· Orange Botswana celebrates victors in the 13th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize
In a continued effort to champion active support for local talent across the board, Orange Botswana held the 13th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize this year, culminating in an awards ceremony on the 22nd of November 2023 at the Orange Botswana Head Office.
OSVP which aims to reward the best innovative and socially responsible business projects, saw an impressive number of 73 entries for 2023 compared to 57 in the previous year. Three projects walked away with the prestige and P 100 000 prize money allocated to Botswana entrants in the first phase of the competition. The 2023 winners of the initiative are creators of Aga Sure Mobile App who took home P50,000 in prize money. The mobile application is a micro-insurance platform that provides access to financial services for unserved and underserved economic communities.
The top 3 finalists list also consisted of:
2. Ipachi Mobile App – An artificial intelligence (AI) powered app which seamlessly generates financial reports which small businesses can use to prove their credit worthiness and get access to credit, taking home P30,000 in prize money; and
3. Finating – A mobile application curated for the African group savings market which intends to digitize group savings by offering formal financial services to marginalized communities, taking home P20,000 in prize money.
Since its launch, the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East rewards young start-ups that harness Information and Communication Technologies to meet the needs of local populations, from education to health, agriculture, mobile payment, and sustainable development. Over the past 12 years, almost 12,000 applications have been received in Africa and middle East, resulting in over 36 start-ups winning financial and technical support, and 86 projects coming to life. Botswana forms part of these statistics.
OSVP’s main aim is to reward innovative projects based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) which aim to improve the living conditions of people in Africa and the Middle East. This is in fields such as education, healthcare, agriculture, mobile payments and sustainable development. It is designed to reward the best innovative and socially responsible business projects, scrutinized greatly for their merit.
Said Orange Botswana CEO, Nene Maiga, “Today’s proceedings have gathered together to recognise the outstanding achievements of our young techpreneurs and to highlight Orange Botswana’s dedication to financing and assisting local ICT entrepreneurial start-ups. This platform serves to showcase the remarkable projects that have emerged from the Orange Social Venture Prize 2023 submissions and to inspire future participation in the 14th edition. »
Orange Botswana continues to strive to be the preferred digital partner for social entrepreneurs and digital start-ups in Botswana. The Orange Social Venture Prize plays an inherent role in this way, promoting the use of digital technologies for social and economic development in under-served communities in Africa and the Middle East.
The Orange Social Venture Prize competition takes place in two phases:
1. National phase – each of the 17 participating Orange businesses across Africa and the Middle East assess the projects submitted in their respective countries, with a view towards selecting 3 winners per country. This means a total of 51 National winners. Aga Sure, Ipachi Mobile App and Finating have successfully been named victors in this phase for 2023.
2. International phase – 51 National winners compete for an International Grand Prize, which is presented to the 3 final winners at the AfricaCom Awards event. The 3 winners will receive 25,000 Euro and 15,000 Euro and 10,000 Euro respectively, as well as six months of customized digital mentoring and advice from Orange experts. These international awards complete the various prizes delivered locally to all winners.
Concluded Maiga, “As we move forward, we encourage potential ICT start-ups to participate in next year’s edition. The Orange Social Venture Prize is a gateway to global recognition and an opportunity to make a lasting impact on society. The competition is fierce, but the rewards are substantial, both locally and internationally.
