Some of Africa’s brightest minds in technology will be rewarded at the second annual Technology Information Confederation Africa (TICON Africa) Conference 2024, to be held in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa between 25 and 27 September, hosted by the ICT Association of Kenya (ICTAK).
TICON Africa Awards celebrate outstanding industry professionals and tech innovators who have boosted their country’s and Africa’s ICT industry, making contributions that have progressed technology and communication sectors in Africa —and created new opportunities for its people.
Dr. Jannie Zaaiman, Secretary General of TICON Africa, says the awards will be bestowed on Africa’s leading ICT minds at a time when the industry is undergoing rapid change with the advent of new technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“The ever-changing landscape of technology is a key aspect of what will be navigated at our conference, so it makes perfect sense to reward those who are already excelling in advancing ICT for our beautiful continent and its people,” said Dr. Zaaiman in a press statement.
Awards will be granted in the categories of, ICT Young Professional of the Year, ICT Professional of the Year, and Tech Business Leader of the Year. “Through these awards, we also hope to encourage more innovation in the sector,” says Dr. Zaaiman.
He explains that rewarding young people who show exceptional enthusiasm for the ICT sector and have spent time learning is of particular importance. The ICT Young Professional will be awarded to people under 30 years old and employed in the ICT sector. They will have actively pursued at least 30 hours of learning new knowledge a year over the last 2 years and are currently employed in an ICT role or managing an ICT team or project of note.
The ICT Professional of the Year award will go to someone conscious of the latest developments in their field, who displays the highest standards of professional ethics and has made a significant contribution to the profession. Dr. Zaaiman says, “They use their technical knowledge to be a positive role model in their country and influence the workplace to the highest standards, professionally and ethically”.
The ICT Africa Tech Business Leader of the Year on the other hand will be awarded to someone who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the field of ICT across at least three African countries. “They use their technical knowledge to be a positive role model in not only their own countries but also the countries they operate in, demonstrating the highest professional and ethical standards,” says Dr. Zaaiman.
The awards are open to all ICT professionals currently working in TICON Africa member countries, which are Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Lesotho and meet the specific entry requirements for each award.
All nominated candidates must have work or industry contributions completed during 2023/2024.
Nominations (nomination form) close on August 30th, 2024. “If you have seen a bright star among your colleagues, we encourage you to nominate them for this prestigious award,” urged Dr. Zaaiman.
Winners will be announced at the TICON Africa Conference in Mombasa, Kenya.
