Vodacom Tanzania Unveils a New Competition for App Developers

App developers in Tanzania have a reason to smile as Vodacom looks to better their lives even before Safaricom employ the same in Kenya. It is jusst not clear if Vodacom will be promoting the iOS and Android platforms without looking into creating a loyality on the network.

“The Vodacom AppStar Challenge has been designed to motivate and reward contestants who develop innovative, creative, functional and original mobile applications,” according to a statement from the operator.  The apps to be submitted in the challenge must aim to solve common problems and challenges facing the public.

Vodacom Tanzania app challenge winners will be awarded locally before being put in an international challenge pitting the app developers in Tanzania with those in Lesotho, Egypt, South Africa and Qatar where Vodacom has a presence as a brand. The international challenge’s award ceremony will be held in South Africa.

Some of the categories listed in the challenge include games, social health, entertainment and mobile for good. Each category has a top prize of $2,000 and an entry into the international contest. All submissions into the content will be through this website http://vodacomappstar.com/

According to Kelvin Twissa, Vodacom Tanzania Head of Brand Communication and Marketing, the new applications will be uploaded and distributed through Vodacom/Vodafone’s App Store, with individuals allowed to make multiple submissions until the end of the submission period.

” Tanzanian developers are expected to register for the competition by the 7th of September 2012. They will have until the 21st of September 2012 to develop and publish their completed app to the Vodacom App Store,” explained Twissa.

Two winning apps will be nominated for submission through an in-person demonstration and presentation to the panel of judges in South Africa.

Each of the nominations submitted for the international challenge will be eligible to win the grand prize of USD 20,000.