Kenyan developer wins Appstar challenge

The winners of the 2013 Vodafone Safaricom Appstar challenge have been announced.

Kenyan app Automs.gs has won the 2013 Appstar Challenge - a partnership between Safaricom and Vodafone designed to give support mobile app developers in emerging markets. At the finals in Nairobi yesterday, Bernard Mukangu's Automs.gs was named the overall winner. Automs.gs is an SMS scheduler app that allows the automatic sending of personalized text messages on pre-scheduled dates.

India’s Kunal Mahajan’s Matchbox puzzle game app was the runner up, while South Africa’s Lynette Huundermark took third place with the GoMetro commuter information app.

A total of 2,200 apps developers registered for this year’s Appstar challenge and eight developers from Kenya, India, South Africa and Tanzania reached the finals to compete for cash prizes valued at USD 22,000.

“The idea to come up with Automs.gs was born when I forgot to send my girlfriend a message to wish her a happy birthday and as a result she was very cross with me. From that day I purposed to develop an application that would ensure that I would never forget important events in the lives of those I care about both at a personal and professional level,” said Mukangu after being named the grand winner of the 2013 Appstar Challenge.

Mukangu started his career at Nairobits incubation hub in South B, where youth from informal settlements are given a chance to study mobile Apps development for free.

“The best innovators are not people who create things because they are smart. Truly innovative people are those who try to find a way of addressing current unsolved problems, unmet needs and unresolved inadequacies in the societies they live in. They understand that every problem or challenge in the society is in fact an opportunity,” said Bob Collymore, CEO Safaricom Limited.

source: www.biztechafrica.com