The winners of the BCX Digital Innovation Awards 2020 were announced on 12 November. The announcement formed part of the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies Awards that streamed online this year. The BCX Digital Innovation Awards was created in 2019 with the objective of recognising digital innovation excellence in South Africa, focusing on corporates and SMEs.
In 2020, 28 shortlisted candidates pitched in front of four renowned judges to achieve the title of Digital Innovation Award Champion in their respective categories.
Jonas Bogoshi, CEO of BCX, says: “This was a year of disruption that forced businesses and industries to innovate and think outside of the proverbial box. Businesses had to reinvent and reimagine their services and products within very challenging socio-economic conditions to unlock greater customer value.”
“This year we had phenomenal entrants into the BCX Digital Innovation Awards, many of whom turned adversity into an opportunity for their businesses. I am encouraged by the level of innovation and imagination that exists in South African businesses, and was delighted to have announced the winners last night,” adds Bogoshi.
One of the main criteria for judges this year was to gauge the results, set targets and impact to society that the innovations have had or made.
The 2020 SME category first, second and third place winners are:
- In third place: FinChatBot - A fintech startup founded in Cape Town. It was co-founded by two passionate French entrepreneurs to help financial service providers acquire and retain customers using AI-powered conversations.
- In second place: Ozow - Ozow Revolution: a drive toward digital inclusion for all. The Ozow product was created with the aim to make digital payments available to everyone and create a greater opportunity to participate in the digital economy.
- Winner of the 2020 Digital Innovation Award (SME category): Bottles App - A startup app providing on-demand alcohol delivery, partnered with grocery store giant Pick ‘n Pay mid-2018. The partnership helped Bottles scale their app across South Africa, delivering for over 50 Pick ‘n Pay Liquor stores nationwide.
The company leveraged its existing partnership and infrastructure to pivot their business to enable it to deliver grocery and essential goods during the Covid-19 lockdown. The app is now partnering with more than 90 Pick n Pay stores and helping deliver groceries across Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, and Port Elizabeth.
The 2020 Corporate category first, second and third place winners are:
- In third place: Old Mutual Wealth - Enabling financial planning conversations and trade-offs through digital capabilities. It aims to simplify complex financial planning for clients through the use of in-house technology and financial planning tools.
- In second place: Netcare VirtualCare - Netcare VirtualCare is a new telehealth platform for virtual doctor consults. A doctor consultation no longer requires a patient to travel to a consulting room or hospital to receive the required care.
- Winner of the 2020 Digital Innovation Award (corporate category): Checkers Sixty60 - Checkers Sixty60 is a mobile grocery delivery app that allows a customer to get their groceries delivered in 60 minutes.
“Congratulations to the winners and the runners up. We hope to see them rise in size and influence, as well as in the impact their companies make not only in the country but at a global level,” concludes Bogoshi.
