JA Africa announces the winners of the 11th Company of the Year Competition which was hosted virtually by JA Mauritius from February 24 to 26, 2022. The competition, supported by FedEx, Citi Foundation, PMI Educational Foundation and Tomorrow Foundation saw 36 high school-aged entrepreneurs from nine African countries pitch their businesses to a panel of business experts from around the world in this keenly contested competition. At the end, Project Yoof, a company founded by students of Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls High School from Kenya emerged as overall winners of the competition, winning a $1,000 cash prize and a ticket to compete at the Ralph de la Vega Global Entrepreneurship Competition where they will compete against COY winners from the six regions where JA Worldwide operates for awards, $15,000, educational opportunities, and more.
Project Yoof impressed the judges with their innovative social enterprise which leverages technology to make mental health services more accessible to young people. Coming in second place was Hydro Power Systems founded by students of Vulamasango High School in Eswatini. Momemtum from Mauritius came in third place.
Summary of Award winners:
FedEx Global Possibilities Award – Hydro Power Systems, Vulamasango High School – Eswatini
The FedEx Global Possibilities Award, recognizes the student-run business that best exhibits the principles of global connectivity—driven by Innovation, Connecting to New Markets, Fueling Community Development, and Sustainable and Social Responsibility.
Citi Foundation Client Focus Award – Kere Terra, Etoi Community School– Nigeria
The Citi Client Focus Award recognizes exceptional leadership in client satisfaction and a high level of commitment to quality customer service.
PMI Educational Foundation Project Management Award – Keyscape, Danville Park Girls’ High School and Northwood Boys High School – South Africa & Project Yoof, Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls High School – Kenya
PMI Educational Foundation Project Management Award recognizes the team that shows a strong understanding of project management principles and their ability to demonstrate the application of the five Project Management processes in running their company.
Tomorrow Foundation Future Tech Award – Project Yoof, Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls High School – Kenya
The Tomorrow Foundation Future Tech Award is given to the company that best illustrates new, original, or groundbreaking ideas, from products to customer service to collaborations.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Education, Mauritius, Hon. Leela Devi Dookhun Luchoomun, said, “We have all been talking about Africa needing game changing leaders. Our continent is called upon to rely on future captains of industry who have learned from an early age to be mentally agile to show capacity to develop and act upon business concepts based on well thought through ideas. That’s where our youth will yield rich dividends for Africa.”
Keynote Speaker at the COY Awards ceremony, Kenyan CEO of Twiga Foods, addressing the young entrepreneurs said, “Africa continues to face challenges in solving very basic problems, problems around food security, access to health, housing, education, transportation amongst others. Governments alone cannot solve these problems and entrepreneurs have to step in the gap and there is no better way than to start early in life and hone the skills in figuring out ways we can solve these problems.”
JA Africa’s Company of the Year Competition is the capstone activity for the highly acclaimed JA Company Program® and provides an exciting and competitive element to the program that enhances the students’ experience and creates significant practical exposure to the competitive world of international business.
