Entries are now open for the 2012 edition of the AfricaCom Awards which rewards “the growth and importance of the telecoms and digital sectors across the African continent”. The awards are set to take place between the 13th and 15th of November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in South Africa, under the theme ‘Reaching the Next Frontier for Growth’. The deadline for entries has been set for the 7th of September and the categories are as follows:

Best Network Improvement
Recognises a successful initiative taken by a network equipment or solutions vendor, which has significantly improved a network in Africa since the end of November 2011.

Most Innovative Service
Recognises a popular new offering which, from conception to execution, has been an innovation. It could be for the consumer or the enterprise markets, and could be messaging, m-commerce, video, etc. It will be an African market, and should have offered significant new prospects for revenue and delighting customers since November 2011.

Best Quality User Experience NEW!
Recognises a successful initiative in Africa that has offered a superior quality of user experience in the past year. This can be in any sector – service providers, device manufacturers, broadcasters, app developers, etc.

Best Cost Efficiency Initiative for Africa
Recognises an outstanding new product from a telecoms or ICT solution provider, or from an operator/service provider (mobile, wireless, fixed or ISP), which has enabled greater cost-efficiency in the provision of telecoms, media and ICT services in Africa since November 2011.

Rural Telecoms Award
Recognises an outstanding vendor solution, or operator/service provider initiative or service, which has extended and/or improved telecommunications services in rural and under-served Africa since November 2011.

Best Backhaul Solution for Africa
Recognises a fibre, satellite, or wireless solutions provider that has significantly improved backhaul capacity, with measurable improvements in quality and reliability of service, for an operator in Africa since November 2011.

Best Marketing Campaign
Recognises an inspiring and effective marketing campaign (can include new brand launch), advertising campaign, or innovative distribution strategy, launched by an operator/service provider in Africa since November 2011.

Best Smart-Device for Africa NEW!
Recognises the innovation and creativity taking place in the African device market since November 2011, by acknowledging which smartphones, net-books and other smart devices have successfully catered to the continent’s particular opportunities and challenges at the right price

Best Pan African Initiative
Recognises an initiative taken by an organisation or a group of organisations to improve telecommunications services at a regional or continental level across Africa since November 2011

The 2012 Mobile Data and Social Media Award NEW!
Recognises innovation and creativity in the world of mobile data and social media – whether it is a new app, a social networking platform, popular content/media or successful data services.

Industry Personality of the Year NEW! *Free to Enter
This illustrious award is in honour of the most upstanding and inspiring figures working in Africa’s telecoms, ICT and media industries – the winner will be nominated and voted for by their peers.

Changing Lives Award
This special award recognises an inspiring initiative that has significantly impacted African telecommunications in the community and contributed to economic and social development since November 2011.

AfricApps Awards

To celebrate the launch of AfricApps at AfricaCom 2012, we will be celebrating the winning entrants of the App-focused awards Best Smart-Phone App in Africa and Best Feature-Phone App in Africa.

Best Smart-Phone App in Africa *Free to Enter
Recognises the interactive smart-phone application which is showing the most innovation in engaging the content-hungry consumer – who is the next African ‘Angry Birds’?

Best Feature-Phone App in Africa *Free to Enter
Recognises innovation in feature-phone native applications. These are the apps that are dominating the African market and providing entertainment, education or enterprise opportunities to the consumer.

Orange African Social Venture Prize
The project aims to promote social innovation for development, thanks to ICT, through financial and management support to new businesses.

For a second year, the African Social Venture Price will reward three projects or enterprises using technology for development purposes and addressing the needs of the ‘bottom of pyramid’ market in Africa. The digital projects range from e-health and mobile banking to digital and mobile applications for education or agriculture.

The three winners will receive a financial grant (25K€, 15K€, 10K€) and will also benefit from a six-month mentoring by management experts.

Apply through the Orange portal StarAfrica.com by 1st September 2012.

Etisalat Nigeria Prize for Innovation
This award seeks to promote the use of mobile broadband in Africa. It will reward the most innovative existing mobile telecommunications product or service that provides a significant utility to African mobile users. The product or service must have been launched in the last 12 months, seen impressive uptake from customers and made a visible commercial or social impact in the community.