Ugandan entrepreneur wins US$100,000 continental award

The collective beneficiaries of the US$1 million annual prize award sponsored by BMCE Bank of Africa were announced at a ceremony presided over by President Othman Benjelloun.

The awardees are in three categories: education, environment and uncharted, in which Ms Kyalema with her ‘pumpkin food’ competed and won US$50,000.

Of the 37 finalists who participated to the Boot Camp held in Casablanca from November 30 to December 3^rd, 2016, the 11 winners were selected by a presidential jury.

‘The African Entrepreneurship Award has been announced in November 2014, in Marrakesh, by Chairman Othman Benjelloun at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, in order to promote entrepreneurship and to inspire entrepreneurs to launch and scale up businesses, create jobs and improve lives in Africa,’ a release by Africa Press organization states.

The list of the 11 winners is as follows:

First Place $150,000

·         Environment: Mahmud Johnson – Liberia – “Oil Palm products”

·         Education: Jennifer Shigoli – Tanzania – “Reusable Sanitary Pads”

Second Place $100,000

·         Environment: Ernie Aylward – South Africa “Electric mini-cabs”

·         Education: AbideenAdelu – Nigeria – “Mobile application for students”

·         Uncharted: Joyce Kyalema – Uganda – “Pumpkin food”

Pioneer Awards, $50,000

·         Frederico Peres da Silva – Mozambique – “Connect blue-collar, informal workers to customers”

·         Achiri Nji – Cameroon – “Live status updates on road conditions”

·         Benti Gelalcha – Ethiopia – “Veterinary Ambulatory Clinical Services”

·         Murtula Sanni – Nigeria – “Online platform for skilled workers”

·         Omar Kadiri – Morocco – “Free phone credit”.