Kenya’s last two general elections have been tarnished by allegations of fraud and violence. The country is hailed as Africa’s Silicon Savannah and when citizens head to the polls again on August 8, they will be using technology to make sure these elections are free and credible. A game-changing court ruling recently declared that results announced by constituency tallying centers must be regarded as final and a transparent system to transmit results has been created to prevent rigging.
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Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai visited Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. During his visit, Pichai announced at a conference, plans by the Internet giant to provide more than $3 million in equity-free funding and mentorship to more than 60 African start-ups over the next three years. Earlier in July, Jack Ma, the CEO and founder of e-commerce company Ali Baba toured east Africa (Kenya and Rwanda) in what his close aides described as a mission to inspire African IT entrepreneurs.
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Chinese technology companies hungry for expansion are diving into the less-developed African continent, where several countries are targeting double-digit economic growth. Iginio Gagliardone, a lecturer in media studies at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, told CNBC that the Middle Kingdom’s expansion into Africa has been pronounced over the past four to five years. “China is everywhere,” Gagliardone said, though he noted that its presence was stronger in certain markets.
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South African edtech startup The Student Hub held a two-day workshop showcasing its student-centered digital education system to government, colleges and other stakeholders. Its ERAOnline product will improve education in South Africa, tackling issues such as outdated curriculum, high failure rates, and a skills crisis by assisting colleges in equipping students and helping students complete their learning in record time.
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South Africa has produced many exceptional, and famous, tech entrepreneurs, like Mark Shuttleworth, Vinny Lingham, and Elon Musk. The entrepreneurial spirit in SA’s tech space remains strong, despite the political and economic challenges in the country. While most media coverage focuses on Internet companies aiming to be the next unicorn, the country has many companies doing exceptional work. Below are nine of South Africa’s small-to-medium-sized tech companies that are doing great work.
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Security has long been a major concern at wildlife reserves in Africa, where rhino and elephant populations have been decimated by poachers in recent years. But a park in Rwanda is betting on a new networking technology to change that. Rwanda’s Akagera National Park recently launched a new system that allows park rangers to monitor animals, visitors, and equipment in real-time. Developed by ShadowView and Internet of Life, the “smart park” system is based on a Long Range Wide-Area Network.
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Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, attended a demonstration of how technology can be applied in agriculture to stimulate jobs. The event took place at the head office of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg, and was led by its research division. Winde, who has made innovation across the economy a top priority, explained how technology could accelerate change in this sector: “We’ve seen across Africa how technology can help us leapfrog other economies.”
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Africa’s broadcast media and technology expo aims to introduce South Africans to broadcast and audio-visual technology trends–these are the sentiments of Media Tech Africa Marketing Manager, Catri Dixon. Dixon says Media Tech Africa has been running for the past nine years. “With more than 140 exhibitors and 12 000 plus visitors expected this year, it is clear that South Africa is the entry point for international companies wanting to showcase and sell their products in the African continent.”
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African heads of governments are among the highest paid in the world despite the continent’s many challenges. Jacob Zuma, South African president is the highest paid in the continent earning $272 000 per year, ranked fourth in the world.Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame is ranked tenth, earning only $85 000 per year. Jacob Zuma $272 000 per annum. Zuma has been the president of the Republic of South Africa since 2009. Zuma was among the world’s top 10 highest paid president, he was listed fourth.
Applications are open for the AppsAfrica.com Innovation Awards. The Awards celebrate the best in mobile and tech from across Africa supported by Mobile Monday South Africa and Mobile Ecosystem Forum. The third edition will take place on November 6th in Cape Town, and winners will get international recognition and publicity across multiple channels, networking with 300+ industry peers and a host of other benefits. Applications are welcome across 12 categories from mobile or technology ventures.