160 companies have been shortlisted for Africa CIO100 Awards, dubbed the Oscars of the tech world. This marked the completion of the first phase of the technical analysis of data from which the CIO100 top companies in Africa will be chosen. This is a critical stage where the contenders will be subjected to further screening to arrive at the top CIO100.
The technical team analyzed the CIO100 2021 Survey data gathered over the past three months. 536 companies from across Africa submitted applications with the majority, 60% coming from Kenya (35%), with noteworthy numbers from Nigeria (15%), Uganda (7%), and Rwanda (3%).
“The CIO100 2016 Survey data collection process ended on 3 October 2021 with an achievement of 536 applications, of which 406 were marked as complete. The technical analysis commenced immediately,” said Samuel Gicharu, CEO, Insight Wells Research, the company that undertook the research.
In presenting a status report of the research, he detailed the approach adopted in selecting the top 160 companies and organizations. “A common feature across all excellence models is the general structure of the assessment tool/questionnaire. The participating organizations are assessed using a model that emphasizes the relationship between two key aspects: business processes and business results,” Gicharu continued.
He explained that organizations are assessed on their ability to not only deliver results today but also to build on sustainably by creating a culture of continuous improvement.
Notable entries into the shortlist include Dangote Projects – Nigeria, MultiChoice Kenya, Kenya Airways, Standard Chartered Bank, Unga Holdings, Credit Bank, Kemri-Welcome Trust, CLC-Africa – Tanzania, AzamPay – Tanzania, Somika Group – Congo, Platino Group – Egypt, WasilaDev – Egypt, Gebeya – Ethiopia, Berhan Bank – Ethiopia, Zemen Bank – Ethiopia, MCCC Cloud – Mauritius, AFEX – Nigeria, Jelurida – Nigeria, Fast Forward – South Africa, Meltwater – South Africa, Uku’hamba, South Africa, Uganda Breweries, Billionair Fund – Uganda, Thochima Enterprises – Zambia, Graniteside – Zimbabwe, Amref Africa and ZEP-RE (PTA Re-insurance).
The top CIO100 companies will be announced during the annual Africa CIO100 Symposium and Awards, a two-day high energy celebration of IT excellence that will be marked with networking opportunities and knowledge sharing in Mombasa, Kenya, from 17th to 19th of November 2021.
This is the first time this prestigious IT leadership event will be held in Mombasa. CIO Africa anticipates that they will play host to more than 1,000 CIOs and IT executives from all over the world and specifically, Africa, who will attend the hybrid (in-person and online) event.
CIO Africa Director, Andrew Karanja, explained that “The regional CIO100 Awards celebrate companies in Africa for their innovative use of IT. This is the 13th edition of the event, and we are very excited that we will now be recognizing 100 companies from across Africa that demonstrate excellence and achievement in IT adoption and execution.”
“Join us and discover the latest fresh insights and ideas from leading brands in Africa on the future of the digital enterprise, business transformation, mobility strategies, enterprise security, predictive analytics among other special topics,” said Karanja while announcing the event at eDevelopment House in Nairobi.
Last year, there were 350 companies nominated with 120 making up the year’s CIO100 list. The short list included companies from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda covering all the major verticals including Government, Education, Health, Financial Services, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Utilities, Transport and Logistics.