AppsAfrica Innovation Awards 2020

The sixth AppsAfrica Innovation Awards, celebrates technology and mobile applications from across Africa, showcasing the continents best innovations across 12 categories. The awards are open to corporates, established ventures or start-ups who have launched services in at least one African market.

The Awards continue to be a leading barometer of innovation across the continent and provide finalists and winners with industry recognition potentially leading to funding, business partnerships and mentoring and global publicity. Winners are also invited to the 4th Africa Tech Summit Kigali 2021 to join tech leaders, corporates, startups, and investors.

Key dates:

Application Deadline – November 10th
Shortlist announced – November 26th
Winners announced – December 10th

Applications are welcome from technology and mobile ventures with services launched in at least one African market for the following award categories;

Disruptive Innovation Award


Existing business models are being disrupted across the continent using technology and innovation. This award recognises companies who have launched a service or created a product that has completely disrupted or forced innovation into an existing marketplace in Africa.  Entries open across all sectors.

Health Tech Award

Innovation within health technology continues to transform the way we care for our health; this award celebrates companies that have used technology and innovation to create and implement life-changing and life-saving health services in Africa.  Entries may include a new service, devices, software, hardware, or use of apps, SMS, IVR, or social media.

Best African App Award


This award recognizes the best of the best across the African app ecosystem.  Judges will be looking for great design, creativity, excellent user interface, usability, originality, innovation and adoption.  Entries welcomed from any app successfully launched on any platform targeting African consumers or businesses.

Cyber Security Award

This award celebrates companies that have successfully implemented ground-breaking security services protecting data, workloads and systems for individuals and organizations across the continent. Entries welcome from innovative ventures and mobile services in any sector across Africa.

Blockchain Award


This award will recognize a company that has applied or developed blockchain technology for use within the supply chain to increase the speed, efficiency, accuracy, transparency or cost-effectiveness of any sector in Africa.  If you are a startup with blockchain at the heart of your operation, a company developing innovative blockchain solutions for mass adoption or an organization steering the understanding of cryptocurrency

Media & Entertainment Award


As the mobile media, news and entertainment industry continues to flourish across Africa, this award seeks to recognize the best and most engaging in news and entertainment services across the continent. Examples include music, podcasts, literary, gaming, children’s entertainment, lifestyle, influencers, YouTubers, vlogs and video. Enter Now.

Education Award

This award recognizes companies and products striving to transform and deliver quality, technology-rich innovative solutions enhancing education across Africa. Entries for m-learning, e-learning, online courses and solutions for teaching and assessment utilizing mobile or other technologies are welcomed.

Agri & FoodTech Award


This award recognizes the best tech innovations driving agriculture and the future of food across the continent. This includes but is not limited to hardware, software, drones, big data, IoT services, mobile services or any technology supporting farmers, improving yields or supply chains in Africa.

Fintech Solution Award


This award recognizes the best fintech innovation including digital currency, bitcoin, mobile money, wallets, P2P, money remittances & transfers, point of sale or funding platforms.

Social Impact Award


This award recognizes an inspiring use of any technology that has a positive and transformational social impact for an African community while contributing to the environment, economy, community or social development.

eCommerce Award 


This award is dedicated to celebrating the wave of online and mobile commerce initiatives booming across Africa. Entrants might include online platforms, retail brands, portals, apps, classifieds, comparison sites, and many more driving eCommerce across Africa.

Mobility Award


This award seeks to recognize the leading mobility ventures using technology such as hardware, software, robotics, drones or innovative mobile services that improve mobility, logistics or supply chains in an African market.