Field Stories

Field Stories

Tech hubs the key to getting women connected

More and more, throughout parts of Africa, tech hubs are emerging to help women realise the benefits of digital technology. Created by women, for women, these communities not only train women and girls with digital skills for business and everyday life, they provide an important support network to ensure they stay connected.

Field Stories

Africa’s gaming industry takes flight

To an observer, the matatu minibuses darting through Nairobi’s congested streets seem like a grave threat to public safety. But to Kenya’s developers, these death-defying taxis look like a smartphone game just waiting to be created. In Ma3Racer, developed by Kenya’s Planet Ruckus, gamers must dodge pedestrians, bikes and trucks, all while driving a rickety matatu bus. The app has proven a hit with […]

Field Stories

Ethiopia’s tech economy on the rise

Despite setbacks, Ethiopia’s tech economy has been making strides, luring entrepreneurs from throughout Africa and gaining international recognition.  This is due to a mix of increased government support for ICT development and the establishment of start-up incubators and hubs that are creating an ideal landscape for the tech industry to grow. By Steven Blum Now home to 1,000 members, incubator iceaddis is the first […]

Field Stories

ICT empowers communities in fight against Ebola

The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is the worst on record, with the World Health Organization reporting 5,420 deaths – Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have been the hardest hit nations. As international efforts are stepped up to combat the disease, attention has turned to the ways in which mobile technology can assist in Ebola awareness, diagnosis and prevention. 

Field Stories

Open source, global impact: the rise of humanitarian mapping

The potential benefits of open source software – affordability, accessibility, transparency and adaptability to local needs and languages – are particularly relevant in the global South and in advancing development goals. Humanitarian mapping projects in Africa using OpenStreetMap are one example of how open source technology allows for greater collaboration and shared benefits.

Field Stories

Arms race to liberate Africa’s data

Open data could add up to $3 trillion worth of economic activity per year worldwide, according to a study by McKinsey Consultants. But in the race to liberate thousands of data-sets from the government and business sectors, the African continent is seen as lagging behind.  “Nowhere is the need for better data more urgent than in most African countries,” says the Data for African […]