Safaricom sponsors the Go Beyond influencer category in the ADIA Awards 2020

Kenyan telecommunication company, Safaricom, has announced it is the Platinum Sponsor for the inaugural Africa Digital Influencer Awards (ADIA Awards).

Safaricom will also sponsor the Go Beyond Influencer of the Year category in the ADIA Awards 2020 as part of their 20 year celebrations. The category will award an individual who has gone above and beyond and has used their platform for good.

In selecting the nominees for the Go Beyond Influencer of the Year, Safaricom insisted on the selection of influencers that rhyme with Safaricom’s purpose of transforming lives and going beyond. Other qualities that Safaricom were looking for were:

1. Influencers that resonate with the values and purpose of Safaricom.
2. Influencers that have consistently demonstrated their ability to influence positive transformation in the lives of others.
3. Influencers with exceptional and original content that demonstrate out of the box creativity.
4. Influencers that embody the Safaricom’s promise of being simple, transparent and honest in their approach to content.

The nominees in the Go Beyond Influencer of the Year category are:

1. Patricia Okelo

Patricia is an iconic business leader and the founder of Kayana. Kayana is a community of female entrepreneurs that come together to move their businesses from ideation to startup.

2. Wawira Njiru

Wawira Njiru receiving the award from UNISA’s vice chancellor David Lloyd.

Wawira started Food for Education in 2012 while studying for her undergraduate degree in Bachelor in Food Science and Nutrition. The organisation addresses the inequality in education which is caused by limited access to food in Ruiru. Food for Education provides over 10,000 meals per day to school children which has helped improve school attendance and performance.

She has won awards such as the Global Citizen Prize for Youth Leadership, UNISA Alumni Award in 2017, recognized as a Spark International Change maker (2012), a Transform Nutrition Champion and a Hunger free ambassador in 2013.

3. Humphrey Kayange

Kayange, a former Kenya 7s captain, has been nominated for his work with the Good Kenyan Foundation which he is a co-founder. Good Kenyan Foundation is a non-profit organisation that mentors, empowers and equips high school graduates, grouped into cohorts through a four-month program that cultivates marketable job skills and career development plans as a launching pad into an actionable self-driven future.

4. Elsa Majimbo

Elsa is a 19 year old comedian known for her quirky online videos featuring satirical monologues. She has gone viral worldwide with stars such as Lewis Hamilton, Lupita Nyong’o, Snoop Dogg, and Cassper Nyovest acknowledging her.

She is an ambassador for Fenty and has won awards such as the People Choice Award for for Favorite African Social Star in 2020 and the 2020 Streamy Awards for the Best New Comedy Creator’ of 2020.

5. Crazy Kennar

Kennar is a third year Actuarial Science student at JKUAT who creates hilarious comedic skits that are popular online. His videos are incredibly popular and often go viral.

6. Francis Amonde

Francis is the founder of Cup Of Uji, that seeks to free less privileged children in Kenya, from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme hunger and poverty through the provision of a daily hot cup of porridge, education scholarships, sanitary pads, and mentorship.

Nominees in other categories include: Magunga Williams, Dennis Ombachi, Kimanzi, Azziad Nasenya, Wendy Watta, Adelle Onyango and Jackson Biko. To vote for your favourite influencer, go here adia.africa/vote. Voting closes on Wednesday, 16th December 2020.

The Inaugural 2020 Africa Digital Influencer Awards (ADIA) are the first specialised online influencer awards ever held in Africa. Created by Africa Digital Leadership, an entity promoting digital literacy and mastery in Africa, ADIA seeks to celebrate digital excellence and positive thinking in Africa. The awards will take place in Kenya on 20th December 2020.

Judges for the ADIA Awards 2020 included Terryanne Chebet, a Journalist and Content Creator, Moses Kemibaro, CEO Dotsavvy and Vanessa Ndinda, Influencer Manager, Ogilvy Africa.

The full list of categories in the ADIA Awards 2020 are as follows: