Tanzanian innovator emerges winner in the Southern African bid competition

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's Godfrey Gervas Kilimwomeshi has won a prize worth Euro 3000 after emerging the first winner in the Southern African bid competition held in Helsinki, Finland.

Briefing Journalists, Commission for Science and Technology, Director General, Amos Nungu said for four years now, Tanzania has been participating in a program to promote innovation in southern Africa known as Southern Africa Innovation Support Program (SAIS), funded by the Finish government in partnership with five countries namely Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.

Each year, the program organises creative promotion training for designers from participating countries.

“The training is accompanied by competitions where the winner gets a variety of opportunities to develop in the field of creativity, in the competition, a total of 11 designers had the opportunity to auction their creations,” he said.

He said this year, Tanzania was represented by two designers in a creative development competition organized by SAIS, including Kilimwomeshi who developed a Mobile App system that enables those with technical needs to access technicians via their mobile phones.

He named the other as Moses Rogers Mbaga, who designed a Mobile and web based app known as Exam Net to help primary school students learn a variety of subjects. , answering questions and giving instant answers also participated in the competition.

He said Kilimwomeshi, who is the co-founder and leader of a start-up company called Fundi App, developed a mobile app that enables people with technical needs to access technical services via a mobile phone that uses digital technology to assemble vetted professionals who are not in the formal sector.

He further said that the company founded in 2019 currently has registered more than 1000 technicians whose annual income has increased by $100.

“Costech is proud of Kilimwomeshi’s victory as it funded half of its travel expenses including accommodation, visa, and travel insurance as well as payments for Covid-19 tests,” he said.

According to him, similarly, he said his participation in training and competitions organized in Finland, enabled him to get together with other African designers from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.

“He has also met with various international designers and companies participating in the Slush conference, which is a great opportunity for him to meet potential donors through whom the Commission plans to establish partnerships with them to promote innovation in the country,” he said.