Health startup Kena shone so bright at the 12th annual MTN Business App of the Year awards which took place at gala event in Sandton City, South Africa. As it took the night’s top honours.

“We are incredibly honoured to be recognized by MTN Business as the overall App of the Year 2023 as well as the health category winner. Awards like this help us take a step closer to our vision of changing health-care systems in South Africa and across the continent,” said Kena Health chief technology officer Pheello Maboea.

The Kena Health app seeks to break financial barriers to quality health care. It offers patients access to a doctor, nurse or mental health professional for R185/consultation. The consultations are done virtually, minimising waiting times and travel costs for consumers.

Founded by Saul Kornik in 2021, the young start-up had to muscle past more experienced industry rivals such as Discovery Health as well as an array of digital businesses in fintech, agriculture, gaming, biomedicine and online shopping to claim the top spot.

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MTN Business marketing head Kholofelo Magagane with Marilyn Dutlow Munga, Pheello Maboea and Saul Kornik from Kena Health

The category winners are:

Best consumer solution: Discovery Bank

Best enterprise solution: Medsol Breast AI

Best hackathon solution: Future DX – Thutofy

Best gaming solution: Fruit-Full 3

Best health solution: Kena Health

Best agricultural solution: Broiler Operations Management

Best educational solution: Angula

Best Campus Cup solution: CPF Method

Best breakthrough developer: University Qualifications

People’s Choice award: TymeBank

Best financial solution: iKhokha

Most innovative solution: Eyerus

Best Huawei AppGallery category: Pick n Pay asap!

One of the most coveted awards of the night, the People’s Choice award, went to the digital-only bank TymeBank. The digital bank, in which Patriece Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital is majority shareholder, recently topped eight million clients and joins the ranks of previous crowd favourites Afrihost, Afrikaans mobile dating app Koer and EskomSePush.

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“This year’s winners have shown how technology can help transform traditional business models, streamline operations and enhance productivity. By harnessing technology to address critical business and societal challenges, they will inspire others to adapt, evolve and thrive in a rapidly changing environment,” said MTN Business marketing head Kholofelo Magagane.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry