The Africa Tech Festival Awards 2025, held on Wednesday, in Cape Town, brought together technology leaders, innovators, and changemakers from across the continent to celebrate excellence in African innovation and digital transformation.
Recognising the people and organisations driving meaningful impact across the tech ecosystem, the awards ceremony honoured those who are shaping Africa’s digital future. Finalists and winners were selected through a rigorous three-stage process, including a public vote and final adjudication by an expert panel of judges representing leading voices in business, technology, and finance.
Categories and winners for the 2025 edition include:
- Connectivity for All: Orange
- AI Leader of the Year: Jean-Francois Arnod, CMO, Orange
- Telco of the Year: Vodacom
- Innovation for Impact: Mastercard Community Pass
- CXO of the Year: Dejan Kastelic, CTO, Vodacom
- Changing Lives: SES and the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI)
- Female Innovator of the Year: Ms. Ennaifer Asma, Senior VP CSR, Orange Middle East & Africa
- Fintech Innovation of the Year: Vodacom
- Startup of the Year: Booi Industries (Pty) Ltd
- Cybersecurity Leader of the Year: Tim Theuri, CISO, M-Pesa Africa
The judging panel consisted of Group CIO, PHA STM Healthcare & Marara Group, Vukosi Sambo; Group Head, Information and Network Technology Operations, City of Johannesburg, John Bosco Arends; Group Head, Information Security, Eskom Holdings, Sithembile Songo; Global Head Telecoms, Media and Technology, Client Coverage, Corporate and Investment Banking, Standard Bank, Nina Triantis; CEO, APO Group, Bas Wijne; Chief Strategy Officer, Retail Supermarkets Nigeria (Shoprite Nigeria) Bunmi Adeleye; and CEO, ISOCEL Telecom, Robert Aouad.
The Africa Tech Festival 2025 held from November 11 to 13 at the Cape Town International Conference Centre.
