Yesterday we attended the ICT Innovators’ Showcase, the second innovators’ and startup challenge organised by the Ministry of ICT as part of the work towards the National Innovate Fund.
Held at Rainbow Towers in Harare, the event managed to bring together over 40 teams of young innovators and tech entrepreneurs who are trying to secure investment and gain exposure for the work they are doing.
The teams weren’t just showcasing their work, though.
They were also in competition and after going through a preliminary round which was determined by a tally of votes earned from all the people in attendance who visited their stands, six finalists were selected as the best of the crop.
These six pitched to the entire audience and they were assessed by a panel of judges (which included representatives from Zimbabwe’s mobile networks).
RoadRules
Led by Tawanda Chikosi, this team showcased a provisional driver’s license test mobile app. It’s currently exploring other markets in the SADC region that can adapt the app for electronic distribution of learners license study material. The startup is no stranger to the local tech scene having taken part (successfully) at last year’s Innovation Baraza, qualified as a DEMO Africa finalist in 2015 and more recently pitched on the Dragon’s Den-esque Simba Savannah.
Hwindi
These guys have an app based ride-hailing service that works in pretty much the same way as Uber. So far their app has been downloaded by over 1,000 users and they are working with 60 registers taxis that have signed on to use the app.
Imasuccess Elearning
They showcased an e-learning solution that is expected to provide students with all their learning material digitally.
Protronics
They showcased an electronic airtime vending machine that is also expected to be used for the sale of prepaid electricity vouchers. The founder, George Chingore, (we featured his machine a while ago. You can read more about it here) has pitched at Emerging Ideas’ Pitch Nights and was a speaker at TEDx Harare.
Academy Report
Their solution was an online school management system that is expected to reduce the risks of administrative fraud while supporting curriculum dissemination
Shift Organic Technologies
This agro-based startup made up of students from the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) showcased an integrated organic agriculture system that relies on organic waste management techniques to create nutrition for fish or chicken. The interdependent system relies on continuous feeding which can be controlled remotely via a mobile device. The same system has also been adapted for beekeeping.
The winners were Shift Organic Technologies (1st), Protronics (2nd) and RoadRules (3rd). They received various prizes that included laptops and free data from the country’s three mobile network operators that are contributing to the Innovation Fund.
No money?! – So what happens next?
The two Innovators’ Showcases (Harare and Bulawayo) were meant to display the skills and talent that the country’s youths have and was not (as we had previously surmised) the selection stage for recipients of investment from the Innovation Fund.
The Ministry of ICT is still in the process of setting up structures that will be used for the distribution of funding to startups and innovators that meet whichever criteria will be used for such support.
Share
Home
22 comments
”…The Ministry of ICT is still in the process of setting up structures…”
That sums it up laddies and gents, by the time they finish setting up the structures in 2070, all the money will be gone and 200 ministers gone through the ministry, with none accountable to what happened during their tenure!
Another joke brought to you by the people who gave the best website prize to a non existent website. All these startups are great but their solutions are two exotic for Zimbabwe’s problems. Like Clinton Mutambo once said “Think Global act local.”
1) Seriously who is going to use a ride hailing service in Zimbabwe? You need lots of money to persuade people to change their ways.
2) All learning material digitally? How are they going to do that, great app design but lacking content
3) The Organic thing magig- with high unemployment just hire cheap labour
4) I can’t imagine many schools really needing online management when there are plenty of solutions from M$ and friends. Besides will this work in Binga when a simple counterbook and a couple of arch lever files will do.
5) Road rules is winning these competitions what they need is money which they are not getting from these jokers who keep creating competitions without a point
6) Protonics is just a big locally made POS perhaps its more but remember the helicopter guy. No I don’t mean Saith. I mean Chingoma. Zimbabweans hate their own innovations. These are people who import “muti” from Malawi.
Great ideas ruined by a corrupt and useless government which is bank rolling Command Agriculture.
Hahaha Road rules is now just a “competition hunting” startup this guy keeps on pitching yes this one had no money but I’m sure he won something sponsored by Total among others.
Its your money I need not the startup! Ini zii hangu semunhu aizviitawo achiri ku college.
Pitchprenuership…
Greetings Imi Vanhu Musadaro
Asi shuwa vanhu musadaro so lol, I wonder why we don’t feel like supporting each other or encouraging someone who is trying to do something in a country which is so ruthlessly tough guys, asi imi vanhu musadaro!
Pitching is a very crucial part of the entrepreneurial process hayo, the fundis say an entrepreneur is pitching everyday
Hie Tindo
I trust this finds you well and you are quite right hey, we are “competition hunting” for sure and its for various business objectives that help us grow as a startup company. Below are a few to help shed some light.
1. Awareness, Publicity (PR), Marketing e.g. there was a live on-site broadcast by ZiFM and a couple of guys from the media covering the event. All that help a startup gain traction.
2. Market Feedback, i.e. there were members of the public who came to attend the event and check out the startups and we had conversations with plenty of them, understanding what they think about the product and gathering their input and feedback.
3. Strategic Partnerships, i.e. not only at such events does a startup get to meet potential private strategic partners, you also get the government and the media finding ways to forge partnerships, for instance we now have forged an interesting relationship with NewsDay.
“Imi Vanhu Musadar” put it right…It definitely is pitchnueriship. You guys have been in the market for so long I really don’t think pitching up at this events should really be in your marketing arsenal. This thing should be for newbie, ventures we have yet to hear of. As for strategic partnerships, I think you can participate in such events in another capacities instead of as a competitor also. Obviously yo penchant for participating in such events as a competitor means you most likely have reached a ceiling with your concept & you now bored. Obviously participating in such competitions is how you get high.
At least come with a new product instead of rehashing the same thing. Aya ava majunior apeiwo mukana.
Hie Purple
I think in some way you are right but in some way you are also wrong. I think being in the market for almost twelve months is not long for a startup that is testing the market and the concept and improving on it without any outside resources or investment particularly in this country.
This environment is tough and that means we need a long runway before we take off and every opportunity we see where we can further our cause, we take it. Its aggressive yes, and may unfortunately take away opportunities from others yes, but we still have to survive and make it as a business.
In terms of coming up with new products, these are the platforms where we get them from the market, test them as well as identify partners.
In terms of your comment on us getting high, I think that’s a punch below the belt that I will not dignify with a response, I want us to keep the discussion professional and respectful.
True that…we can’t have the same persons winning over and over again….we need something fresh and innovative.Look at Zambia,Zambia and Nigeria,the startup ecosystem is very vibrant and very creative.
Hie Thabani
This competition was voted by the members of the public, they would get a set of five (5) stickers and they would leave one sticker on a startup stand as a vote for the startup that impressed them.
After the event, the startup that had the most stickers were chose to pitch before the selected adjudicators from the Telecoms operators and members of the public. A question and answer segment would then follow both from the public and the adjudicators. Then the scoring would them be done and winners announced.
In light of this background, there we more than (40) startups and the fact that we managed to win under this process highlighted above really is not our fault, it means we are doing something right and should be supported to grow enough more, further or faster which is what we are seeking by taking part in these platforms.
Everyone is free to attend and participate, let those fresh ideas and innovations come and subject themselves to public scrutiny and win too.
I attended this event and i have to say it seemed great up until the top 6 was chosen. When i arrived we were given 5 stickers to vote for our favourite innovations. The idea was the guys with the most stickers would pitch there products. After seeing all the innovations most of them simply things that were already happening outside zim being taken in and re branded as Zimbabwean by Zimbabweans. Some were generaly good like the drones at ifarm , there were 2 guys from p.e with an online wholeseller app, a guy with an offline internet product which i thought was great! There were also 2 young guys had an online travel platform that had very nice food menu’s. Might add they were very aggressive in getting people to their stand and had absolute belief there product would help the GDP !They seemed convincing and had the business smarts no doubt. Anyway i felt those where perhaps the best and the most effective products Zimbabwe could use to grow the economy . About 2 of them , the Travel to Africa guys and iCloud guys easily had the most stickers so i was looking forward to seeing them pitch. But it was not to be, the minister didn’t come and it seemed the guys who where chosen had simple ideas that solved small petty issues in my opinion. The kind of products that i think wont turn into very succesful business’s that Zimbabwe is craving . After the guy with an Airtime vending machine won 2nd(yep airtime vending machine) i concluded there must have been some vote rigging or corruption by the judges. Anyone can simply buy airtime of the corner or through ecocash yet this guy won 2nd at our own $2.5 m ict fund? I also noticed the top guys except maybe road rules where the easiest to take advantage of (im a business person by profession,). They were the most likely to submitt and accept any crappy contract or terms given to them during negotiations. The corruption was clear as day and i’m very very dissapointed in the judges , those kind of products are literally going to do nothing to improve the root of our problems which is the lack of money in the country and will probably never hear of them again. As for the prizes they were quite sad, econet chipped in with a cap , telecel put in 2 whole flash sticks and the rest just gave free data with the laptop being the only decent thing there . So yea big money but nothing much to see really ,also don’t think any of the winning products will make a dent in society anytime soon!
The Minister didnt attend because he was where it matter ie counting the dollars.
Just to calm the nerves, he is going to donate a little bit of it to the upcoming Part’s Congress in december.
What kind of products do you think will turn into succesful business’s in Zimbabwe that the nation is craving?
Products that grow the GDP my friend are what Zimbabwe desperately needs. All these products as innovative and caring as they are, are just redistributing money that is already in circulation. We can’t keep making it ‘easier’ for person 1 to complete task A. Its important to realise Task A would be completed with or without these products.If Zim as a country isn’t going to do the revolutionary thing then we need to find solutions to the problems the government has created and products that attack the root problem in this country ! That is a complete lack of money due to a tiny GDP, corruption and ways around bad policies.
I hear you but I also think that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step and this might very well be that one step.
The fact that these platforms are being made available is a sign that these initiatives can be polished and improved with insight and feedback from people like yourself rather than wait for some other people to do it.
i personally liked the IMASUCCESS educational platforms,if these guys have the right push thier business can be a viable business because at the end of the day education is the core of everything. And their app works with or without data
Hie Philosopher
I totally agree with you, the business case really exists and I think with a bit of mentorship and assistance they can do very well here in Zimbabwe especially if they focus on STEM subjects.
In terms of funding, they can take part in the Simba Savannah Show Season Two coming up!
Thanks Philosopher.Imasuccess is learning platform will change the way people learn.Its a platform where we track a student’ study and students connect with other student and also access all study material without moving from app or website to the other (and currently we are offering 19 O and A Level)We are working day and night to push this product and discard the belief that digital learning will not work in Zimbabwe.This is just the beginning!
Hie Karim
Let’s meet up and have a chat, we may find ways we can find ways we can collaborate. If not I offer to get you ready for the Simba Savannah season two that’s coming up.
i was there too and i personally thing it was all fair and those who won deserved it! keep on the good work Innovators dont be discouraed maagona makatoita mapitch
Thank you for the encouragement and for supporting others who are trying to actually do something rather than those that only find fault and try to bring others down.
@Tawanda Chikosi, thanks for having faith in us bro.Its fine,we can collaborate and see how we can build the next big thing.We can meet anytime.