Mobile Intelligence Technologies (MI Tech), a software engineering social enterprise initiated by JA students from Ndarama High School in Zimbabwe, secured victory at the 2023 JA Africa Company of the Year (COY) Competition in Kigali, Rwanda. AID Electronics from Ghana and UNWIND from South Africa came in second and third place respectively.
Organized annually, the JA Africa COY competition brings together Africa’s brightest high school entrepreneurs trained through JA’s Company Program. This year, a cohort of 40 student entrepreneurs from 10 African countries competed, pitching their business solutions to challenges they have identified within their communities.
By emerging winner, MI Tech took home a trophy, a cash prize of $1,000, and a chance to compete globally against winners from five other continents at JA Worldwide’s Ralph De la Vega Global Entrepreneurship competition. There, they have the opportunity to win a $15,000 cash prize, educational opportunities, and more.
The second-place team, AID Electronics took home an $800 cash prize, while the third-place winner, UNWIND, took home $500 cash.
In addition to these finalist awards, deserving teams received awards from various sponsors including FedEx, Citi Foundation, PMIEF, Johnson & Johnson, Delta Air Lines, NASCON Allied Industries and MTN Rwanda.
Ruzive Anesu, CEO of COY 2023 Champions, MI Tech, said, “The JA Company Program taught us to believe in ourselves because, where we come from, Zimbabwe, we have a lot of ideas, and there are many students with bright ideas they want to put into application, but they do not get the exposure. We set out to solve a global challenge around the scarcity of science laboratories, which are often inadequately equipped. Our application breaks socio-economic status, location, gender, race, disability, and digital divide barriers, and we are proud to achieve this.”
JA Africa’s President and CEO, Simi Nwogugu, spoke on empowering Africa’s youth, stating, “At JA Africa, we truly believe that the future is African.” She went on to add, “We have to prepare Africa’s youth to envision themselves as CEOs and global leaders from ages 14, 15, 16 so that by the time they are 25, 26 and assume positions of leadership, they will not be afraid.”
The JA Africa COY Competition is a testament to the boundless potential of Africa’s youth. Besides harnessing their ideas and innovation, this immersive experience puts them in real-life situations, where they learn how to be leaders, work in teams and problem-solve. These skills prepare them to be tomorrow’s business leaders, leading the charge to achieve the Africa we want.
JA Africa delivers hands-on, immersive learning in work readiness, financial health, entrepreneurship, sustainability, STEM, economics, citizenship, ethics, and more. JA Africa has a presence in 16 countries in Africa and reaches 900,000 youth in more than 3,000 schools each year. JA Africa Works in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
SUMMARY OF AWARD WINNERS
Signature Awards
FedEx Global Possibilities Award – Mobile Intelligence Technologies, Zimbabwe.
Citi Foundation Client Focus Award – AID Electronics Company, Ghana.
PMIEF Project Management Award – Mobile Intelligence Technologies, Zimbabwe.
Branded Awards
Delta Air Lines Social Impact Award – Sustainable Future Advocates Company, Nigeria.
Johnson and Johnson Innovation Award – Wizards of Tech, Rwanda.
NASCON Entrepreneurial Excellence Award – Exprime Company Limited, Mauritius.
MTN Rwanda Future Tech Award – Robird Technologies, Eswatini.
Other Awards
Rising Leader Award – Lusito Xuba, CEO of Robird Technologies, Eswatini.
Public Choice Award – Sustainable Future Advocates Company, Nigeria.
Best Facilitator Award – Nana Kwadwo Asare Asiedu, Ghana.