A Zimbabwean, Tawanda Chikosi, who came up with a mobile application giving guidelines for obtaining learner drivers’ permits - RoadRules App - has won the most promising start up award for his innovation.
Chikosi is among 18 upcoming young Zimbabweans engaged in creating various applications that were given awards by Technomag, one of Zimbabwe’s leading tech magazines, working in conjunction with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, mobile phone companies and other non-profit and private organizations.
The inaugural Young Achievers’ Tech Awards was launched in Harare recently in recognition of the good work being done in the information and communication sector, sciences and engineering.
Chikosi, who once landed a business fellowship under the United States Embassy, credits that opportunity as being the catalyst for the formulation of an idea that turned into a tangible business.
He wants the RoadRules app to be used by a large number of people.
"My team and I are hoping to find strategic partners to make RoadRules app more affordable for users, especially the youth, and we foresee bigger and better things coming our way as we go into 2017," said Chikosi.
Another trail blazer in the technological innovation front is Nigel Mugamu of the popular 263Chat Twitter handle with 150,000 followers.
Mugamu scooped the Young Achievers’ Tech Award for the most followed twitter handle in Zimbabwe.
Mugamu says that winning the award gave him validation that he is on the right track to realizing his goals of providing more multiple-media platforms to make news accessible to members of the public.
"Despite the tough economic situation in the country, there is a genuine desire for news in Zimbabwe and we are looking at providing different multi-media platforms of news next year and beyond," says Mugamu.