Legatum, a privately owned international investment group and Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm, yesterday announced that Craft Silicon Ltd of Kenya has won the US $100,000 grand prize of the 2010 Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship. The competition, which was launched in July 2010, received a record number of 2,700 applications from 15 African countries: Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Craft Silicon provides software solutions for core banking, microfinance, and electronic and mobile payments in four continents.
Five other finalists were recognized and each of the listed companies below was awarded a prize of US $50,000:
Mellech Engineering & Construction Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
Planbuild Technical Services Ltd., Kampala, Uganda
Sigma Electric PLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tutuka Software (Pty) Ltd., Rivonia, South Africa
Wilkins Engineering Ltd., Accra, Ghana
