Orange has announced the three winners of the African Social Venture Prize at the AfricaCom Awards ceremony held in Cape Town, South Africa. The winning projects receive up to EUR 25,000 in funding and six months of support by venture capital subsidiary Innovacom and local Orange operators. First prize went to the Horticultural Remote Irrigation System developed in Niger, which uses mobile technology to preserve water resources and improve productivity through irrigation. Second prize went to Uganda's AgaSha Business Network, which uses the internet to help SMEs grow through an online business community. Kachile, from the Cote d'Ivoire, won third prize for its e-commerce platform designed to professionalise cottage industries to increase market access and visibility. The three were among more than 600 entries, according Telecompaper.
