By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
A team representing
Safaricom PLC has won the Purpose Pillar at the 2026 Vodacom Hackathon in South
Africa, recognising its work in innovation driven by purpose, collaboration and
problem-solving.
Gillian Ngugi, an M-PESA
Product Manager at Safaricom, announced the achievement after representing the
Kenyan telecommunications company at the competition hosted by Vodacom in South
Africa.
“What an incredible
milestone! Proud of what our team has achieved, turning ideas into impact and
demonstrating the power of innovation driven by purpose, collaboration, bold
thinking, and resilience,” Ngugi said.
She described the win as
more than a trophy, saying it demonstrated the importance of using technology
to address real-world challenges and create meaningful change.
“This win is more than a
trophy; it’s a reminder that technology is most impactful when it solves real
problems and creates meaningful change,” she said.
Ngugi congratulated her
teammates Ammly Kinyua, Philominah Ngau, Silvan Kamau, Mwaura Simon and Kimani
Kibuthu for their contribution to the achievement.
She also expressed gratitude
for the opportunity to represent Safaricom and take the team’s solution to the
next level, identifying Europe as the team’s next destination.
Ngugi thanked Eng. Andrew
Masila, Peter Gichangi, Mark Waihenya and Steven Oginga for their support.
