Open Call for Tech Impact Awards 2025 (Africa)

They recognize work that makes a clear, practical difference for the tech community.

Categories

• Startups & Product Development
  • For people who build useful tech products that solve real problems — including founders, makers, and product teams bringing new tools and ideas to life.
• Community Builders & Educators
  • For people who help others learn and help the tech industry grow — through communities, education, libraries, and open-source contributions.
• Thought Leadership & Public Knowledge
  • For people whose ideas shape the way others think in tech — through blogs, talks, research, or public influence.

Benefits

• Visibility & Recognition
  • They feature selected nominees on the Top Voices — a global community-driven media platform for founders, product leaders, and VCs. Your work deserves to be seen.
• Global Community
  • Nominees become part of a 3000 + curated community of founders and builders from 20+ countries.
• Proof of Impact
  • Your nomination becomes a verifiable recognition of your contribution — to show on your website, CV, LinkedIn, or pitch deck.

Eligibility Criteria

• These are individual awards — not for companies or teams. The nominee must be the person directly responsible for the contribution being submitted.
• Can be a founder, blogger, engineer, educator, writer, or contributor.
• The work must be public and verifiable.
• The award is open to individuals based in Africa or those working on projects that create impact across the African tech ecosystem.

Evaluation Criteria

• Community Builders & Educators
  • Value for the industry (how new, how useful)
  • Reach and impact
  • Effort and scale
• Startups & Product Development
  • Value for the industry (how new, how useful)
  • Impact/traction
  • Personal contribution
• Thought Leadership & Public Knowledge
  • Quality of ideas (how new, how useful)
  • Influence and reach
  • Originality and voice
• You can apply with any public project, product, or content that shows your personal impact on the tech industry.

Application Requirements 

• Community Builders & Educators
  • Run a community, meetup, or association
  • Create an open-source resource, library, or online space for tech enthusiasts
  • Play a prominent role in an incubator or accelerator
  • Organize initiatives such as podcasts, events, or other educational projects for other experts
• Startups & Product Development
  • Built or contributed to an innovative startup that has achieved user traction
  • Created a product or feature that significantly changed the game in your niche
  • Contributed meaningfully to a product that made a notable impact in its market
• Thought Leadership & Public Knowledge
  • Lead a blog, podcast, or newsletter that stimulates industry discussion
  • Create educational content such as articles, videos, tutorials, or courses
  • Have built an engaged audience around your tech ideas and opinions
  • Made significant open-source contributions that promote public learning

For more information, visit The Top Voices.