DAR ES SALAAM: TotalEnergies Tanzania has announced winners of this year’s Startupper of the Year Challenge.
The competition, which was open to young Tanzanian entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 who had innovative business ideas and promising startups across the country.
Launched on April 30, the 2024 Startupper of the Year Challenge attracted young entrepreneurs from 32 African countries, with 100 winners chosen by local and international panels.
The competition was part of TotalEnergies’ centenary celebrations of which the honoured Tanzanian winners at a press conference at the TotalEnergies office in Dar es Salaam.
The local winners are Ms Editha Godlisten, who won the Best Entrepreneur Award with her project, Freshpack Technologies; Ms Adelaide Mwasyoghe, whose project, Sustainable Avocable Oil, was represented by Mr Abdul Milondomo and won the Best Circular Economy Project; and Ms Emman Mohamed, who received the Best Sustainable and Affordable Project award for her Non-Refillable Oxyvent initiative.
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Each winner will receive 20m/- in funding, media exposure through local outlets and TotalEnergies’ digital platforms, and personalized coaching from Westerwelle Foundation Tanzania to help them develop and scale their projects.
Mamadou Ngom, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Tanzania, emphasized the company’s dedication to supporting young entrepreneurs: “Supporting young talent is essential for our continent’s future.
Through this program, we hope to strengthen the local economy, encourage entrepreneurial spirit, and promote projects that are socially and environmentally responsible.”
One of the winners, Ms Emman Mohamed, who leads the oxygen supply project for hospitals, expressed her gratitude, “This award inspires me to keep developing my project, which provides much-needed resources for healthcare facilities.”
With over 1,000 applications and 436 completed entries from Tanzania, the competition culminated in a final event where 15 outstanding finalists pitched their ideas to a panel of judges. This high level of participation reflects the ambition and creativity of Tanzanian youth, committed to solving real-world challenges.
