We’re just from the AMH conversations breakfast event where Google Africa Policy Manager, presented on how seriously they take innovation at Google and the things that company is doing on the continent and world over. Great initiative by Alpha Media. More on that in another post today. This post is for announcing the winners of the AMH Hackathon that took place yesterday. We posted some pictures earlier, check them out.
There were a total of 16 entries of individuals and teams in the hackathon and of those the following 3 guys and a special mention, came tops.
The prize went to Prince Kaguda, who came up with an application that delivers news via SMS and USSD and with an option for free subscription that is powered by adverts. The second spot went to Shaun Benjamin. Shaun developed a prototype for an application that integrates the 3 concept options provided by Alpha which were; news crowdsourcing, news dissemination, and commodity prices compilation. Third place went to Tonderai Shamuyarira, who came up with an app for crowdsourcing news in the form of text or images with options for the sources of the submissions to remain anonymous.
The winners took home a Samsung Galaxy tab each a Nokia smartphone phone and other tech accessories.
Commenting on the hackathon, Kaguda said “We need more events like these to give an opportunity to the abundance of young talent that in Zimbabwe. It’s untapped.” In terms of his plans with the application going forward, Kaguda says his team will redesign the application as this was only a prototype worked on in a single day. “We’re going to incorporate the feedback we got form the judges and with the assistance of the Alpha and Telecel, launch the news application.”
Special mention went to Hayden James who developed an for commodity prices at local farmer markets like Mbare Msika. The application allows farmers to compare prices before they commit to coming to market with the produce.
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19 comments
we definately need more of this
I love this definitely inspiring ,so that means there is nothing new that can be done when it comes to the networks that the applications sit on …….we need computer networking innovations like these …or maybe you think there is nothing that can be done in the networking field ….what your say
Well done Prince! First FMNA App Challenge and now AMH Hackathon…WOW!
well done Prince u have come a long way bra,I remember those days still @ NUST always Knew u were destined for big things!!!! excited for u all the best hey with the official launch!!!!!
This is really encouraging. Well done! It would be nice to have a full commitment and ongoing participation of mobile networks. Most of the apps that are relevant to rural communities, subsistence farmers, low income households etc etc must sit on mobile network platforms e.g USSD, SMS, mobile 3G/4G/Wimax. This makes it imperative for mobile networks to offer their support to initiatives such as these.
Hacksellent !
In Zimbabwe, we have the talent, we have the technologies, we have the infrastructure and we have the users, what we lack now is the culture. You know that aspect when someone on the phone with internet would quickly think of some funny ways to use her phone or facebook for. We need one product that heralds the era of web and mobile technologies on the market and then we are done. Applications as evidenced by the above can be built in a matter of hours. All those apps famed on android or apple marketplace are possible here, what we need is THAT CULTURE of using technology at the level of apps etc
Agreed. This is exactly the point. We need to rally around something meaningful i.e successful and common to a significant majority of local internet users to popularize THAT CULTURE of purposefully using the internet. We need our own eBay, Amazon, or Google moment just like how these online services became center pieces of the internet in America. These services “taught” America that the internet is viable and useful before many of us believed in it. In my opinion, I think we need a commerce related product to drive that culture. Whether this is the way or not is really up for grabs!
Well said Aurther, i really like the idea of people coming up with new technologies. While other people may think its reinventing the wheel, its actually being innovative.
Point of correction.. Its Prince Kaguda not Kanguda. Congrats Prince.. Keep the fire burning..
fixed. thanks!
Like yo talk… Can you give me just 10 non joomla or wordpress site in zimbabwe?
I see my previous post has been deleted, wonder what will happen to this one…Well done to everyone who participated, new technologies are the way forward. Some commentators think its re-inventing the whell but I think of it as innovation. Keep up the good work.
I can already see greater things coming for Zimbabwe…
Congrats Prince, keep rocking!
Well done guys, its never too late for such initiatives to catapult our tech developments to real dizzy heights. Impressed by Hayden James’ app for commodity prices at our local market stalls. Wish i could lay my hands on the app. Time this should be commercialized and made available for public use, ICT firms where are you?
last paragraph is missing a word: “Hayden James who developed an ……… for commodity prices”
Simple stuff, I think to be done the whole day. Are we going to have maybe the apps in pictures.