The document discusses how mobile phones are transforming Africa. It describes how mobile phones have become essential devices across the continent, improving financial inclusion and helping work around infrastructure problems. Innovations like mobile money services have disrupted banking by allowing digital financial transactions without bank accounts. Mobile phones are also transforming agriculture, healthcare, and increasing transparency in politics. Entrepreneurs have created mobile applications that help farmers access market information, verify authenticity of medicines, and monitor political violence.
South Africa isn't just Africa’s biggest economy, it’s also home to some seriously impressive mobile internet statistics.
Our report looks at everything mobile internet-related - from social media to education, banking to e-commerce. It's hard not to be impressed by how quickly mobile has built new opportunities for locals, and also businesses looking to enter South African market.
Over the last decade, Africa has become a global leader in mobile money with the rate of smartphone adoption at twice the global scale. But what challenges is the industry facing and how can these be overcome? Our new article, sponsored by Mazars, explores.
South Africa isn't just Africa’s biggest economy, it’s also home to some seriously impressive mobile internet statistics.
Our report looks at everything mobile internet-related - from social media to education, banking to e-commerce. It's hard not to be impressed by how quickly mobile has built new opportunities for locals, and also businesses looking to enter South African market.
Over the last decade, Africa has become a global leader in mobile money with the rate of smartphone adoption at twice the global scale. But what challenges is the industry facing and how can these be overcome? Our new article, sponsored by Mazars, explores.
Developments in the African Digital Economy - Fola OdufuwaFola Odufuwa
Presentation made at the ITU 2018 Regional Human Capacity Building Workshop on
“Strengthening Capacities in Internet Governance in Africa” describing ways to create an enabling environment for the development of the digital economy in the African region; how legal frameworks are aiming to facilitate e-commerce and the development of related services, such as local online marketplaces and e-payment mechanisms, as well as digital financial services.
South African Mobile Phone Use and Attitudes Report 2016Raymond Buckle
A Survey of Internet User’s Attitudes and Uses of Mobile Phones compared to those of Feature Phone users. Published February 2016 by Effective Measure in partnership with SilverstoneCIS and the IAB and MMA South Africa.
Effective Measure, a leading provider of digital audience, brand and advertising measurement together with SilverstoneCIS, a mobile first audience marketing and solutions group, surveyed 2,299 mobile Internet users in South Africa (between November and December, 2015).
Topics covered a range of areas including but not limited to users’ manufacturer preference, time on device, use of device and internet usage.
The survey was conducted across smartphones and feature
phones to highlight the differences in user consumption across the two types of mobile Internet connections.
Mobile in South Africa 2014 AMPS Report (Pre-Release)Raymond Buckle
A comprehensive breakdown of the SA Mobile Audience including penetration by demographic segments.
Mobile access, use/activities and trends.
Mobile internet penetration, activities and trends compared to the Fixed Internet revealing some surprising trends.
Finally, a hard number on Smartphones and Tablets in SA
Surprising stats about current device ownership.
To get access to the full report, leave a comment, email info@mmasa.org or join our mobile community on www.mmasa.org
Please like, share and spread the report around in your organisation to your colleagues, partners and friends.
Raymond Buckle, SilverstoneCIS at the Microsoft Marketing Academy 14 August 2013Raymond Buckle
Intro to mobile in Africa, and some case studies. Our view:
1. Africa is a mobile first society;
2. Mobile is the fastest growing mass media channel around;
3. Its’ not the phone that’s mobile – it’s the audience;
4. Mobile makes your media budgets work harder;
5. Its interactive and allows response at point of impulse;
6. Mobile adds value at every stage of the path to purchase;
This presentation was prepared for my “Mobile Phones in Development: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Appropriation” class at the University of Washington.
Access to telephony for low-income groups is largely based on different strategies of mobile telephony usage. The main goal of this research project is to explore the strategies employed by the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean to access and use mobile telephony services, as well as to identify the major market and regulatory
barriers for increased penetration and usage. More generally, it seeks to contribute to the discussion on how access to mobile telephony contributes to improving the livelihoods of the poor –what we call mobile opportunities.
Our results show that mobile telephony is highly valued by the poor as a tool for strengthening social ties and for increased personal security, and that it is beginning to prove useful for enhancing business and employment opportunities. Overall, the survey results suggest that the acquisition of mobile phones by the poor has an economic
impact reflected mainly in improved social capital variables such as the strengthening of trust networks and better coordination of informal job markets. These findings reveal the continued need to develop innovative business models that extend the market frontier for mobile telephony. They
also highlight the urgent need to rethink public policies that are premised on the mobile phone as a luxury good. Clearly, for the poor, mobile telephony has long been the most cost-effective and accessible alternative.
State of mobile banking in tanzania andIJNSA Journal
Mobile technology offers an unprecedented growth opportunity for banking industry in Tanzania. As the
economy continues to prosper, increasingly affluent consumers and underbanked segments create demand
for new financial products and services. Many consumers in Tanzania have mobile phones, but not bank
accounts. Therefore, the mobile channel presents an effective way to connect them to the national financial
grid. For the local banks, going mobile may increase banks opportunities to unlock the inherent potential
of underbanked segments. This paper addresses the current state, future prospects, and security challenges
to the usage of mobile banking in Tanzania.
Developments in the African Digital Economy - Fola OdufuwaFola Odufuwa
Presentation made at the ITU 2018 Regional Human Capacity Building Workshop on
“Strengthening Capacities in Internet Governance in Africa” describing ways to create an enabling environment for the development of the digital economy in the African region; how legal frameworks are aiming to facilitate e-commerce and the development of related services, such as local online marketplaces and e-payment mechanisms, as well as digital financial services.
South African Mobile Phone Use and Attitudes Report 2016Raymond Buckle
A Survey of Internet User’s Attitudes and Uses of Mobile Phones compared to those of Feature Phone users. Published February 2016 by Effective Measure in partnership with SilverstoneCIS and the IAB and MMA South Africa.
Effective Measure, a leading provider of digital audience, brand and advertising measurement together with SilverstoneCIS, a mobile first audience marketing and solutions group, surveyed 2,299 mobile Internet users in South Africa (between November and December, 2015).
Topics covered a range of areas including but not limited to users’ manufacturer preference, time on device, use of device and internet usage.
The survey was conducted across smartphones and feature
phones to highlight the differences in user consumption across the two types of mobile Internet connections.
Mobile in South Africa 2014 AMPS Report (Pre-Release)Raymond Buckle
A comprehensive breakdown of the SA Mobile Audience including penetration by demographic segments.
Mobile access, use/activities and trends.
Mobile internet penetration, activities and trends compared to the Fixed Internet revealing some surprising trends.
Finally, a hard number on Smartphones and Tablets in SA
Surprising stats about current device ownership.
To get access to the full report, leave a comment, email info@mmasa.org or join our mobile community on www.mmasa.org
Please like, share and spread the report around in your organisation to your colleagues, partners and friends.
Raymond Buckle, SilverstoneCIS at the Microsoft Marketing Academy 14 August 2013Raymond Buckle
Intro to mobile in Africa, and some case studies. Our view:
1. Africa is a mobile first society;
2. Mobile is the fastest growing mass media channel around;
3. Its’ not the phone that’s mobile – it’s the audience;
4. Mobile makes your media budgets work harder;
5. Its interactive and allows response at point of impulse;
6. Mobile adds value at every stage of the path to purchase;
This presentation was prepared for my “Mobile Phones in Development: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Appropriation” class at the University of Washington.
Access to telephony for low-income groups is largely based on different strategies of mobile telephony usage. The main goal of this research project is to explore the strategies employed by the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean to access and use mobile telephony services, as well as to identify the major market and regulatory
barriers for increased penetration and usage. More generally, it seeks to contribute to the discussion on how access to mobile telephony contributes to improving the livelihoods of the poor –what we call mobile opportunities.
Our results show that mobile telephony is highly valued by the poor as a tool for strengthening social ties and for increased personal security, and that it is beginning to prove useful for enhancing business and employment opportunities. Overall, the survey results suggest that the acquisition of mobile phones by the poor has an economic
impact reflected mainly in improved social capital variables such as the strengthening of trust networks and better coordination of informal job markets. These findings reveal the continued need to develop innovative business models that extend the market frontier for mobile telephony. They
also highlight the urgent need to rethink public policies that are premised on the mobile phone as a luxury good. Clearly, for the poor, mobile telephony has long been the most cost-effective and accessible alternative.
State of mobile banking in tanzania andIJNSA Journal
Mobile technology offers an unprecedented growth opportunity for banking industry in Tanzania. As the
economy continues to prosper, increasingly affluent consumers and underbanked segments create demand
for new financial products and services. Many consumers in Tanzania have mobile phones, but not bank
accounts. Therefore, the mobile channel presents an effective way to connect them to the national financial
grid. For the local banks, going mobile may increase banks opportunities to unlock the inherent potential
of underbanked segments. This paper addresses the current state, future prospects, and security challenges
to the usage of mobile banking in Tanzania.
Africa will have about 500 million young people by 2030. 157 of the world’s 310 mobile money services in 2021 were in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa had a US$495bn share of the US$767bn handled by mobile money worldwide. Mobile
phones account for about 75% of all online traffic in Africa. Africa has potential to unlock more than $3 trillion in consumer spending. In the five largest consumer markets alone—Nigeria Egypt, South Africa, Morocco,
and Algeria—the African Development Bank estimates that there will be 56 million middle-class households with disposable incomes of nearly $680 billion.
Analysis Group estimates that the Metaverse could contribute $40 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP by 2031.
Mobile Internet - Africa's Digital BackboneAdeyemi Fowe
A presentation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to the students in Faculty of Engineering on the state of the art of Mobile technology in Africa.., the hopes and what the future holds.
East Africa is on track to digitize its financial services with the help of many visionary regulators who have seen the benefit of using the best technology.
Silicon Savannah - Why Nairobi Is The Next World Tech CapitalOn Device Research
Nairobi is one of the hottest and fastest growing tech hubs in the world right now. We look at the internet, mobile and social trends that help boost the local economy and have boosted the number of local tech startups.
Development Challenges, South-South Solutions is the monthly e-newsletter for the United Nations Development Programme’s South-South Cooperation Unit (www.southerninnovator.org). It has been published every month since 2006.
ISSN 2227-3905
Stories by David South
Design and Layout: UNDP South-South Cooperation Unit
Follow @SouthSouth1
Ericsson ConsumerLab: Bridging the Digital DivideEricsson
http://www.ericsson.com/thinkingahead/consumerlab
Ericsson has released its first regional consumer insight report focusing on trends and analysis of the mobile ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2022 alone, African blockchain startups
raised an impressive $474 million, marking
a staggering 429% year-on-year increase in
funding. This growth enabled Africa to gain
ground
The mobile money movement by mpay connect dec 2010 innovations publication ...Menekse Gencer
The genesis of this publication came from a presentation I gave at Columbia University during spring 2010. This publication was written by Menekse Gencer of mPay Connect, a mobile money consulting firm, and will come out in hard copy with MIT Press Innovations Magazine in 2011. To contact the author: http://www.mpayconnect.com/contact
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
Le nuove frontiere dell'AI nell'RPA con UiPath Autopilot™UiPathCommunity
In questo evento online gratuito, organizzato dalla Community Italiana di UiPath, potrai esplorare le nuove funzionalità di Autopilot, il tool che integra l'Intelligenza Artificiale nei processi di sviluppo e utilizzo delle Automazioni.
📕 Vedremo insieme alcuni esempi dell'utilizzo di Autopilot in diversi tool della Suite UiPath:
Autopilot per Studio Web
Autopilot per Studio
Autopilot per Apps
Clipboard AI
GenAI applicata alla Document Understanding
👨🏫👨💻 Speakers:
Stefano Negro, UiPath MVPx3, RPA Tech Lead @ BSP Consultant
Flavio Martinelli, UiPath MVP 2023, Technical Account Manager @UiPath
Andrei Tasca, RPA Solutions Team Lead @NTT Data
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
zkStudyClub - Reef: Fast Succinct Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge Regex ProofsAlex Pruden
This paper presents Reef, a system for generating publicly verifiable succinct non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs that a committed document matches or does not match a regular expression. We describe applications such as proving the strength of passwords, the provenance of email despite redactions, the validity of oblivious DNS queries, and the existence of mutations in DNA. Reef supports the Perl Compatible Regular Expression syntax, including wildcards, alternation, ranges, capture groups, Kleene star, negations, and lookarounds. Reef introduces a new type of automata, Skipping Alternating Finite Automata (SAFA), that skips irrelevant parts of a document when producing proofs without undermining soundness, and instantiates SAFA with a lookup argument. Our experimental evaluation confirms that Reef can generate proofs for documents with 32M characters; the proofs are small and cheap to verify (under a second).
Paper: https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1886
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
The Metaverse and AI: how can decision-makers harness the Metaverse for their...Jen Stirrup
The Metaverse is popularized in science fiction, and now it is becoming closer to being a part of our daily lives through the use of social media and shopping companies. How can businesses survive in a world where Artificial Intelligence is becoming the present as well as the future of technology, and how does the Metaverse fit into business strategy when futurist ideas are developing into reality at accelerated rates? How do we do this when our data isn't up to scratch? How can we move towards success with our data so we are set up for the Metaverse when it arrives?
How can you help your company evolve, adapt, and succeed using Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse to stay ahead of the competition? What are the potential issues, complications, and benefits that these technologies could bring to us and our organizations? In this session, Jen Stirrup will explain how to start thinking about these technologies as an organisation.
The Metaverse and AI: how can decision-makers harness the Metaverse for their...
Giz 10 innovations_mobile_africa
1. Africa’s mobile revolution
How the cell phone is transforming the continent
Published by
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40
53113 Bonn
Germany
T + 49 228 4460 - 0
F + 49 228 4460 - 17 66
E info@giz.de
I www.giz.de
i
2. The mobile phone has evolved from a communications tool to a device, on
which much of Africa’s economic aspirations rest. Innovations built around
the mobile phone have improved the population’s inclusion in financial
markets and have helped to work around the continent’s infrastructure
problems. In some regions, more Africans have a mobile phone than have
access to electricity. This has opened up opportunities for entrepreneurs
and has changed the way business is done in the continent’s banking, ag-
ricultural, telecoms and pharmaceutical sectors. But it has also helped to
increase transparency in politics as activists use mobile applications to
monitor political violence and fight against state control of free speech.
i
Africa’s mobile revolution
How the cell phone is transforming the continent
Published by
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40
53113 Bonn
Germany
T + 49 228 4460 - 0
F + 49 228 4460 - 17 66
E info@giz.de
I www.giz.de
Responsible
Dr. Jan Schwaab
Sabine Olthof
Edited by
Christian Kreutz
Contact person / Ministry
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Design / Layout
Creative Direction: Daniel Tobias Etzel (WAOH)
Art Direction: Nora Wirth (3Karat), Katja Rudisch (3Karat)
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
Printed on 100 % recycled and FSC certified paper
Place of publication and year
Bonn, 2014
| 21
7. In 2009, a local story called “Kontax” that follows
two characters, Sbu and K8, through everyday
teenage life launched in 2009 on MXit. The story
was created and split into bite sized chapters shared
on the social network to test and see whether teen-
agers so full of “txt speak” could indulge in local
storytelling and Shakespearian poetry or prose as
well. In a month there were over 63,000 readers
and 17,200 reads of Kontax. This gave birth to
Yoza Cellpone Stories, which were created by
the Shuttleworth Foundation and which recently
picked up the 2013 Netexplo Award in Paris.
Yoza publishes short stories, poetry and classic
literature allowing the audience to comment,
vote, enter writing competitions and review sto-
ries on the platform.
It has since developed into a library of over 31
million novels, 18 poems and 5 Shakespearean
plays. A comment by the reader Elsie, enchan-
ted by a chapter in Romeo and Juliet, shows
that teenagers in Africa do read: “If friar’s plan
works then romeo wil b abl 2 cum nd take juliet
wit him 2liv hapily 2geda at mantua bt if it fails,
sumbdy’s gna b dead. Lol!” This is just one of
the over 50,000 comments, largely comprised of
text speak yet regarding one of the finest English
writers of all times.
But African educational institutions are mostly in
poor shape, which the mobile phone alone can
not change, also because these institutions don’t
make sufficient room for technology.
»The spirit of entrepreneurial
change can be felt across many
of the continent’s hub cities.«
Two South African companies are attempting to
improve the situation, Siyavula and Paperight.
Siyavula is producing free, open-licensed text-
books and distribute them in a highly disruptive
way. Both firms make their textbooks available
in print, as PDFs, as web pages on desktop or
mobile, and importantly on MXit. Within two
months of the launch of their high-school
math and science textbook on Mxit in 2012 they
reached over 200,000 readers.
Siyavula’s business model is highly innovative
and has challenged the local printing industry.
The firm does not sell content, but rather the
support and training services that surround a full
implementation of multimedia learning materi-
als. It also sells intelligent assessment of lear-
ners through an interactive question-and-answer
platform that adjusts difficulty levels based on
students’ performance. As was the case with the
Kenyan banking industry, the spread of smart-
phones and in this case social media leaves a
traditional industry with no choice but to adapt.
Paperight is a South African start-up that tries
to take advantage of the presence of cyber cafes
and print shops on every corner of African cities
by turning them into legal book printers. Content
piracy is widespread across the continent, be it
in multimedia or photocopying of copyrighted
content. Paperight seeks to build a network of
cyber cafes and small print shops, allowing them
to download licenses of books to be printed out
while publishers rights are kept intact. So far 145
active outlets have come on board, some in re-
mote parts of the country. The consumer does
no longer have to travel to the nearest bookstore
and the publisher, Paperight and the cyber cafe or
print shop each get revenue.
Africa’s mobile boom has had some real impact
on different economic sectors. The recent strong
economic growth that some parts of the conti-
nent has seen is no longer exclusively linked to
higher commodity prices. Small local businesses,
larger regional corporations as well as non-profit
organisations are building products and mobile
applications that are based on the wide-spread use
of the mobile phone. This will hardly tackle all
of the continent’s infrastructure problems. The
economic development is held back by the lack
of fixed-line, high-speed broadband networks.
These are still a pillar of service economies built
around the Internet, despite the spread of the
mobile phone. But the mobile phone has helped
to improve the financial and economic partici-
pation of many Africans that were previously
excluded from any opportunities. The spirit of
entrepreneurial change can be felt across many
of the continent’s hub cities such as Nairobi,
Lagos and Cape Town. The growth of Africa’s
middle classes opens up opportunities to busi-
nesses as well.
Activists are also relying on the mobile phone
to monitor politics and to improve awareness
amongst the population through more accurate
information, in particular during times of po-
litical and ethnic violence. The mobile phone
has enabled powerful crowdsourcing tools such
as Ushahidi to emerge. It has also helped initi-
atives such as Map Kibera, which has put the
small Kenyan town on the map for the first time
through digital citizen mapping.
In former times, the continent’s maps were
drawn by outside explorers. The spread of Inter-
net access through mobile phones today allows
Africans to draw their own maps and populate
them with their own content even without Inter-
net access. With its impact on industries ranging
from telecoms to agriculture, the mobile phone
helps to put the continent’s development back
into Africans’ own hands.
Conclusion: drawing your
own maps again
How the mobile phone is transforming AfricaBrochure 0?/10
| 1211
8. Mark Kaigwa is a consultant, technologist and blogger
based in Nairobi, Kenya. Technology continues to
transform Africa as innovation is accelerated in particular
by the breathtaking spread of the mobile phone. Mark
leads by advising brands, businesses and nonprofits
aiming at impacting the hundreds of millions across
the continent. Mark has worked across ten Sub-Saharan
African countries and has written an award-winning
African video game for Warner Bros. In his most recent
work, he led the digital advisory for “MamaYe”, a five-
year campaign that aims to use information, advocacy
and evidence to improve maternal and newborn survival
in six Sub-Saharan African countries.
Mark is also involved in leadership roles at Afrinnovator.
com and Africandigitalart.com.
A storyteller and speaker, Mark frequently gives keynotes,
workshops and participates in regional and international
discussions on technology, communication and the
mobile phone on the African continent.
References
De Bastion, Geraldine: “Technology Hubs in Africa”, Issue 9, Digital Development Debates, 2012.http://www.digital-development-de-
bates.org/issues/09-prejudice/african-innovation/technology-hubs-in-africa/
De Bastion, Geraldine, Interview with Jessica Colaco, iHub, Nairobi, December 2012.
De Bastion, Geraldine, Interview with Nikolai Barnwell, 88mph, Nairobi, December 2012.
Hersman, Erik: „What makes the iHub work“, White Africa, 2011. http://whiteafrican.com/2011/07/18/what-makes-the-ihub-work/
Kalan, Jonathan: “ Will Tanzania’s two new innovation hubs boost the country’s tech scene?” , How we made it in Africa, September 28,
2012. http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/will-tanzanias-two-n-innovation-hubs-boost-the-countrys-tech-scene/20416/
Kalan , Jonathan: “ Why Kenya Attracts America’s Best & Brightest Young Social Entrepreneurs”, Huffington Post, September 2011,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-kalan/potential-poverty-politic_b_969338.html
Moraa Morara, Hilda: “What makes technology hubs successful and are they a platform for innovation?”, VC4A, October 11, 2012.
http://vc4africa.biz/blog/2012/10/11/technology-hubs-innovation/
Moraa Morara, Hilda: ICT Hubs: What makes them work… and not work?, iHub Blog, 2011. http://www.ihub.co.ke/blog/2012/03/ict-
hubs-model-understanding-the-key-factors-of-the-ihub-model/
Moraa Morara, Hilda: “ICT Hubs Study – The impact of ActivSpaces model (in Cameroon) on its entrepreneurs”, iHub Research, Janu-
ary 2013. http://research.ihub.co.ke/uploads/2013/january/1358773211__687.pdf
Moraa Morara, Hilda: “ICT Hub Models – Understanding the Key Factors of the iHub Model”, iHub Research, 2012. http://research.
ihub.co.ke/downloads/*iHub_Model_Report_Final.pdf
Moraa Morara, Hilda: „Innovation Spaces in Kenya“, iHub Blog, August 2012. http://ihub.co.ke/uploads/2012/august/innovation_spac-
es_in_kenya.png
Moraa Morara, Hilda: “ICT Hub Models – Understanding the Factors that make up Hive Colab Model in Uganda” ,iHub Research, 2012.
http://www.research.ihub.co.ke/uploads/2012/august/1344853128_819_891.pdf
Mutua, Will: “Disruptive Innovation in the African Context” in “Innovating Africa”, 2012, p. 68 -75.
Mutua, Will: “Mending Africa’s Tech Skills Gap & Tapping into its Youthful Population to Power Innovation in Tech” in “Innovating
Africa” 2012, p. 95 – 106.
Mutua, Will: “XXX” in “Innovating Africa” 2012, p. XX
Okezie, Loy: “HOW TO: Create An Innovation Hub in Africa”, Techloy, 2011. techloy.com/2011/07/19/how-to-create-an-innovation-hub-
in-africa/
Okutoyi, Elly: „Stop copying Silicon Valley, Kenya warned“ , The Next Web, 23. February 2013. http://thenextweb.com/afri-
ca/2013/02/23/stop-copying-silicon-valley-kenya-warned/
Robertson, Charles, “Get ready for an African boom “, CP-Africa, January 23, 2013. http://www.cp-africa.com/2013/01/23/get-ready-for-an-
african-boom/
Repository
01 For further information see http://english.cntv.cn/program/africalive/20120728/101095.shtml and http://www.iceaddis.com/
02 Interview with Jessica Colaco, iHub, Nairobi, December 2012
03 Moraa Morara, Hilda: “What makes technology hubs successful and are they a platform for innovation?”, VC4A, October 11, 2012.
http://vc4africa.biz/blog/2012/10/11/technology-hubs-innovation/
04 Okutoyi , Elly: „Stop copying Silicon Valley, Kenya warned“ , The Next Web, 23. February 2013. http://thenextweb.com/
africa/2013/02/23/stop-copying-silicon-valley-kenya-warned/
Mark Kaigwa
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