This article explores Africa's achievements in the 21st century across renewable energy, fintech, and healthcare innovation. It notes Africa's leadership in providing off-grid solar solutions estimated at 3,000 MW by 2022. It also discusses the growth of fintech in enabling financial access directly to users, with examples like M-Pesa in Kenya and Flutterwave in Nigeria. The article closes by highlighting health innovations like a mosquito-repellent soap from Burkina Faso and Medsaf's delivery of medications in Nigeria.

1. T4t4trtgeueer3t
February 5, 2018 Bophelo Kanetsi
AFRICA RISING
A Look at the Continent’s Achievements in the 21st
Century
Once labelled the ‘dark continent’, Africa was perceived to be riddled with corruption, wars and famine. However, since
the 2000s, the continent has seen unprecedented growth, fueled by entrepreneurship, industrialization and economic
policy. This article explores some of Africa’s greatest achievements.
Renewable Energy Revolution
Africa is set to lead in the next five years in providing off grid
solar solutions, estimated at about 3,000 MW by 2022.
Nigeria, in its quest to use energy to unlock economic
opportunities, and drive growth for industries, announced
billion Naira (USD 3.1 Million) off-grid solar fund, as part of its
Green Energy Program with the UN Development Program
(UNDP). The solar projects are to be deployed for households
and Small to Medium Enterprises, currently without any access
to power.
Down south, is South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent
Power Project Procurement Program
(REIPPPP).
Although on-grid, the programme has
provided an alternative, cleaner energy
source to coal powered stations.
In a similar manner, Algeria has also
implemented a 90MW project in East
Adrar.
Small Scale renewable energy not
only electrifies rural households, but also enables better
delivery of health care and education, thus improving the
overall wellbeing of Africans.
Fin-tech technology
Africa has been able to leapfrog directly to mobile phones,
and by-passing landline connections. This development alone
opened doors to an array of Fin-tech technology. Fin-tech
enables users to move money or funds from one place to
another without the use of a bank account. Fin-tech has also
advanced to include investments and micro lending vehicles.
In developed markets, Fintech is about
providing services to banks, or delivering
something that already exists with a
better customer experience, whereas in
Africa it’s almost exclusively about
delivering access to financial services
directly to the end user for the first time.
ADVISORY & INVESTMENTS
MAYA GROUP
PEZESHA, developed in Kenya, is
micro -lending fin-tech company that
helps low income borrowers generate
credit scores using data analytics.

2. Advisory & INvestments
Traditional structures such as banks, had left the African
population severely untapped when it came to financial
services. (Only 34% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa had bank
accounts).
Other than the well known MPESA, which has had much
success in Kenya and other Sub-Saharan countries, African
entrepreneurs continue to create start-ups in this field.
Flutterwave, in 2017, managed to raise USD 10 million to build
infrastructure to ease processing of payments across Africa.
Pezesha, developed in Kenya, is micro -lending Fin-tech
company that helps low income borrowers generate credit
scores using data analytics.
However, the FinTech success cannot only be attributed to
deep penetration of mobiles phones and internet, but also
improvements in identity verification infrastructure across the
continent. These assist in recognizing duplicate identities,
therefore curbing fraudulent activities.
Health Care Innovation
There is also a new energy to solve Africa’s problems the
African way. Malaria kills over 400 000 people per year in
Africa. Still to be tested scientifically before mass production,
a mosquito repellent soap was created by two youth from
Burkino Faso to address this challenge.
Medsaf, founded in Nigeria, is a company that delivers
medications directly from leading local and foreign
manufacturers- eliminating issues such as quality control, to
hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics all over the country. It also
provides a robust inventory management system that allows
tracking stock levels for medications in real time, as well as
receive order reminders and alerts, and access historical sales
data for forecasting.
Africa is still rising…

3. Advisory & INvestments
References
Iwuoha, J., 2017, ‘The3 Most Powerful Revolutions Shaking Up Africa Right Now — You
Should Read This!’ viewed 04 February 2018, from http://www.smallstarter.com/get-
inspired/the-3-most-powerful-revolutions-shaking-up-africa-right-now/
Guilbert. K., 2016, ‘Mosquito-repellent soap invention seeks to wash away Africa malaria
threat’ viewed 04 February 2018, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-
malaria/mosquito-repellent-soap-
Kende-Robb. C., 2016, ‘This is Africa’s most overlooked achievement, and it's changing
the lives of millions’ viewed 04 February 2018, from
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/this-is-africa-s-most-overlooked-achievement-
and-its-changing-the-lives-of-millions/
Jackson, T., 2017, ‘Why African fintech is different to developed markets’ viewed 04
February 2018, from http://disrupt-africa.com/2017/08/why-african-fintech-is-different-to-
developed-markets/
Kazeem, Y., 2017, ‘Why African fintech startups are becoming even more attractive for
investors’ viewed on 04 February 2018, from https://qz.com/1043573/african-fintech-
startups-like-flutterwave-and-paystack-are-raising-funds-to-drive-financial-inclusion/
Mama, C., 2018, ‘2017 and Recent African Solar Achievements’ viewed on 04 Febraury
2018, from https://solarmagazine.com/2017-and-recent-african-solar-
achievements/