The Africa Tech Festival Awards 2025 (https://AfricaTechFestival.com/), held on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 in Cape Town, brought together technology leaders, innovators, and changemakers from across the continent to celebrate excellence in African innovation and digital transformation. 

Recognising the people and organisations driving meaningful impact across the tech ecosystem, the awards ceremony honoured those who are shaping Africa’s digital future. Finalists and winners were selected through a rigorous three-stage process, including a public vote and final adjudication by an expert panel of judges representing leading voices in business, technology, and finance. 

2025 award winners 

• Connectivity for All: Orange 
• AI Leader of the Year: Jean-Francois Arnod, CMO, Orange 
• Telco of the Year: Vodacom 
• Innovation for Impact: Mastercard Community Pass 
• CXO of the Year: Dejan Kastelic, CTO, Vodacom 
• Changing Lives: SES and the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) 
• Female Innovator of the Year: Ms Ennaifer Asma, Senior VP CSR, Orange Middle East & Africa 
• Fintech Innovation of the Year: Vodacom 
• Startup of the Year: Booi Industries (Pty) Ltd 
• Cybersecurity Leader of the Year: Tim Theuri, CISO, M-Pesa Africa 

Pictures for the winners can be found here: https://apo-opa.co/48aH8Yh

The judging panel consisted of Vukosi Sambo, Group CIO, PHA STM Healthcare & Marara Group; John Bosco Arends, Group Head: Information and Network Technology Operations, City of Johannesburg; Sithembile Songo, Group Head: Information Security, Eskom Holdings; Nina Triantis, Global Head Telecoms, Media and Technology, Client Coverage, Corporate and Investment Banking, Standard Bank; Bas Wijne, CEO, APO Group; Bunmi Adeleye, Chief Strategy Officer, Retail Supermarkets Nigeria (Shoprite Nigeria); and Robert Aouad, CEO, ISOCEL Telecom. 

The Africa Tech Festival 2025 takes place from 11 to 13 November at the Cape Town International Conference Centre.