James Williams, portfolio manager at Informa Tech, says "The Government Leadership Award is given to the government representative whose work in digital transformation and technology has enabled significant positive change in the lives of people in Africa."

"We are delighted to present this inaugural recognition to Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, South Africa's minister of communications and digital technologies, in honour of her efforts to break the barriers of connectivity in South Africa and her efforts to promote an inclusive connected society," adds Williams.

Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams, who had been invited to give the welcoming address to the assembled guests, accepted the award and expressing gratitude on behalf of the South African Government to the organisers of AfricaCom for bringing the leading tech conference to the country. 

"At the heart of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is people," says Ndabeni-Abrahams. "Therefore it has been encouraging to note that the discussions, various technologies and innovations showcased during AfricaCom have primarily centred on technology as an enabler for socio-economic development."

"We were further encouraged by the collaborations between various organisations in developing solutions. This is consistent with our mantra, 'Coordinate. Collaborate. Execute 4IR', which means that an apt response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution incorporates a co-ordinated, collaborative approach between role players — including government, public entities, private sector, academia and civil society," adds Ndabeni-Abrahams.

Other luminaries on the night included former Springbok rugby champion Bryan Habana. Habana says, "These awards recognise those who are pushing the envelope in their respective technological fields and set the foundation for Africa to prosper." 

The winners of the 2019 AfricaCom Awards include:
  • Connecting the Continent — Liquid Telecom
  • Delivering Excellence in Customer Experience — Ericsson and MTN Group
  • Everything as a Service: Best Cloud or Application Solution — Verimatrix
  • Changing Lives Award — KaiOS Technologies
  • Best Digital Entertainment Innovation Award — Telecoming
  • Security Product or Service of the Year Award — Upstream Systems
  • Best Network Management Software Award — Orange and Huawei
  • Best Connected Consumer Device Award — Orange
  • Best Innovation for Enterprise — SqwidNet
  • Most Innovative Service — The Business of Tomorrow Award — Safaricom & Huawei
Winners of the CXO and Enterprise CXO include: 
  • CXO of the Year — Charles Molapisi, CTIO, MTN Group
  • Enterprise CXO of the Year — Warren Hero, CDO, Webber Wentzel
Also introduced at the event was an award that recognises the contribution made by women to the development of Africa, adding weight to the call for gender parity in the industry — showcasing the incredible achievements of each of these women.

The winner of the inaugural Female Innovator of the Year is Elisabeth Medou Badang, senior vice president Africa and Indian Ocean, Orange.

For more information, visit www.tmt.knect365.com. You can also follow the AfricaCom Awards on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.