Tech giant Google is calling entrepreneurs, creatives, innovators and web-lovers across Africa to share their stories of how the web has transformed their lives and work.

The company’s new initiative called Africa Connected: Success stories powered by the web aims to gather the largest collection of inspiring stories about ventures established online by Africans, in Africa. Five successful entrants will win $25 000 each and will also have the opportunity to work with a Google sponsor over a six-month period.

Users can enter the Africa Connected contest by visting www.africaconnected.com. You need a Google account to enter.

Competition categories

Categories for entries include Education, Entertainment/Arts/Sports, Technology, Community and NGOs, as well as Small Businesses. Google stated that 20 semi-finalists will be selected from initial entries to take part in an interview and to produce a short promotional video. A judging panel made up of Googlers and external judges will then determine the 10 finalists.

The five winners, in whose lives the web and Google have played a pivotal role, will then be selected by the online voting public. Submissions are open from 27 August 2013 and stays open until 11 October 2013. Google’s Africa Connected competition will run until February 2014 when the winners will be announced.

In South Africa, Google’s media partners include the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and City Press. The South African representative joining the Africa Connected judging panel is Adv Leslie Sedibe, CEO of Proudly South African. Vusi Thembekwayo, global motivational speaker and MD at MOTIV8, has joined the African Connected initiative as a social media champion.  

To the point

“Google wants to hear from young, spirited entrepreneurial web adopters in sub-Saharan Africa who have a healthy disregard for the impossible and who are using the web and technology to do cool and extraordinary things to rise above their circumstances, change their world, and achieve success. We want to showcase the amazing achievements happening in the new Africa”, said Affiong Osuchukwu, Google Lead for the Africa Connected initiative.

Adv Leslie Sedibe added: “Research has shown that South Africans have a strong appetite for getting online. Whether you are in technology, agriculture, energy, fashion, education, or entertainment, if the web has transformed your life, and you believe your venture can be scaled up, then the judging panel is looking forward to hearing your story.”

In related news, Google also recently made the latest stable version (Chrome 29) of the world’s most used desktop web browser available for download.