Panel on “Appfrica: How Web Applications Are Helping Emerging Markets Grow” with:
- Jonathan Gosier — Appfrica
- Erik Hersman — Ushahidi / Afrigadget / WhiteAfrican.com
- David Kobia — Ushahidi
- Rose Shuman — Open Mind — Question Box
- TMS Ruge — Project Diaspora
Everything we thought we knew about Africa is wrong. Technology is leading growth, developmental aid is hurting it. The continent is incredibly rich while the people remain poor. How is technology (specifically the web and mobile devices) changing the narrative of sustainable economic growth in the African diaspora?
Aid organizations have not yet figured out how to use tools that have been there for years. For example, they’re just getting on the mobile bandwagon now.
In terms of trade versus aid, there are more trade-based initiatives. There are more opportunities to invest, rather than to just write a check. It’s not an attitude of anit-development aid, but rather to say: “give Africa a chance to find its own solutions.” If things are never being built up from the ground, nations will continue to remain dependent on development aid.
It is a must to have developers who live in Africa. You might as well not do it, if you’re bringing in developers from outside Africa. You need people with experience on the ground, people who are familiar with the issues. A western turn-key solution will not work.
Some of the exciting initiatives include:
- The Kamusi Project — online translations
- Ushahidi — mobile news reporting
- Project Diaspora - Mobile banking
Open source is playing a huge role in Africa, where anyone in the continent can contribute. Ushahidi is an example.
Africa is a very oral place, so ideas spread through word of mouth. Some of this is happening digitally now through text messaging, but most of it happens in a village context.
A wish of the panelist is to conduct more collaborative conversations with the West, rather than what too often occurs: the West talking down to Africans regarding technology.
Google and Grameen Bank are some of the larger companies with enough foresight to think about and invest in Africa right now.
Mobile has 30% penetration in Africa, which works out to about 300M people. Only 5% have access to the web, which is about 50M people. SMS is the one big communication technology in Africa. The fastest growing areas are Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt. However, what’s more important than carving things out regionally is to think about rural vs. urban or rich vs. poor. Also, develop for what exists now: broadband is not there yet; people keep their cell phones for seven or eight years; etc.
“This technology will make you better is not a good argument, because ‘better’ is a questionable paradigm to strive for. Better for whom?“
A challenge is made: the panelist needs a laptop to take back to Uganda, by Tuesday evening.
