ZICTA shares ICT Innovation Programme winners

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) had called for applications from Zambian innovators to submit their proposals in an ICT Innovation Programme competition, where the deadline had been the 27th of May, 2016.

They have chosen 17 finalists from 103 applications countrywide, these being:

1. Patrick Sikalinda – City Bin: aims to create sustainable solutions in waste management by providing a platform for easy communication, easy transactional procedure, report and monitoring mechanisms and reducing operational costs.
2. Gabriel Mumbi – Jargon’s Creative Design: intends to create employment by linking job seekers with employers
3. Sampa Nkonde – Realtime Emergency Response System: uses GPS and wireless internet technology to warn authorities responsible for emergency services about fires or accidents, etc.
4. Musonda Chisha – Online payments,transactions and financial services: web and mobile based application system that will improve convenience of Zambians to make payments for good and services from mobile money and bank accounts.
5. Chifungu Samazaka – Farm Fin: mobile based agricultural system that helps small poultry farmers formulate their own feedstock and calculate accurate daily intake requirements for their chicken business to decrease waste and increase profits.
6. Itati Dzekedzeke – Quiz With Buddies: mobile app helping primary and early secondary school students enhance engagement in education by turning it into a quiz game.
7. Zindaba Chandhla – One Step Forward: aims at revolutionizing the use of water in agriculture in form of a new irrigation system that regulates greenhouse conditions through nano technology and science. It will foster communication between both large-scale and small-scale farmers.
8. Changwe Mafuta – Ezam Business Hub: an e-commerce website designed for agriculture inputs and outputs, aiming to give cheap and fair ground for business operations in Zambia and increase flow of information.
9. Harry Banda – Student Q&A website: specifically designed with Zambian syllabus allowing junior and secondary students to ask and answer questions. Students and teachers will have to create user accounts. Also allows for advertising education materials or tuition services.
10. Zike Soko – U-Link Ventures Limited: online solution that connects finance-seeking entrepreneurs with potential financiers.
11. Tuliswensi Sinyangwe – e-Mentorship for entrepreneurs: online platform designed to help local entrepreneur by providing them with expert and experienced knowledge from accomplished entrepreneurs within Zambia in their respective industries.
12. Zengeni Simuchebu – Online Share Trading: online trading platform that targets Zambian stock market, individuals, companies to register on platform and create account, then take part in stock market trade. Aims to increase market activity by trading of securities.
13. Aubry Lungu – Agriculture app: app will feature project oriented farm management such as planning, monitoring, tracking of farm activities, sales, and cost tracking, and educate or recommend farmers the crops best suited to their geological location.
14. Alex Makukula – Mobile Tourism Guide: Android mobile app intended to be a tourist guide and aid tourists with information about places they visit in Zambia.
15. Alumanda Shakankale – Municipal Council System: aims to help local governments in Zambia to control bus transport system in the country, and keep records of levies paid by bus drivers towards maintenance of bus stations.
16. Rhaemie Salima- ItandaNet web-based furniture: links consumers to locally made furniture products like chairs, beds and wardrobes.
17. Watson Mkandawire – Automated Hydroponics: a model that eliminates the dependence on use of soil, rainfall and pesticides in crop production but leverages on chemistry and computer science to produce plants.

Bernard Banda from the Marketing Competition and Licensing Department at ZICTA said:

The ICT Act of 2009 mandates ZICTA to promote research, development and manufacture of new and appropriate technologies..

He shared that the objectives of the ICT Innovation Programme were to establish an effective and responsive ICT ecosystem, provide businesses and technical support too innovations and to transform ideas into viable business, encouraging job creation in the process.

For the ICT Innovation Programme, ZICTA partnered with CEC Liquid, BongoHive, National Technological Board Council (NTBC), Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA), Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), Private Enterprise Programme (PEP), University of Zambia (UNZA) and Zambia College of Accounting Studies (ZCAS), amongst others,