Thapelo Nthite, the founder of Botlhale AI, took top honours at the Momentum big success pitch 2024 for his innovative artificial intelligence solution, which aims to break down language barriers in digital services.
The idea came from a personal moment when Nthite helped his grandmother navigate her phone due to a language gap, inspiring him to address this issue more broadly.
“I realised there are a lot of people like her all over the country and the continent who can’t use digital services due to language barriers,” said Nthite.
“This is where we come in – we help businesses engage with customers in a language they understand using AI powered natural language processing.”
Botlhale AI’s mission has now earned Nthite R500,000 in prize money and a dedicated financial adviser to support his business.
Competition runner-up Phillip Mngadi, awarded R300,000, was driven to start Zinacare, a healthcare venture focused on making at-home diagnostics easier and more accessible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mngadi saw the potential for drive-through testing services and wanted to offer South Africans a similar convenient option.
“Diagnostics are the beginning of health,” he said.
Second runner-up Zizipho Ntobongwana was recognised for Sheba Feminine, winning R200 000 for her social enterprise dedicated to sustainable and organic sanitary products.
Motivated by concerns over harmful chemicals in conventional products, Ntobongwana developed a line made from biodegradable cotton, saying: “We are about sustainability and ethics.”
Momentum’s big success pitch provides entrepreneurs with essential financial advice and mentorship.
The competition saw over 11,000 entries this year, narrowing down to five finalists who competed for a share of R1 million.
IOL