The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Ronald Musoke
A Ugandan software development team, audaciously called Ffene, has been chosen among the three winners of the 2012 Apps4Africa business challenge.
Out of the close to 300 applications from nearly 1000 people, three winners were picked and awarded US $10,000 each. The other two winners came from Ghana and Nigeria.
Ffene which refers to a jackfruit in many Ugandan dialects is a low cost business management platform that enables small and medium businesses to leverage technology to reduce overhead costs incurred due to administrative tasks, freeing up resources that can be redirected to growth initiatives.
Currently, Ffene can be used for accounting, customer relationship management, product management and generation of reports. It is a reasonably priced software package that helps small and medium businesses run more efficiently, make better decisions and save money on administrative costs.
It is also aimed at impressing business owners with generating professional invoices and receipts made using desktops, tablets or phone anywhere.
In 2012, the Apps4Africa Business Challenge interested young tech developers to submit their business ideas aimed at solving local problems through a series of brainstorming sessions held in six countries across Africa.
The brainstorming events engaged local stakeholders, partners, and local US Embassies focusing mainly on engaging and encouraging the next young tech CEOs and teams of change makers that could innovate, create, and transform their technology businesses to provide more employment opportunities and strengthen the economy of their region.
Announcing the winners on Feb.20, the competition’s manager, Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson told the BBC that the competition focused on economic opportunity through the expansion and acceleration of technology sector.
According to Robinson, their next challenge will include scaling up the ideas past the competition.
They will also provide additional mentorship and training as well as financial resources to let the winners be successful.
This is the third year the Apps4Africa competition has been run. It is open to any innovator living and working on the continent.
