Shortlist Announced for AfricaCom 2015 Awards

Cape Town, South Africa, October 19, 2015–The AfricaCom Awards continues to grow in strength and significance.  According to Adam Thompson, Head of Content at Com World Series, the 2015 applications were many and of an extremely high standard, and reinforced the importance of the Awards as a showcase for innovation within the telecoms and ICT sector across Africa.  

The winners will be announced at the eagerly anticipated AfricaCom Awards event, always a highlight on the AfricaCom agenda, which this year takes place on 18th November. 

The shortlisted contenders for the various categories in 2015 are:

Best Network Improvement

  • Airtel - NW Modernization Airtel Kenya
  • Botswana Fibre Networks - Best Network Improvement
  • Huawei Technologies - Huawei's Lampsite Solution in Kenya
  • Liquid Telecom - Liquid Telecom Kenya - Nairobi metropolitan network
  • Millicom Ghana Limited - Best Network Improvement
  • World Telecom Labs - ICN and World Telecom Labs – increasing capacity in Nigeria

Excellence in Customer Experience Management

  • First National Bank - FNB Connect
  • Mahindra Comviva - Real-time Analytics of Customer Experience (RACE)
  • MODE - Advanced Credit Services
  • Orange - Vocal Emergency Credit
  • Safaricom - Voice of the Customer
  • Etisalat - 24/7 HELP LINE/SUPPORT

Breakthrough LTE Development

  • Ericsson - Ericsson LTE roll out
  • Huawei Technologies - Huawei's eLTE Solution for Kenya
  • PCCW - high-performance IPX-enabled networks
  • Safaricom – LTE
  • Telkom SA SOC Ltd - LTE and LTE-A
  • Vodacom South Africa and Nokia Networks - Voice over LTE Service

Best Cost Efficiency Solution for Africa

  • CSG - International Managed Services
  • Huawei Technologies - MTN wireless Managed Service project
  • PCCW - Keeping African international voice traffic in Africa
  • Sigma Solutions Inc - OmniCare - a suite of telecom software solutions
  • ZTE - Cloud Radio

Best Connectivity Solution for Africa

  • Internet Solutions - CloudConnect
  • Liquid Telecom - 100Mbps FTTH “Fibroniks” Service
  • MTN SA - fibre to the home or FTTH
  • Orange - Always Connected Services
  • Polystar - Polystar Network Insight and Customer Insight Solutions
  • Project Isizwe - Tshwane Free WiFi project

VSAT Innovation for Africa

  • Liquid Telecom - Double VSAT Service
  • Orange - VPN VSAT Services_Orange Business Services
  • Vodacom DRC - Rural Coverage System
  • Isatafric – SkySat

Best Marketing Campaign

  • BigTime - Revenue Booster Campaign Suite
  • Millicom Ghana Limited - Best Marketing Campaign
  • MTN SA - MTN Sky “Win a Plane” Competition
  • Orange - Orange Money - Member get Member
  • Unitel – Kisom

Best Mobile Money Service

  • Airtel - Airtel Money
  • Ericsson - Ericsson Wallet Platform
  • Jumo – Access
  • Millicom Ghana Limited - Mobile Money
  • Millicom Tchad - TigoCash Paare
  • Orange - Orange Money - Kuma & Cash voucher PAM
  • Panamax Inc. – MobiFin
  • Safaricom - KCB M-PESA Account
  • WorldRemit - Pioneering safer, lower cost remittances for the African diaspora

Best App for Africa

  • AIM - EKYC Platform
  • mVentus - mVentus Self-Care app
  • Orange - Orange Radio
  • Project Isizwe - Tshwane WiFi Voice Mobile App
  • Unitel – Kisom
  • Vodacom - My Vodacom App

Best Device for Africa

  • Huawei Technologies - Huawei P8
  • MTN SA – Steppa
  • Orange - Orange Klif

Most Innovative Service

  • Airtel - Airtel Tanzania Micro Loan
  • EdgePoint - bimaAFYA : A Mobile Micro Health Insurance
  • Ericsson - Smart buses service
  • First National Bank - FNB Connect
  • PCCW - OnTap.TV
  • Project Isizwe (Tshwane Free WiFi Project) - WiFi TV
  • Trace Group - Trace Mobile
  • Vumatel - Fibre to the home

Best Pan-African Initiative

  • ISON  BPO - Best Pan - African Initiative
  • Liquid Telecom - 100Mbps FTTH “Fibroniks” Service
  • Orange - STOP EBOLA INITIATIVE_Most Operators
  • Trace TV - Trace Music Star

Changing Lives Award

  • Ericsson and MTN Benin - Eco Management
  • GoMetro - GoMapp/GoMetro Pro
  • ISON BPO - BPO Services, IP to Work
  • Liquid Telecom - Office of the President (Kenya) and Liquid Telecom - free WiFi in Nakuru County
  • Millicom Ghana Limited - Changing Lives
  • Mindset Network - Ukusiza Project
  • Orange - Mobile Health Services
  • The Apprentice Valley - Xenophobia citizen tool
  • The South African Depression and Anxiety Group, Speaking Books - The Speaking Book
  • WIOCC - Improved connectivity transforming Somalia

The AfricaCom Awards 2015 Judges

Thecla Mbongue, Senior Analyst MEA, ITM

Thecla is a Senior Analyst within Informa Telecoms & Media’s Industry Research division and is a key contributor to Informa’s World Cellular Information Service.

In her role, Thecla is responsible for researching the telecoms industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Thecla also manages World cellular Data Metrics, in which Informa tracks mobile data usage and up-take, including SMS and MMS traffic volumes, mobile data subscriber information, MMSC contract awards, mobile data deployments and non-voice revenues. She is a key contributor to many of Informa’s reports such as the CDMA-450, HSPA or Multiple-SIM insights.

A native French speaker, Thecla is a regular speaker and moderator at international conferences in Africa and is often quoted in the regional and global business press.

Russell Southwood, Chief Executive, Balancing Act

Russell Southwood is the Chief Executive, Balancing Act, a consultancy and online publishing company specialising in telecoms, Internet and broadcasting in Africa. His consultancy work has included: an assessment of two different sectors in the TV market in Africa; an assessment of the transition to digital broadcasting in over 20 African countries; an appraisal of an investment in a wireless broadband operator; and a study on Open Access models. He is also the co-author of Balancing Act’s African Broadcast and Film Markets and African Satellite Markets.

Prakash Patel, Chief Strategy Officer for Fogg Experiential Design Cape Town

Prakash Patel, a seasoned Tra-digitalist now Chief Strategy Officer for Fogg Experiential Design Cape Town and previously CEO of Prezence Digital – is a strategist in a suit, an innovator and blue-sky thinker, a Creative in disguise and a firm believer that all things are possible using technology as the enabler and creative as the idea-tor. Now trying to keep up with tomorrow today and helping brands add value in the Digital Era. Prakash is a digitally led, senior commercially aware marketer with over 2 decades of global and local (South Africa & Africa) experience within the advertising industry, delivering creatively led, data-driven digital and TTL marketing solutions for leading brands across industry sectors. That encompasses data insights and CRM at the heart of everything (something he is now driving in SA) 

Matthew Reed, Principal Analyst, Informa Telecoms and Media

Areas of expertise: Middle East and Africa telecom markets and trends including regional operator strategy and network and regulatory developments.

Matthew Reed is a Principal Analyst with Informa Telecoms & Media and head of mobile research for the Middle East and Africa. He is responsible for ITM’s data and written research for the region, which includes detailed coverage of local markets. Matthew’s research interests include operator strategy within the MEA region as well as network and regulatory developments. Matthew is a regular speaker and chair at industry conferences in the region. He also regularly comments on industry developments for local and international media.

Tom Jackson, Co-Founder, Disrupt Africa

Tom is co-founder of Disrupt Africa, the one-stop shop for all the latest news and information on Africa’s growing tech startup ecosystem. Tom spends his time travelling the continent meeting an array of startups, investors and stakeholders in an industry which is grabbing the world’s attention, while also writing for the likes of the BBC, Economist and Fortune.

Arthur Goldstuck, Head of World Wide Worx

Arthur Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx research organisation, and is an award-winning writer, analyst and commentator on Internet and mobile technologies. In 2013, the Institute of IT Professionals SA named him recipient of the Distinguished Service in ICT Award, and in 2014 he was appointed to the National Broadband Advisory Council by the Minister of Communications. As a journalist, he was news editor of the Weekly Mail, South African correspondent for Billboard, and a freelance feature writer for the Times of London. He publishes the online consumer technology magazine Gadget.co.za, and his weekly gadgets column is the most widely syndicated technology column in South Africa. He writes a weekly technology trends column for the Sunday Times, and is author of 18 books. He is collaborating with Nikki Bush on a new book, “The Tech-savvy Parent”, due out in 2014.

Lynette Hundermark, Co-Founder, Useful & Beautiful

With over 15 years of experience in the tech, digital marketing and mobile solutions space, Hundermark co-founded specialist mobile solutions consultancy Useful & Beautiful. With a passion for developing mobile products that are aligned to business goals, Hundermark’s appetite for keeping abreast of the latest industry trends is fast establishing her as an expert tech commentator and opinion leader in South Africa. 

Former apps business director and head of product strategy at Prezence Digital, Hundermark developed some of the most successful mobile web and apps solutions in the country, such as the popular Ster-Kinekor booking app.

She was the mobile product manager for Kalahari.com and earlier in her career she served as an enterprise programmer analyst for 8 years the UK. Hundermark’s experience spans the retail, financial and entertainment sectors, where she has developed a myriad of different mobile solutions for the likes of bidorbuy, Hollard, Old Mutual and EyeWitness News, to name a few. She speaks regularly at a variety of local tech and mobile conferences and is frequently quoted in South African media.

About AfricaCom 2015

Taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 17 - 19 November 2015, AfricaCom is now in its 18th year.   AfricaCom is Africa’s largest communications conference & exhibition attracting 10 000 delegates.  The conference programme covers the most strategic issues affecting companies in Africa’s digital market - services, efficiency, profitability, customer experience, partnerships, policy and more – and features several co-located events: VSAT Africa, TV Connect Africa, LTE Africa and Apps World Africa. To register: http://africa.comworldseries.com/register/