Africa Prize finalist Indira Tsengiwe, co-founder of BlueAvo, shares with us their latest achievements following the Africa Prize final 2021, and Tsengiwe's recent feature in Quartz Africa Innovators 2021: Female innovators lead the way.
What is BlueAvo, and how does it work?
BlueAvo is Africa’s Creative Talent Platform. We help agencies and in-house marketing teams connect with quality, vetted creatives across Africa to create and deliver content faster. The platform creates a pipeline of commercial opportunities for talent on the continent through a democratised mechanism that supports one of the fastest growing economic markets.
What has been BlueAvo’s greatest recent achievement?
Being a finalist for the Africa Prize has been a notable achievement that opened doors both in the local and international markets. These have converted into sales, which is a significant priority for us as a growing business. We have achieved tremendous success in the past few months: scaling the team, and creating partnerships with institutions that allow for real impact - even in remote creative environments. I was recently extremely proud to see a brief from an international broadcaster - TRACE, being awarded to a creative in Limpopo, South Africa - a largely rural jurisdiction with little to no creative economic opportunity. Another brief which came from a world-renowned investment firm, came at a time when the creative was at the brink of eviction. It provided home security for him and his family for months to come. Now these achievements may not be glamorous, but they are important to me, as they reflect the real impact on the ground. Creatives on the continent are brilliant and absolutely talented - some of the best in the world. For too long they were ignored by the market, and now BlueAvo has played a significant role in ensuring that the narrative has changed.
What were the main lessons you have learned through the Africa Prize training and alumni programme?
The Africa Prize experience taught me to hone in on impact. Once I as a co-founder understood our company’s purpose, I was able to - together with my co-founder Isaac Tshiteta - understand the problem, address it, replicate and repeat for the purpose of scale. The simplifying of the solution for the purpose of scale, is continuously allowing BlueAvo to grow. We are able to sell ourselves better and faster - which means more briefs on the platform, and money in creatives pockets.
What are the next steps for BlueAvo?
We are currently investing in our technology. Now that we have a better understanding of the world of the creative in the African context, we are building tailored solutions for the environment. Our development team, headed by my co-founder, is building software tools that will reimagine the creative industry and process. We are also partnering with institutions and companies that will allow us to grow from a talent platform, to a Software as a Service (SaaS).
Tell us about your recent feature in Quartz Africa
The recent feature in Quartz Africa Innovator’s List came as a wonderful surprise. We were not in any way expecting it, and I felt so honoured to be named along with some of the most phenomenal female entrepreneurs on the continent such as Moky Makura. She is someone who really inspires me. It was a humbling experience to have someone recognize the small contributions that we have made to our world. It was an empowering moment to have someone note: “What you’re doing is not a complete waste of time, it means something to someone” which makes it worth fighting for, at least for another day.
What one tip for success would you give to your fellow innovators?
Be actively learning - at every point in your business cycle. There’s always a better way to present the solution to the world. When you as an innovator are happy to embrace new and effective ideas, you will always be relevant.
For more information please visit BlueAvo.