fbpx

Africa Social Entrepreneurship Grows Along Mobile Technology

Africa Social Entrepreneurship Grows Along Mobile Technology

From theguardian:

From public transport apps such as Hailo to archival ones such as Evernote, the benefits of mobile technology for people in the developed world have been well documented.

But mobile is arguably having a much bigger impact on people’s lives in the developing world, particularly Africa. There, the transformative effect of a technology that is largely taken for granted in the UK, such as an e-reader application, can be immense. That transformation was the subject of a recent presentation by mobile strategist Rudy De Waele at the O2 Campus Party at London’s O2 Arena, a weeklong technology festival.

“People in Sub-Saharan countries have to deal with very basic kinds of infrastructural problems in transport, electricity generation or water supply, things that most of us in the West don’t have to deal with” says De Waele.

De Waele is the co-founder of Nyota Media, an agency dedicated to assisting African entrepreneurs and startups using technology to improve the lives of Africans. Based in London, Nyota works with a range of companies, including Microsoft, IBM and Millicom. De Waele has over 18 years experience in internet technology, and has specialised in mobile innovation since 1999. He says there are huge opportunities in Africa right now when it comes to mobile solutions generally.

“Over the next five years, seven of the world’s ten fastest growing economies will come out of Africa. As a result, there is a growing middle class in Sub-Saharan parts of the continent, mainly in places like Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. There’s also faster growing access to mobile connectivity. The market is still largely feature phone based, but smartphone penetration is growing rapidly. These are beginning to be offered at a cost of between $50 and $70.”

Internet connectivity is only part of the explanation for the growth in social entrepreneurship however. A crucial factor, says De Waele, is that many African countries have a very young population.

Written by Neil Brady | Read more at theguardian