Calling all coders! – Project #AppStar by @safaricomLTD
Coder. Je? Uko na Safaricom?
Safaricom in partnership with Vodafone Group will be launching a developer Apps contest challenge branded AppStar.
This is a unique mobile app contest where developers will be given an opportunity to show case their talent in developing apps.
The challenge is currently running is 5 countries; Lesotho, South Africa, Tanzania, Egypt and Qatar, with Safaricom being the latest addition.
Wait!! This is not how IddSalim blogs!!
Salim si mwandishi wa gazeti. Where is historical references. Where is the humor? Mbona hajongea juu ya madem so far? Sindio?
Once upon a time, when I was about your age, I wrote a blog post proposing an inter-hubs contest. An Africawide hackathon where Kenyan coders and HelloWorld gurus can be weighed, measured and, if found wanting, laughed at and schooled.
Ofcourse, I will be taking you for fools if I, in any way at all, insinuated that I am the one who prompted our beloved and beHated Safaricom to Join the App circle. This is something they have been sitting on for quite a number of years. Kills me in a club to see a hot mamma in a hot dress and a hot body just seated there looking pretty whilst she can get up bring down the house.
I am happy to announce that Safaricom is NO LONGER shy. I say, tonight, she’s letting go, oh, ohh!
This challenge will enable participating developers to win cash rewards and exciting prizes as well as provide them with an opportunity to upload and distribute their apps across Vodafone emerging markets in Africa & Middle East.
Now, how cool is that? Imagine having your App IN THE FACE of 10M Kenyans who have Internet-enabled phones. Immediately. 700, 000 Kenyans have ANDROID phones. Just convince 40% of these people to pay you KSHS 2 per month and you officially join the citizens of Mkwanjaville. Doo mob kaa fudhi. Use all Safaricom’s real-estate. Mpesa, SMS, USSD Push, USSD Pull, Voice, Data, A-GPS, .
Competition shall take place in a two stage process: Local and International Competition where two finalists from the local competition will entered into the international competition.
Details on the challenge on the International sphere are available on http://vodafoneappstar.com/. The details on the local aspect will be available during the launch on Thursday at 2PM at the Safaricom HQ, to which I, Idd Salim, The One, ofcourse, has a VIP pass. I will share the details after I come from there.
The six different categories for the Competition are as follows:
- Best Game/Entertainment app
- Best Health app
- Best Education app
- Best Agriculture app
- Best Financial Institution app
- Best Productivity and Utilities app
The prizes for the Competition are:
- Grand Prize Kshs. 1,000,000
- Runners UpKshs. 500,000
- Category Winner Kshs. 100,000
I have quite a few questions that I will raise to the Safcom team. They are notorious for wanting to buy you one beer and then take you home:
- Who owns the app rights?
- What revenue collection avenues do the developers get (Premium SMS, USSD, URL-based billing on data)
- What revenue share percentage goes to the developer. Is it 26% as it is with SMS, or is it 70% as YU does on apps?
- Will developers get a Sandbox at Safaricom?
- What say will BernSoft have on product activations and acceptance to the AppStore? heheheh. Acha iishe hapo.
Nitaleta noma ile mbaya. Keep tuned.
The terms and conditions are here: Read and decide
Sawa. Rudi ngwati sasa.
Back to code.
Wazi!
