Local Softaware Development Company Wins the 2012 Apps4Africa Competition

Moro Technologies Group MD Monametsi Kalayamotho (R) with the winning software developers (L-R) Mosetsanagape Motlhabane, Patricia Motsumi and Donald Taboka Masole

Of the four BIH Focus Sectors, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector has taken off at a much rapid pace compared to the others. This rapid growth could be attributed to the country’s benefits from being globally networked by increased public and private based investments in undersea optic fibre cables such as West Africa Cable Systems (WACS) and The Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy).

Chief Executive Officer Alan Boshwaen has said, “Each new cable laid helps bring more African communities into the age of high speed internet, making e-commerce, cloud computing, real-time video and IP - based voice a reality and allowing African individuals and companies to conduct business more competitively on the global stage.” These developments have seen Botswana emerge as an ICT Hub resulting from a 59% wholesale cost reduction, excess bandwidth capacity and increased public uptake of ICT services, all of which have encouraged innovation in the ICT sector.

Alan goes on to say the power of transformative technologies is evident everywhere in Africa from small village communities to large cities through the ubiquitous mobile phone. By September, 2011 the mobile phone penetration in Botswana was estimated at 118.8% in a population of 2 million. “Technology,” he says, “has a profound impact on how life is lived in Africa as it has been evidenced with the rapid adoption of the cell phone and its related mobile services.  

Technological innovation has been identified by the World Economic Forum as a fundamental pillar for competitiveness. Its Global Competiveness report of 2011 - 2012 highlights the need to create an innovation supporting ecosystem as the driving force of economic growth. BIH has adopted a deliberate policy to introduce and support an entrepreneurial and innovation culture through competitions, training, workshops and seminars. 

In its drive to provide a unique platform and catalyser for technology - driven and knowledge intensive business to develop and to compete in the global market, the Botswana Innovation Hub supports entrepreneurial programmes, competitions and networks that are the driving force of economic growth, innovation and job creation. 

The Botswana Innovation Hub in collaboration with UK based SpotOne Global Solutions company and the US State Department hosted the Apps4Africa brainstorming session for the Apps4Africa competition for web and mobile software solutions to social challenges in Africa in March earlier this year. The brainstorming session brought together local software developers and climate change stakeholders, including experts, academia, policy makers, NGO’s and the general public to explore the impact of climate change and how innovative web and mobile software application concepts can be developed to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Local software development company, Moro Technologies Team comprising Donald Taboka Masole, Patricia Motsumi and Mosetsanagape Motlhabane scooped the 1st prize of $15,000.00 for their submission of a health and sanitation related application concept, ‘myHealth (Botswana)’, to address Malaria.  Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that is endemic in sub - Saharan Africa where 85 - 90% of the malaria fatalities occur. The World Health Organisation estimates that there were 216 million cases of malaria in 2010 resulting in 655,000 deaths most of whom were children under the age of five. Pregnant women are also especially vulnerable to the disease. Moro Technologies Team’s submission helps users take precautions by providing information about the weather and diseases related to the weather such as diarrhea and malaria. The application concept helps users schedule appointments with doctors for appropriate care.

A total of 60 participants registered and participated at the event which provided software developers with an opportunity to meet potential collaborators that they could work with on solutions to enter into the competition. The categories for entries included agriculture (distribution); early warning and/or disaster preparedness; resources management; forestry/deforestation; transportation/traffic/emission; food security; livestock; and health and sanitation.  

In addition to the $15,000 first prize, the Moro Technologies Team will also have access to additional follow-on opportunities provided by some of the competition partners including Indigo Trust, TED, and SpotOne Global Solutions in the form of additional grant opportunities, local and international publicity and business advisory. The Team will now work towards the full application development with a possibility for more funding opportunities. The win has not only raised the country’s flag high in the global software development arena but has also profiled the country favorably in the global software solutions stakes and inspired local developers to compete on the international stage.   

The second prize of $7,000 was awarded for a Service Anti Cyclone application from Madagascar. The application concept alerts users to pending cyclones which are very common and cause significant damage to the region.  Zimbabwe’s UnsApp got the third prize of $3,000 for their application concept that spreads awareness through a web forum where adaptive management techniques may be considered in improving food security in the future.

The 2010 Apps4Africa competition was won by Kenya’s iCow agriculture software application concept for small scale farmers. The application which was officially launched in June 2011 offers farmers a cow gestation calendar and access to veterinary and artificial insemination offices across Kenya through mobile phone.