NAIROBI, Kenya – Six out of 10 of the fastest-growing economies are in sub-Saharan Africa. Africa is now the second-largest mobile market in the world. Between the end of 2010 and February 2012, Facebook user growth rate in Africa was 165%. By 2016, it is estimated that Africa will hold one billion mobile phones and mobile usage will be among the highest in the world. The truth of the matter is, despite popular perception of Africa as a technologically underdeveloped continent, Africa is making rapid technological advancements.
This digital revolution is bringing tremendous opportunities for unemployed and tech-savvy youth in Africa. Young entrepreneurs are able to use this increased connectivity to boost their own prospects, effectively tapping into wireless and digital reserves of this Internet age. For Africa, this means the development of a technology-literate mobile generation unlike any before.
During the last five years, fiber-optic cable systems have connected vast stretches of the African continent. The cost of Internet has been slashed, opening up new markets for software, mobile phone applications, and social media. Moreover, the exchange of technological ideas has also been rapid-fire. In the past two years, Africa has seen a proliferation of tech hubs. The tech hubs in Africa provide a place for those with new ideas to come together to innovate. They create an atmosphere where new things are encouraged, and tech entrepreneurs meet like-minded others they can grow with. One such tech hub, the Kenyan iHub, hosts 120 events a year and has 8,000 members. The Kenyan iHub has built strong relationships with many top companies including Google and Samsung. Clearly, this technology boom has opened new doors for anybody with fresh and innovative ideas.
Perhaps most importantly, the rise of African technology means that large companies will need to take African development more seriously. That is to say that this rapidly expanding technological market is more than ready to take on substantial investments. With this promise of expansion and development, this new face of African technology is certainly a force to be reckoned with.
– Grace Zhao
Source: How we made it in Africa,BBC
Photo: Next Web