Mozambique: Best startups awarded at SASA Gala

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Mozambique: Best startups awarded at SASA Gala

1:14 CAT | 10 Sep 2018

Photo: SASA Mozambique / Facebook

Mozambican startups garnered recognition trophies at the Southern Africa Start-up Awards (SASA) Mozambique on Wednesday night.

On a summer night filled with guests and the pumping sound of the 4D Band, young, apprehensive creators waited, not knowing if they had earned the vote of the public and the jury. It was Best Mozambican Start-ups awards night, small and large projects by young entrepreneurs contributing to changes in the business environment in the country with their innovative ideas.

The Best Startups Award is aimed at bringing together talented entrepreneurs, investors and other leaders and opinion-shapers in the world of technology to celebrate the high-calibre founders who not only run their business passionately and powerfully, but also take responsibility for the focused execution of their ideas.

Hassan Dassat, National Content and SME Development specialist, who presented the event alongside Cristina Maldonado, Communications and Events Coordinator, said that Mozambicans were beginning to focus on raising the entrepreneurial spirit which makes the business ecosystem more interesting. The startups selected will represent Mozambique beyond the country’s borders, he said.

Robobo Mozambique, an innovation and technology agency developing both hardware and software won in the most-voted-by-the-public category.

The Best Startup in Agribusiness award went to D-Fruit, which produces dried fruit and promotes nutritional education lectures by Dirce Abdala. It showed the largest development in the last year based on growth, innovation and impact with a product that uses technology to improve agriculture and food production, supply chain distribution channels and consumption. Abdala’s prize is the fruit of effort and dedication.

The Best Student Startup was Faruk Lara’s E-MOB – the Mozambican Biomass Company which produces firewood from sugarcane. Founded and managed by students, it has shown great development in the last year on the back of its growth and innovation.

For inspiration, Samuel Mojovo of Motormoz, which specialises in importing cars as well as buying and selling them locally, said that “hard work, perseverance and good customer service” are the soul of a business. Mujovo told the story of Motormoz as an example of resilience and growth in the market.

SASA Mozambique showcases Mozambique on the world stage in terms of ideas and entrepreneurial projects, and winners will participate in the International Start-ups Gala to be held in China in December this year.

This will be the first time that Mozambique is represented at this international event, and a chance for Mozambique’s start-ups to gain worldwide visibility.

Source: O País