The Africa Emerging Tech Awards stand as a beacon of recognition for groundbreaking technological advancements across the continent. These prestigious awards celebrate and honor the individuals, startups, and organizations that are shaping the future of Africa through innovation and cutting-edge solutions.
In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, Africa’s innovators are tackling some of the continent’s most pressing challenges—from financial inclusion and climate change to education, healthcare, and agricultural transformation.
Through the Africa Emerging Tech Awards, these visionaries gain the recognition they deserve, highlighting their contributions to driving transformative change and unlocking new opportunities for growth and development.
The awards program spans a variety of categories, showcasing the diversity and depth of Africa’s technology ecosystem—whether it’s through fintech solutions that empower underserved populations, agritech innovations that boost food security, or AI tools that revolutionize industries.
More than just an awards program, the Africa Emerging Tech Awards serves as a powerful platform that fosters collaboration, inspires future innovators, and amplifies the impact of technology across Africa.
By shining a spotlight on the continent’s brightest minds, the awards celebrate not just achievements, but also the promise of a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable future for Africa.
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Why Africa Emerging Tech Awards
The Africa Emerging Tech Awards serves as a premier platform dedicated to recognizing and amplifying the achievements of Africa’s most promising innovators, startups, and technology pioneers.
1. Recognition of Excellence
The awards celebrate individuals and companies that have demonstrated exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact in their fields—whether in AI, fintech, agritech, health tech, or other transformative sectors shaping Africa’s future.
2. Promotion of Innovation
The Africa Emerging Tech Awards encourages the development of bold, forward-thinking solutions that address Africa’s unique challenges, drive economic growth, and foster sustainable development across the continent.
3. Networking and Collaboration
The awards provide a unique platform for innovators, investors, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to connect, share insights, and explore collaborative opportunities that can accelerate progress in Africa’s technology ecosystem.
4. Inspiration and Motivation
By showcasing success stories and celebrating pioneers making a difference, the Africa Emerging Tech Awards inspires other entrepreneurs and startups to innovate, disrupt, and lead the charge in transforming Africa’s technological landscape.
These awards underscore the importance of recognizing and supporting the innovators shaping Africa’s digital future.
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2025 Award Categories and Recipients
1. Female Tech Innovator: Chinwe Udo-Davis (Nigeria) – Co-Founder & CEO of Instollar
The Female Tech Innovator Award recognizes visionary women who are shaping Africa’s tech landscape through innovation, leadership, and impact.
In 2025, Chinwe Udo-Davis earned this award for her groundbreaking work with Instollar and the InstallHer initiative. Chinwe’s mission is to bridge the gender gap in Africa’s energy sector by training and empowering women in solar installation.
Through InstallHer, she has created pathways for hundreds of women to enter the clean energy workforce, transforming both their economic prospects and local energy access.
Her leadership exemplifies how female innovators can drive sustainable development and gender equity while addressing Africa’s energy challenges. Chinwe’s story is an inspiration for aspiring women in technology and a testament to the power of inclusive innovation.
2. Young Tech Innovator: Maxwell Opondo (Kenya) – Developer of Zerobionic
The Young Tech Innovator Award celebrates trailblazing young minds who are leveraging technology to create social impact.
Maxwell Opondo, the 2025 recipient, is the brilliant developer behind Zerobionic, a robotic arm that translates sign language into real-time communication.
This breakthrough technology addresses a significant barrier for students with hearing impairments by enabling more seamless interaction with the wider community.
Maxwell’s innovation not only showcases technical ingenuity but also highlights the transformative power of inclusive technology.
His work is a beacon of hope for greater accessibility and inclusivity in education and society, proving that Africa’s youth have the potential to lead the continent’s technological revolution.
3. Agritech Award: Mazao AgClimate Limited (Tanzania)
The Agritech Award recognizes companies harnessing technology to revolutionize agriculture, ensuring food security, sustainability, and resilience against climate change.
In 2025, the award was granted to Mazao AgClimate Limited for their climate-smart agricultural solutions. Their platform empowers farmers with real-time climate data, predictive analytics, and actionable insights that enable them to make informed decisions on crop selection, planting schedules, and irrigation strategies.
By improving yields and reducing losses, Mazao is helping farmers adapt to changing environmental conditions, thereby enhancing livelihoods and promoting sustainable agriculture.
This award highlights the critical role of Agritech in Africa’s development, where agriculture remains the backbone of many economies.
4. AI Award: Cassava Technologies (South Africa)
The AI Award honors companies pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence to solve complex problems across Africa.
Cassava Technologies earned this accolade in 2025 for delivering AI-driven infrastructure solutions across sectors like connectivity, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.
By integrating AI into essential services, Cassava enables businesses and communities to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Their solutions help protect data, optimize networks, and unlock new opportunities in sectors ranging from finance to healthcare.
Cassava’s impact demonstrates how AI can be harnessed not just for profit, but to create inclusive, scalable technologies that drive Africa’s digital economy forward.
5. Climate Tech Award: Sabi (Nigeria)
The Climate Tech Award celebrates innovations that tackle environmental challenges and promote sustainability. In 2025, Sabi was recognized for its pioneering use of blockchain technology in supply chain optimization and sustainability tracking.
By ensuring greater transparency and efficiency in the movement of goods, Sabi empowers businesses to reduce waste, improve resource management, and lower their carbon footprint.
Their solution addresses a critical need for sustainable practices across industries, helping Africa build a greener and more resilient economy. Sabi’s work underscores how technology can be a force for environmental stewardship in the face of global climate challenges.
6. Cross-Border Payments Award: Flutterwave (Nigeria)
The Cross-Border Payments Award acknowledges companies creating seamless, secure, and accessible payment solutions for businesses and individuals.
In 2025, Flutterwave earned this recognition for its trailblazing global payment platform, which enables frictionless transactions across borders.
Flutterwave’s solutions empower African businesses to access international markets, helping them grow and scale beyond local borders.
By providing payment rails that are both reliable and cost-effective, Flutterwave plays a pivotal role in unlocking trade and commerce across the continent and beyond. Their impact demonstrates how financial technology can bridge gaps in global trade and fuel Africa’s economic development.
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7. Digital Commerce Award: OmniRetail (Nigeria)
The Digital Commerce Award celebrates platforms that enable efficient and inclusive trade through digital channels. In 2025, OmniRetail (OmniBiz) received this honor for its transformative work in connecting FMCG distributors and retailers across Nigeria.
By streamlining supply chains and ensuring reliable access to products, OmniRetail helps small and medium businesses thrive, especially in underserved areas. Their platform simplifies ordering, inventory management, and payments, driving efficiency across the retail sector.
OmniRetail’s model is a game-changer for digital commerce in Africa, facilitating growth for businesses of all sizes and empowering local economies.
8. EdTech Award: Ikusasa Technology Solutions (South Africa)
The EdTech Award recognizes companies transforming education through digital innovation. In 2025, Ikusasa Technology Solutions was honored for delivering digital education and vocational training to help African youth gain vital technological skills.
Their programs focus on equipping students for the future of work by providing access to high-quality, relevant content in areas such as coding, AI, and data analytics.
By addressing Africa’s digital skills gap, Ikusasa is empowering the next generation to participate fully in the global digital economy. Their work highlights the critical role of education technology in creating equitable access to learning and economic opportunities.
9. Enterprise Award: Smile ID (Nigeria)
The Enterprise Award honors companies offering robust, scalable solutions that drive business efficiency. In 2025, Smile ID was awarded for its advanced digital identity verification services, which boast high facial recognition accuracy and compliance with KYC and AML regulations across Africa.
By enabling secure onboarding for businesses in sectors like finance, health, and e-commerce, Smile ID plays a key role in driving trust, reducing fraud, and enabling digital transformation.
Their solutions support businesses of all sizes, helping them grow while ensuring compliance and customer security. Smile ID’s work underscores the importance of reliable digital identity in the modern economy.
10. FemTech Award: My Pregnancy Journey (South Africa)
The FemTech Award spotlights companies addressing women’s health through technology. In 2025, My Pregnancy Journey was celebrated for its culturally relevant web-based app, which provides expecting mothers with health guidance tailored to their needs.
The platform offers localized information on prenatal care, nutrition, and birthing options, empowering women to make informed decisions about their health.
My Pregnancy Journey bridges the gap between healthcare providers and expectant mothers, improving maternal health outcomes across the continent.
Their innovation highlights the power of technology in addressing gender-specific healthcare challenges and advancing women’s health equity.
11. FinTech Award: HUB2 (Mauritius)
The FinTech Award recognizes companies advancing financial inclusion and innovation in Africa. In 2025, HUB2 was awarded for its focus on payment infrastructure and interoperability across Francophone Africa.
HUB2’s solutions simplify cross-border payments and empower businesses to transact seamlessly within and beyond their borders.
By promoting financial inclusion and accessibility, HUB2 supports economic development and trade in regions often underserved by traditional financial institutions.
Their impact demonstrates how fintech can bridge financial divides and create new opportunities for businesses and individuals alike.
12. Health Tech Award: Zuri Health (Kenya)
The Health Tech Award honors innovations that enhance healthcare access, delivery, and outcomes. In 2025, Zuri Health was recognized for its comprehensive digital healthcare platform, which provides services such as remote consultations, prescription management, and medication orders.
By making healthcare accessible via mobile devices, Zuri Health reaches underserved populations, especially in rural areas. Their platform reduces barriers to care, improves patient outcomes, and supports the broader goal of universal health coverage in Africa.
Zuri Health’s work exemplifies how digital health solutions can transform healthcare access and equity across the continent.
13. Web3 Award: MiniPay (Nigeria/Norway)
The Web3 Award highlights pioneers leveraging blockchain and decentralized technologies to drive innovation in Africa. In 2025, MiniPay received this award for their stablecoin-based wallet that enables instant, low-cost digital currency transactions.
MiniPay’s platform facilitates borderless payments, allowing users to transact seamlessly across currencies and regions. Their work empowers individuals and businesses to participate in the digital economy without the traditional barriers of high fees and currency volatility.
MiniPay’s innovation underscores the transformative potential of Web3 technologies in creating financial inclusion and resilience across Africa.
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Who Should Apply for the Award
The Africa Emerging Tech Awards shines a spotlight on a diverse range of innovators, startups, and organizations operating across Africa’s rapidly evolving technology landscape. The awards recognize individuals and companies that are pushing the boundaries of innovation to solve Africa’s challenges and drive inclusive growth.
1. Established Innovators
Large and mid-sized technology firms that have demonstrated outstanding leadership, impact, and innovation within their industries, setting new benchmarks for excellence.
2. Emerging Startups
Agile startups and early-stage ventures developing groundbreaking solutions with the potential to scale and transform industries across Africa.
3. Technology Pioneers
Entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators leading the charge in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, fintech, agritech, edtech, and health tech.
4. Sector-Specific Innovators
Specialized solution providers offering targeted innovations in fields such as cybersecurity, cloud services, and digital transformation that empower businesses and communities.
5. Enabling Partners
Organizations and service providers—including system integrators, independent software vendors, and ecosystem enablers—who support the deployment, integration, and success of emerging technologies across the continent.
The Africa Emerging Tech Awards celebrates this vibrant ecosystem of changemakers, showcasing the talent, vision, and ingenuity driving Africa’s tech revolution forward.
Conclusion
The Africa Emerging Tech Awards celebrates Africa’s boldest innovators, recognizing those who are redefining industries and solving pressing challenges across the continent.
From trailblazing fintech solutions and inclusive health platforms to cutting-edge AI, climate tech, and Web3 innovations, these visionaries are not only transforming their sectors but also inspiring the next generation of African changemakers.
As the continent continues its digital transformation, these awardees serve as a powerful reminder of Africa’s immense talent, creativity, and potential. Their stories illuminate a bright future, where technology drives inclusive growth, economic development, and social progress for all.
FAQs
What are the Africa Emerging Tech Awards?
The Africa Emerging Tech Awards is a prestigious recognition platform that celebrates the achievements of innovators, startups, and technology companies across Africa. It highlights those who are using technology to drive positive change, solve critical challenges, and create impact across industries like fintech, healthtech, agritech, AI, and more.
Who is eligible to participate or receive an award?
The awards are open to individuals, startups, and organizations based in Africa or serving African markets. Eligible participants are those who have developed innovative solutions, products, or services that contribute to Africa’s digital transformation and economic growth.
What categories are included in the Africa Emerging Tech Awards?
The awards feature a diverse range of categories, including Female Tech Innovator, Young Tech Innovator, AI, Agritech, Fintech, Climate Tech, Web3, Digital Commerce, EdTech, HealthTech, Enterprise, and more.
How are winners selected?
Winners are selected based on their innovation, impact, scalability, and potential to solve real-world challenges. An expert panel of judges from across the African tech ecosystem evaluates the submissions.
Why are the Africa Emerging Tech Awards important?
These awards shine a spotlight on Africa’s tech trailblazers, encouraging innovation and inspiring others to create solutions that drive inclusive growth, sustainability, and resilience across the continent.
References
- 2025 AFRICATECH AWARDS AT VIVATECH: NIGERIA, KENYA
- Africa Technology Awards – Powering the Present and Future
