With many companies waking up to the juicy opportunities that abound with innovation, technology and entrepreneurship in Africa, one company in Kenya that has been efficient in ensuring entrepreneurs from all industries have a viable platform to latch unto is Safaricom – a leading integrated communications companies in Africa with over 17 million subscribers.
Safaricom is the parent partner of groundbreaking innovations like ICow, MPESA, M- Ledger Application and Flash Cast. The Safaricom Foundation is arguably one of the largest corporate foundations in Kenya. Established in 2003, the foundation has invested over US$20 million in education, health, economic empowerment, technology and even sports.
A holistic platform with different platforms for different people, Safaricom will help build your idea from its formative stage to market entry level.
“We support start-ups and innovators in various ways through Sparkfund, Zindua Café, AppWiz Challenge, the ILab and Safaricom Academy (though it’s a Masters programme)” David Tole, the Developer Relations lead at Safaricom disclosed to Techmoran.
The Sparkfund is a fund set aside for startups to help them grow with Safaricom getting equity in return. Appwiz is a challenge for developers. Here participants get access to topnotch mentorship programmes, USSD services and also get to contest for 1.5 million Kenyan shillings.
In a world where innovation theft is becoming rampant, the Zindua Café is the perfect platform for emerging innovators. Once accepted, innovators get a chance to work with Safaricom on their ideas and get copyright protection on their intellectual property amongst other juicy benefits.
Safaricom Academy is the ideal programme for the undergraduate students that wish to explore the commercial aspect of technology.
“If you are wondering what it takes to qualify for this limitless opportunities; all you need is just “you” and“your idea”- David Tole of Safaricom said.