrupted traditional approaches, introduced novel solutions, and created tangible value for businesses and individuals in Africa.
• CXO of the Year – honours exceptional leaders in Africa and their outstanding contributions in building teams, setting new standards, and delivering on a clear vision in a rapidly changing business landscape.
• Changing Lives Award – dedicated to recognising and honouring organisations and initiatives that are committed to improving lives across the continent.
• Female Innovator of the Year Award – honours the women who have made significant contributions to the fields of tech, media, and telecoms across Africa.
• Sustainability Champion of the Year – formerly the ‘Green ICT Champion Award’, this award celebrates the remarkable achievements of individuals or organisation leading the way in the development and integration of sustainable energy solutions for the continent.
• Fintech Innovation Award – acknowledges the transformative power of financial technology in driving economic growth, financial inclusion, and digital transformation.
• Start-up of the Year Award – acknowledges the entrepreneurial spirit, technological innovation, and potential impact of start-ups in driving growth, solving challenges, and contributing to the advancement of Africa’s tech ecosystem.
• HealthTech Innovation of the Year Award – recognises innovative solutions that are changing lives, advancing healthcare, and making a significant positive impact on individuals and communities.

“These awards are all about celebrating the optimists in industry for whom every challenge is a possibility and a solution waiting to be discovered and implemented,” says developer of the awards and ensuring Africa Tech Festival runs smoothly, James Williams, director of events at Connecting Africa|Informa Tech.

“The wealth of talent on the African continent is exceptional, which makes the public voting to select only one hero per category, a highly competitive process and extremely difficult. That said, it is an honour to be amongst them all and we look forward to this event every year and to sharing their achievements with our connected community,” adds Williams.

Nominations can be submitted over at the official website here. The awards will take place at the Bay Hotel in Camp’s Bay, Cape Town on 15th November. Africa Tech Festival starts on 13th November and runs until 16th November.