GIST Startup Boot Camp South Africa has announced EcoAct Tanzania as the winner of the Boot Camp held from April 12 – April 15 in Johannesburg.
The Boot Camp team was held to teach 32 young African teams how to effectively get out of the building and interview potential customers in order to get the information they need to form a successful startup.
The young science and tech entrepreneurs came from all over Africa. The countries of South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Liberia and Mozambique were represented.
The Boot Camp was led by GIST’s Startup Boot Camp implementer VentureWell. Local partners, The Innovation Hub and LeadAfrika provided in-country support.
The instructors were Bob Storey, Frank Rimalovski, Heath Naquin and Todd Morrill, all experienced trainers and entrepreneurs from the United States. George Mulamula, a CEO and government adviser on issues of entrepreneurship in Tanzania also attended to act as the keynote speaker and expert mentor. Local mentors identified by the local partner The Innovation Hub also met with teams to give one-on-one advice.
Over the course of four days, the teams traveled all over Johannesburg and the surrounding areas to complete interviews with potential customers. After completing interviews, many teams pivoted and adapted their startups based on what they learned. By listening to their customers, they will be able to more closely align their startup with the needs of the market.
On the final day, selected teams presented their companies to the public, the media and to US Embassy officials. US Ambassador to South Africa Patrick H. Gaspard spoke at Demo Day, encouraging the participants to continue in their entrepreneurial journey. He also announced all the winners.
The Boot Camp ended with rewards being presented to the top teams. After much deliberation, a panel of expert judges chose the following winners:
First place ($2000): EcoAct Tanzania
Christian Mwijage and Elineca Ndowo (Tanzania)
EcoAct Tanzania utilizes used plastic to manufacture durable, cost efficient and environmentally friendly plastic lumber.
Second place ($1000): Pad Heaven
Florence Kamaitha and Pauline Muthoni (Kenya)
Pad Heaven converts banana stem waste into affordable, hygienic and 100% bio-degradable sanitary pads.
All the Boot Camp participants were asked to vote on which team best represented the spirit of the GIST program. They chose the following team:
Spirit of GIST Award: Green Malasha
Esther Mwale and Chifungu Samazaka (Zambia)
Green Malasha is a Zambian develops renewable, clean, low-cost biofuel in the form of charcoal briquettes, firewood briquettes and fire starters from natural waste.
