by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE third Huawei Global App Innovation Contest (Apps UP) has received about 10 000 submissions from different parts of the world.
The annual contest provides a platform for African continent’s best app developers to showcase their talents while helping to accelerate digital innovation.
This year’s theme is “Together We Innovate” and encourages developers to create apps that integrate Huawei Mobile Services capabilities and services which can enhance the experiences of over 650 000 Huawei end users in over 170 countries and regions.
Apps Up is seen as a perfect showcase for African developers looking to create awareness for their innovative approaches to overcoming the day-to-day challenges people on the continent experience.
As has been the case on previous competitions, Apps UP 2022 has more than US $1 million in prizes up for grabs.
Of this, $200 000 will be allocated to award winners in the Middle East and Africa.
This is for categories namely, All-Scenario Coverage, Best Application, Best Game, Best HMS Core Innovation, Excellent Student, Honourable Mention, Most Social Impact and Starlight Creative Awards.
Kurt Mbanje, who received last year’s Best App Award for the Middle East and Africa region for his Coresthetics digital fitness coach app, noted Huawei has a large and continuously growing share of the world’s smartphone market.
“It only makes sense to leverage their capabilities by using HMS core,” said Mbanje.
Velly Dingaan, the developer of the UniAPS which won in the Excellent Student Award category for the region, said Huawei kits are easy to integrate into apps and The AppGallery is gaining momentum in the market, with many opportunities for a developer’s app to be exposed to a large audience.
“Apps UP provides a platform for developers to learn more about the latest technology and enhance their mobile app development skills,” Dingaan said.
The deadline for final submissions is October 9.
Shortlisted apps will be highlighted for global promotion, on both the contest’s official Web site and AppGallery by November 20.
The public rating score for each work is based on the number of votes the app receives. Each region will hold its own final judging in December.
In a continent of nearly 34 million unemployed people, software development provides a significant opportunity for empowerment in Africa.
Africa has more than 700 000 developers, 31 percent whom are self-taught.
Almost one in five developers are women.
– CAJ News