11 October 2002
	African ICT Achievers Awards INNOVATION FLARES By Sasha Planting The black information & communication technologies sector is coming of age

This is the fourth year in which the African ICT Achievers Awards have been made. Designed to recognise and honour the black men and women who have persevered in a specialist and self-serving industry to carve a niche for themselves and the companies they run, this year's awards show how far this industry has come in a short time. No longer characterised by a rabble of barely profitable small to medium-sized companies, the industry is now dominated by a few highly successful companies that collectively turn over at least R1bn. Competition for government and increasingly private-sector business is fierce. No longer is it enough to be owned and run by blacks. Companies must deliver value. For those that do, the rewards are great - many of the finalists and semifinalists are growing at 100%/year and more. Simon White, joint MD of Forge Ahead BMI-T, which founded and now co-ordinates the awards with the department of communications, says it's clear that black companies are not exonerated from contributing to social transformation and corporate social investment. "The black companies that do participate usually do so far in excess of their own size and resource availability," says White. But perhaps the most exciting change is the fact that black companies and entrepreneurs are beginning to innovate. New products and solutions are being developed by many of this year's finalists, some in response to customer need and some just because there was an opportunity that needed attending to. While the awards aim to recognise people and companies in a variety of categories, including nongovernmental organisations, individuals in the public sector, most progressive companies and so on, the FM has opted to cover the finalists in just three of these categories: ICT mover & shaker 2002, top black ICT company and top woman in the ICT industry.