Appfrica is an organization that strives to create more tech jobs and hone more innovative tech minds in Africa.
“We are focused on three drivers of change for Africa’s knowledge economy: mentoring young technologists and investing in their ideas with time, attention, and capital, while highlighting their successes across the continent,” explains Jon Gosier, founder of Appfrica.
Now the organization has announced its latest tech competition, Apps4Africa.
“Apps4Africa began as an apps competition where developers attempted to solve local problems using technology. However, the program has evolved into a competitive funding program, meaning individuals and/or companies can apply with ideas that solve problems, but to get funding they need to be thinking about sustainability of their solutions,” explains Gosier. “This allows us to invest in applicants who are thinking long term, and who will stick with their vision. We aren't just looking for people with good ideas, we're looking for entrepreneurs with good ideas, people who will create companies and, hopefully jobs, but who need some early-stage capital to improve their chances of surviving.”
The winners get investments of between $3,000 and $15,000.
Founded in 2008, “Appfrica was developed to support Africa's growing tech sector to build capacity in Africa's growing tech sector, to do market research for corporations entering the market and to develop technical solutions for organizations doing work in the continent,” explains Gosier.
Appfrica has various initiatives. This includes Apps4Africa funding program, an accelerator designed to offer local entrepreneurs and innovators access to a non-diluting path to equity investment.
“Africa needs to create 120 million jobs continent-wide by 2020 if its middle class is to remain growing and its growing youth population is to remain productive for society. These jobs are not going to come from, Government, NGOs, Multinational Corporations, or mining companies,” says Gosier. “This growth will come from small entrepreneurs whose companies may only employ two to five people. What these entrepreneurs lack to grow and scale is capital. Appfrica helps solve this problem.”