Uganda: Innovations to offer improved mobile phone usage

A group of Ugandan software developers have come up with 11 solutions that are designed to improve the lives of many mobile phone users and businesses. The team of 56 developed mobile applications including; Somesha –a solution that will help disadvantage students to raise school fees, Mobivisa – a solution that can enable mobile users make online payments, Adloc – a location based mobile advertising application and Mafutago, an application that helps one locate the nearest and affordable fuel station in a place.
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The four are part of the 11 solutions in the areas of transport, gaming, education, motoring and health and marketing that were developed last weekend. The innovations sprung up during the Garage48 innovation competition in Kampala over the weekend. Garage48 is an Estonian innovation vehicle where software designers are assigned to develop relevant and competitive application within 48 hours.

The project is an initiative of the Tallinn-based Garage48 Foundation and is supported by Google, Nokia, and MTN in Africa.

It is the third time the competition has been held in Africa to identify mobile application solutions that can be exported to the world. The Foundation also helps talented developers to get into contact with successful entrepreneurs in Europe and America.

The Kampala competition was won by the group that designed the Somesha application including; Mr Rutatiina Gilbert, Mr Micheal Ntambazi, Mr Elijah Beesigomwe, Ms Damalie Muwonge, Mr Billy Kaye, and Mr Walugembe Everest.

According to Ms Elise Sass, the Garage48 main organiser in Kampala, the Somesha team now has an opportunity to compete at the global Garage48 scale where they will vie for funding. The winning project is funded by Seedcamp, a European-based micro-seed investment fund and mentoring programme that further connects developers with entrepreneurs. A similar competition is due to take place in Nairobi in the search for East Africa’s best mobile application that will automatically qualify for the European competition.

Source: Daily Monitor