Returning for the 10th year, the MTN Business App of the Year Awards will be held virtually on 16 September.
The mobile operator announced today that entries for the competition that recognises app development talent are officially open,
It adds that the prize money for the country’s best digital developers is at its “highest ever” this year, with R1 million now up for grabs.
There are also two new categories, namely the “Best Campus Cup Solution” – a competition open to students currently enrolled at accredited tertiary education facilities, universities, TVET colleges and institutions, and incubation hubs.
The other new category is the “Best African Solution”, which aims to profile app developers and coders from the rest of the continent. To qualify, competitors have to be living outside of SA, but within an African country, and their app needs to be developed locally within their region.
“Everyone deserves the benefits of a more connected life, which is why MTN continues to spearhead digital transformation through its continued sponsorship of the MTN App of the Year Awards,” says Kholofelo Magagane, head of marketing at MTN Business.
“These awards nurture entrepreneurship by providing a platform for developers to be recognised, and the opportunity to make a meaningful living from their passion projects. They also provide solutions for some of South Africans’ most pressing business and personal needs.”
MTN Business notes this year’s winners join the ranks of those that won before them, many of whom have now become well-known locally, been acquired by blue-chip corporates or have gone on to launch their apps internationally.
Last year, EasyEquities, a mobile app thataims to remove the barriers to entry in local and international stock markets for everyone, claimed the overall winner's spot.
Says Magagane: “The opportunities really are endless, as endless as South Africans’ imaginations, and their determination to overcome every obstacle in their path with passion and creative energy. It’s this combination that’s sure to see many more successful South African and African app-based businesses emerging – and we’re only too glad to have created platforms that can help them succeed.”
The 2021 MTN Business App of the Year Awards categories are:
- Best Consumer Solution
- Best Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Solution
- Best Enterprise Solution
- Most Innovative Solution
- Best Gaming Solution
- Best Health Solution
- Best Agricultural Solution
- Best Educational Solution
- Best Financial Solution
- Best Hackathon Solution
- Best “South African” Solution
- Best Campus Cup Solution
- Best African Solution
- Huawei Category 15 – Launched last year, this category is reserved for apps that were developed for the Huawei App Gallery, are HMS compatible or have integrated an HMS toolkit.
Entries for the awards close on Monday, 9 August, after which the judging panel will start the shortlisting process.
To enter, click here.
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