More than 20 businesses and individuals are set to be acknowledged for their contributions to the realm of digital transformation next month. These 20 nominees, chosen from a pool of entrants that has been under consideration since July, will receive recognition during the 2023 Digital Impact Awards Africa.
The nominations were unveiled by Mr. Innocent Kawooya, the CEO of HiPipo, the organization behind these awards. The selection process involved both online submissions and direct entries from the contenders themselves or their supporters.
Mr. Kawooya stated that the nominees represent the beginning of the voting phase, which will persist until November 17. While all nominees are considered winners, the ultimate winner in each category will be determined through a combined vote from the public and a jury.
The 2023 Digital Impact Awards Africa mark the 10th edition of this event and are a part of the annual Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit. This summit serves to honor and celebrate individuals and entities driving digital transformation in Uganda and beyond. It explores the strategic trends and technologies that are shaping the future of digital, ICTs, and businesses. Furthermore, it focuses on the safety and security of the digital financial services ecosystem while spotlighting business recovery from the disruptive effects of Covid-19 and cyber security threats.
The summit will host over 50 speakers from various sectors, including government, multinationals, large and small enterprises, start-ups, and even informal businesses such as market vendors, smallholder farmers, sole proprietors, public transporters, and e-commerce delivery agents, among others.
Both the awards and the summit are organized by HiPipo in partnership with Level One Project, Mojaloop Foundation, INFITX, Cyberplc Academy, Ideation Corner, and Crosslake Technologies, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Among the significant award categories, the “CEO of the Year” features nominees like Anne Juuko from Stanbic Bank, Dhimant Shah from Craft Silicon, Fabian Kasi from Centenary Bank, Japhet Aritho from Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda, Richard Yego from MTN Mobile Money, and Sanjay Rughani from Standard Chartered Bank.
Other categories encompass “Digital Brand of the Year,” where last year’s overall winner, MTN, competes against Airtel, Centenary Group, MultiChoice, Stanbic, and Standard Chartered Bank. In the “Banking Innovation Excellence” category, the nominees include Cente On the Go Account by Centenary Bank, FlexiPay by Stanbic Bank, Mobile Banking Solution – ELMA by Craft Silicon, SC Shilingi Funds by Standard Chartered Bank, and Wendi Digital Wallet by Post Bank, a payment solution utilized for disbursing government funds under the parish development model.
