Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Africa

It has been said time and again that ‘Africa is on the rise’ and rightly so. The continent is experiencing a renewed sense of hope, after many decades of being relegated to the back-bench on the world stage – the world’s charity case, the continent ravaged by civil wars, famines, droughts, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and other such themes.

Today many of Africa’s countries are recording record levels of economic growth. It has been said that 7 out of the top 10 fastest growing economies are in Africa. Conflicts across the continent are on the decline, many governments have stabilized and are making good progress forward. Economic reforms have been enacted that have improved the business and economic climate of many countries. Global perception towards the continent is also steadily improving and people are coming to the realization that Africa can be a profitable place for business, especially against the backdrop of economic woes in the west  – all these have been attested to in reports on the continent from the likes of reputable organizations such as the McKinsey Global Institute (‘Lions on the move’ – http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/productivity_competitiveness_and_growth/lions_on_the_move) and Ernst & Young’s Africa attractiveness survey – http://www.ey.com/ZA/en/Issues/Business-environment/2012-Africa-attractiveness-survey)

Technology and Innovation are playing a vital role in shaping Africa’s future and will continue to do so. Technology, innovation and entrepreneurship are creating new opportunities for even further growth on the continent. The uptake and growth of mobile telephony on the continent, for instance, has been indicative of this.

Afrinnovator.com has been observing and analyzing the trends in technology innovation & entrepreneurship in Africa since we launched on Jan. 1st 2010 – before the boom in international bandwidth to the continent via undersea cables or the coining of terms such as ‘Silicon Savannah’.

Consequently, Afrinnovator has become a respected and trusted source of news and in-depth analysis of the African tech and innovation sectors. We aim to be domain experts in three areas of technology innovation and entrepreneurship – Information Technology, Environmental Technology (cleantech / greentech) & Biotechnology. We believe that Africa is well placed to benefit and even become a key global player in these areas in future. So far we have established ourselves in the area of information technology and have began covering enviro-tech initiatives on the continent and aim at covering biotech in the future.

A Quiet Storm is Brewing (Barely there)

A quiet storm is brewing

I stand in the expansive plain
There it is,
The wisp of a slight breeze
Barely there
Yet, yes, it is there

I listen
A soft sound in the distance, calling
Barely there
Yet, yes, it is there

I look up into the sky
Blue, almost cloudless, almost
Barely there
Yet, yes, it is there

The sun burns relentlessly
And the sweat beads fall freely on my face

I reach out
Gather the dust in my hands
Let it sift through my fingers slowly
It is barely moist
Barely there
Yet, yes, it is there

A chill runs down my spine
A simple smile forms

I close my eyes
I stretch my hands out
I feel it
I know it
I believe it
The dark clouds gather
The thunder echoes
The flashes of lightning streak out from heaven
Igniting the earth
Bringing it to life
It breathes
It is alive
And the life flows through the ground
Through my feet
Into my body
Surging
Electrifying

I open my eyes
The sun still shines
The heat still burns
The earth still looks dry

I turn around and walk on
Smiling sheepishly but knowingly

A quiet storm is brewing

-Will Mutua