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By Louis Otieno, Legal & Compliance Director at Microsoft 4Afrika
African innovation has been around for centuries, even millennia. A method to harness fire was invented in South Africa 1.4 million years ago. In Ethiopia, underground water pipes were created in 1460 BC. In more recent times Africa has also been home to the advent of the modern Kreepy Krauly, an automatic pool cleaner, and the CAT scan.
The massive growth of the internet and proliferation of new devices, has provided an incredible platform for innovators to unleash their ideas, and African innovation is flourishing like never before.
But, unfortunately, it also allows for ideas to be easily stolen, unless they are protected by intellectual property (IP). Many entrepreneurs are at risk of having their ideas taken by larger companies and some don't know how to monetise and protect them. That's why Microsoft 4Afrika launched the first Intellectual Property Portal, the 4Afrika IP Hub, in Kenya, to give innovators the resources and connections to protect their ideas, and take them to market. In November, Microsoft partnered with Thomson Reuters to host an IP protection event to promote innovation across East African markets.
Below, five successful innovators explain how protecting their IP is fundamental to their own growth, and to the economic development of their country's too.
Tayeb Sbihi, Morocco. CEO and founder of B2N Consulting and co-founder of iTaxi.ma, a mobile application that recently won a Microsoft 4Afrika Innovation Grant award.
"Intellectual property is your competitive advantage."
"Instead of concentrating all your efforts in creating a prototype or a product, you need to take time to look around you and the different IP that already exists. Then try to have your work protected so that nobody can steal or use it."
"IP can be either the product you design, the way you design it or any component that makes the product."
Kate Kiguru, Kenya. Founder of Ukall and a 4Afrika Innovation Grant winner.
"A lot of people feel IP will protect them from direct competition and misrepresentation. I look at it differently; if an idea or a product has someone closely trying to replicate it, then it's evidence it has value and there is a need for it. I look at the competitors or people trying to replicate the idea as followers."
"IP is a great option if you feel the need to protect an idea or product but don't let it distract you too much from your key focus, and later you find out someone has already executed your idea."
Abiola Olaniran, Nigeria. Founder and CEO of Gamsole, a Windows game development company and 4Afrika innovation grant winner
"By protecting your ideas through copyright and patents, you ensure that you will be maximizing your benefits of originality. Registering your ideas for a patent or copyright protects you and your creative work."
"Protect your work, it's all you have. Before releasing even a good line of code online, make sure it's copyrighted. This way, you can lay claim to it later. Computer software may result in more than one piece of property. For example, for a software product, the source code is a property, as can be the preparatory design material for it, its general organization and its user interface. Bearing this in mind can help you effectively protect your creation."
"As a software developer, when you write a computer program, you are creating a kind of property. By default, this property will be owned by somebody. If you're employed by a company, your good lines of codes are owned by your employer."
Owiti Gordon Ochieng, Microsoft DPE intern and Developer of the Month
"IP protection sparks motivation towards creative thinking enabling more individuals to come up with great ideas."
Kaakpema Yelpaala, Uganda. Founder of access.mobile and 4Afrika innovation grant winner
"There are some areas of IP protection that play an important role in access.mobile's work. We rely on trade secrets, trademarks and copyright laws as well as WIPO's global framework to protect key aspects of our IP and brand."
If you are an innovator, remember that protecting your ideas doesn't only serve you, but your country and the continent at large. Let's build Africa's great new inventions together.
If you live in one of the 18 African countries with access to Office 365 – and you've given the service a try – you would already have seen how useful it is for improving productivity. But are you using it to its full potential?
I've put together five top tips that I think are critical if you want to get the most out of the service.
1. Sync Outlook across devices
Your Office 365 subscription helps you keep all your devices in sync. It allows you to install your Office 2013 desktop applications on up to five different devices, meaning you can run the service on your phone, tablet and laptop. By using ActiveSync, you can access your same customised email accounts across all of your devices. No matter which device you switch to or used last, you will find your Outlook mailbox and other folders looking exactly as you left them.
2. Declutter your inbox
Have you ever tried to focus on an important piece of work, but unimportant emails keep popping into your inbox, vying for your attention?
Office 365 helps you prioritise your work with its Clutter feature, which works as your personal assistant on Outlook. The Clutter feature studies your unique actions and habits and prioritises your emails for you, so that you can focus on what needs your immediate attention and deal with the rest later. You can train the system to better sort messages correctly by using Clutter actions to mark mail items or move them to the Clutter folder. The Clutter folder is easy to access with a single click, but your inbox remains uncluttered, improving your productivity.
3. Access documents on the Web
Your Office 365 subscription gives you access to Office Web Apps, so that you can work on all your Office files like Word, Excel and PowerPoint online. You can create a working space wherever you are by using the Web Apps together with OneDrive, which is especially useful to keep productive in those otherwise wasted moments between meetings or even on a plane. All your up-to-date data is stored in the Cloud and all changes are synchronised automatically across all your devices each time you click 'Save'. If you have been working offline, your changes are synced with the files stored in the Cloud as soon as you are back online.
4. Share and collaborate online
Producing the best work often comes from collaborating effectively, but when your team mates are scattered around town or even a busy office, this can be quite a challenge. SharePoint Online is an Office 365 tool that allows you to share files, documents, spreadsheets, presentations and folders, and collaborate on these online in real time, in a secure environment. You can also manage access levels to allow permission to 'Read Only' or to edit, depending on who you are working with. Working together in this way is no different to editing a document as you normally would, except you can see when someone else opens the document, as well as which paragraph they are working on and their comments.
5. Connect and communicate wherever you are
Office 365 includes mobile apps for Microsoft's communication platform, Lync. That means you can chat with multiple contacts at the same time, by text, voice or video, and you can do so no matter what device you're using or where you are. No more excuses for missing that important meeting. You can also interact during your Lync meeting by sharing your desktop, programs, files and presentations, and use the interactive whiteboard for a virtual brainstorm. Usefully, you can also record your Lync meetings and share meeting notes directly to OneDrive so that you can keep track of exactly what happened.
These five simple hacks have made me so much more productive and efficient, while allowing me to be flexible when it comes to where when and where I work. Office365 is a new way of thinking because it is based in the Cloud, but for African users it's a way to get ahead of the pack. Subscribe for Office365 to take your first step forward.
For more useful tips and tricks, click here or visit the Microsoft Africa Facebook Page or the Office Facebook Page.
As the technology market in African continues to thrive, it makes sense to have devices that are tailored to local markets. Mayokun Onawola, a developer from Nigerian based technology firm, Brian Integrated Systems Limited, is part of a dynamic, entrepreneurial team that has assembled the first ever African tablet, the Brian Tab iw10, in Nigeria.
Mayokun spent a few minutes sharing more detail on this new device.
Why did you decide to create a tablet specifically for Africans and how have you tailored it to the African market?
Our core objective was to design a tablet PC, tailor-made for the African market, but also to provide an attractive alternative to popular global brands at an affordable price point. Fundamentally, the tablet's purpose is to help bridge the information technology gap that Nigeria and Africa at large has with the rest of the world.
What are the advantages of making the tablet Microsoft compatible?
Firstly, Microsoft technology is widely understood and used and secondly, Microsoft's software is highly compatible with the tablet device. The device's design provides the user with an improved Microsoft experience. Users are able to customise their Office 365 packages to suit their needs for the tablet. Because the new Office 365 allows users to choose and pay only for the programs they need, they can tailor it to their lifestyle, offering flexibility. The 10.4-inch tablet is supported with Windows 8.1 with WiFi capabilities, Bluetooth, 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory.
How much does the tablet retail for and how does this compare to other tablets?
The tablet costs N65,000 which is significantly lower than the average cost for a tablet on the market. As the tablet is produced locally, the product importing levy and overall retail costs are reduced, which is beneficial to African consumers.
Where can users find the tablet?
The tablet is only available in Nigeria at the moment, but we are looking to launch in South Africa, Ghana and other African markets in the near future. We are working with engineers to design the tablet's applications and content, which will be tailored for different African regions.
How has the Nigerian audience received the tablet?
The response has been positive and very supportive. A lot of people feel proud to own a tablet manufactured in Africa and in turn are supporting the growth of Africa's tablet market.
In your opinion, how will the production of this tablet affect the African sales market?
This is a device that matches the standards of basically every device of its kind and at a competitive price and therefore, the African sales market will be positively affected. Consumer have in their hands a high-quality Microsoft device at a good price, which can only boost sales.
"My dream was to help other youth find their path," says Ashraf Abou Zeid, Masr Ta3mal (Masr Works) trainer in Aswan Youth Center. And this is exactly what he has done. Ashraf, like hundreds of youth, was recruited by the Ministry of Youth, trained by Microsoft Egypt on the Career Coaching curricula, and became Masr Ta3mal Career trainer. Ashraf has trained tens of youth in Aswan Youth Center, in Upper Egypt.
In Upper Egypt, there is a mismatch between the present level of education and the required job skills within the employment market. After getting their bachelor degrees, many of the youth hope to work in a governmental institution or to start their own micro or small businesses. The Masr Ta3mal initiative is helping youth to do this, by offering employability services with the government youth centers across Egypt. These centers provide the youth with employment opportunities in the Ministry of Youth and help others to find their career path and start their business.
The Masr Ta3mal initiative is a result of a partnership between Microsoft Egypt, the Ministry of Youth and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt. The project aims to empower Egyptian youth and help them realize opportunities through capacity building, job placement and entrepreneurship. By equipping the Ministry of Youth centers with an online employability portal, the initiative is transforming the centers to provide a full employability eco-system from career advising, training, job placement and entrepreneurship. It helps these centers to foster the development of entrepreneurial skills and to promote creativity, personal initiative and independent thinking among young people. In doing so, they are bridging the gap between the educational system and the job market needs in Egypt.
"I can see Nubian crafts are sold internationally and I know that I can do it," said Neama Ibrahim, an Egyptian young woman from Aswan who is working at Aswan Local Information Institution. She has always dreamt of starting her own business that would market Nubian handmade accessories all over Egypt, but did not have the means and tools to help achieve her dream. Luckily, Neama was introduced to Masr Ta3mal center in Aswan and got her first Career Coaching session with Abou Zeid where she was equipped with the tools to start her own business and the resources needed to attain her dream.
Abou Zeid introduced "Get online" training, part of the joint partnership between Microsoft Egypt, the Ministry of Youth and UNDP, to Neama where she learnt valuable computer skills needed to run a business. She also received the "Build your Business" online curricula that provide the entrepreneurial basics.
Neama received an entrepreneurial scholarship and has also competed with a hundred teams in an entrepreneurial contest – where she won 3rd place. She has now finished her complete business plan and she is working on launching her online marketing portal to sell Nubian Handmade accessories.
These are just two stories of many more. To date, Masr Ta3mal has resulted in the creation of 27 Centers, 120 career advisors, 2547 advising sessions and 13 job fairs.
At only 33 years old, Tayeb Sbihi has a BSc in Computer Science, a Master of Science in Computer Networks and an Executive MBA in International business. He is also a member of the Microsoft 4Afrika Advisory Council, the CEO and founder of B2N Consulting, a member of CEED and the co-founder of iTaxi.ma, a mobile application that recently won a Microsoft 4Afrika Innovation Grant award. Despite all of his success and achievements, Tayeb says that being an entrepreneur in Morocco has had its challenges, including lack of funding and regulations. However, he believes Morocco is rich with opportunities and encourages more local entrepreneurs to explore them. His biggest piece of advice to fellow startups is this: Gather the strengths necessary to become an entrepreneur. Fill the knowledge gaps you might have in finance, business and marketing. Having a good idea for a business is not enough. You need to have the skills to market your idea too.
Q: You certainly have achieved a lot for such a young entrepreneur! Can you tell us a bit about B2N Consulting?
A: "Growing up, I always wanted to be a telecoms engineer. I've always been fascinated by new technologies and how computers work. In line with that passion, I started B2N Consulting, where we test, evaluate and optimise our clients' telecom infrastructure. We help them to improve productivity and reduce the cost of their communications environments."
Q: You recently put B2N Consulting on hold to start iTaxi.ma. Can you tell us about that?
A: "Geo-location technology is growing in popularity, so I saw an opportunity to do something with it. There are currently 35 000 taxis operating in Morocco – 8 700 in Casablanca alone – so together with my partner Ali Echihabi we developed iTaxi.ma, a mobile application that lets users book, track and rate taxis in Morocco. One of its best features is that it allows users to track their booked taxis in real-time."
Q: iTaxi.ma recently won a 4Afrika Innovation Grant award. What do you hope to do with the grant?
A: "The 4Afrika innovation grant includes financial support as well as mentorship from Microsoft, so we hope to use it to scale our business across Africa and adapt the service to other forms of transport, including goods."
Q: Tell us a bit about your role as a 4Afrika Advisory Council member?
A: "I joined the council as a youth leader and my vision is to help bring affordable broadband access to the youth. I would love to see a market where everyone has access to the internet. Connectivity is one of the solutions and tools that can help us solve some of our biggest issues. It can help reduce illiteracy through e-Learning and it can give the population a means to speak and share their issues, giving them strength to stand for their rights."
Q: What are your future plans?
A: "My goal is to make my companies sustainable across various regions in Africa. But I also have a new goal, and that is to be a source of inspiration and motivation for my son. He is 9 months old now and I want to ensure that there are enough resources available when he grows up, so that he can promote our great continent."
Follow Tayeb on Twitter at @staieb
Esther Olatunde
This Ajegunle-born youth became a software developer with the help of a Microsoft YouthSpark programme
Growing up as a timid young girl with a low self-esteem in one of the most notorious slums in the suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria, Esther Olatunde could easily have become a miscreant (popularly known as 'agbero') or even a prostitute.
As a disadvantaged youth living in a disadvantaged community such as Ajegunle, in a country where tens of thousands of students graduate from tertiary institutions each year with only about 10% of them being employed, sometimes several years after graduation, Esther like majority of the unemployed youth in Nigeria could have been involved in criminal activities such as cybercrime.
Instead, she sought good role models to help her get more meaning out of life.
Although Esther knew how to use a computer before, she got introduced to several opportunities that abound beyond Internet scams and cybercrime. Through the Microsoft YouthSpark programme called Ajegunle.org at Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), a social enterprise that connects Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities, Esther became extremely proficient and productive with computers.
Ajegunle.org is a five-week intensive training programme that trains and equips young people with information and communication technology, entrepreneurship and life skills and demonstrates Microsoft's concerted effort and commitment to addressing the emerging opportunity divide among young people in Nigeria.
With the goal of creating new opportunities for millions of youth and empowering them to change their world, Esther's example shows the huge impact that the Microsoft YouthSpark programme through Ajegunle.org has had on the participants, their families and their communities.
"Ajegunle.org gave me an advantage and it also placed me on a platform to become who I am today," said Esther. "I love working with computers, that's what challenges me…and I got an offer that gave me the opportunity to develop myself more and become a software developer."
Esther joined the Microsoft YouthSpark programme in March 2008, after completing her secondary school education in July of 2007. Upon completion of the programme, Esther extended the knowledge she had acquired to six other youth – two of whom were her siblings – which was a criteria for becoming a participant in the training programme.
"It's really empowering for me and the people that I have thought as well," explained Esther.
Her efforts have equally paid off. Esther has successfully completed a four-month long internship programme with the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) department at the UK Deputy High Commission in Lagos.
Now a full-time software developer, Esther plans to study for a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a dream she says was inspired by the Ajegunle.org training.
"Microsoft and Ajegunle.org has changed my life," she says.
By Lutz Ziob
Dean of 4Afrika Academy
"Desire! That's the one secret of every person's career. Not education. Not being born with hidden talents. Desire," Johnny Carson
There is no shortage of desire amongst African youth - desire to learn, desire to achieve, desire to make a difference. The goal of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative is to harness this desire and empower youth to turn their dreams into reality. So, we are thrilled to be hosting 14 Mandela Washington Fellows as part of U.S. President Obama's Young African Leadership Initiative, for a three month fellowship at Microsoft's offices around the continent. This will be the first group of fellows who have been meticulously selected from some of the most passionate young Africans out there. All of them are working on their own ventures, finding innovative ways to solve local problems that are close to their hearts, for example: Haleta Giday from Ethiopia who is a lecturer and public prosecutor. She focuses on improving women's and children's rights. Her desire after the fellowship is to work with the United Nations and African Union on peacekeeping and conflict issues as well as conduct trainings on gender equality and women empowerment.
The fellowship will enable these youth to drive their projects with the encouragement of Microsoft and its broad network of partners and world-class expertise in a fast-paced environment. Access to a variety of powerful influencers will enable all to benefit even if they are not necessarily adopting a technological solution.
During the three months, fellows can practice pitching for finance, receive personal feedback on their solutions and business models, get introduced to startup accelerators and shadow Microsoft's top decision-makers while attending high-level meetings. Most fellows have not worked in a multinational company before so the exposure to doing business across borders and to international best practices is an invaluable experience. Microsoft will also be offering 360 degree evaluation for each fellow and leadership training from professional coaches. All of this will take place while being immersed in a modern working environment with the must-have tools of the modern workplace. Fellows will learn how to utilise the power of technology to achieve their ambitions including Microsoft's Cloud-based productivity tools like Office 365, and Azure.
But this immense opportunity is not just for the fellows. Microsoft will have the privilege to learn from them: What challenges do they face every day? What are the grassroots needs and opportunities in their countries? How can Microsoft work with them to create sustainable growth and career solutions on the continent?
These young leaders will help inform Microsoft, as a global company, of the African challenges and opportunities with a perspective that is completely aligned to their markets and consumers. We look forward to the fellows providing an injection of curiosity and questioning, not allowing us to become set in our ways. They are part of our investment into human capital on the continent, one of the primary drivers of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative.
So, it is with excitement and pleasure to introduce our first group of fellows:
Nigerian, Mfonobong Ekpo, is a maritime lawyer, award-winning author, founder of the Discovery Center and chief operating officer for the Future Project Africa. She is most excited for the internship because it is an "opportunity to be in an intense learning environment, which offers tangible opportunities for growth and development. Microsoft embodies this kind of environment and culture. "
Ugandan, Humphrey Anjoga, is co-founder & chief operations officer at the Uganda School of Professional Development. His goal is to become an accomplished ICT professional particularly in e-Government and Information Systems Audits. "My dream is to engage the rural community in the use of ICT through establishing regional ICT centers."
Kenyan, Emily Murabu, is the founder of Tunaweza. She wants to see more women as entrepreneurs, who are able to embrace technology to solve their social problems and elevate their social status. In the next five years, she would like to see persons living in the rural areas having access to internet services
Charlene Migwe from Kenya has three years of experience in IT and is building solutions to help African citizens contribute to the betterment of their countries. She believes the Yali internship will help her learn better management skills, that will spur the growth of her company to more sustainable levels.
Tanzanian, Ruth Elineema, is a lecturer at the University of Arusha and founder of Gongali Model Company Limited. "The YALI internship is an opportunity to share my initiative and network with experts and gain relevant that can help it grow. She aims to develop a holistic transformation of small communities and under-served groups by giving them access to appropriate technologies through creative and customised financial solutions.
Laud Boateng in Ghana is a trainee public health physician who "wants to see a country positioned for health and wealth among its populace - an environment where people will have the strength and aptitude to contribute their talents to the total development of the region and the global village. It is my desire that the current youth bulge will be instrumental in driving this change with mentors shaping this dream."
Namibian, Mandy Shemuvalula, is founder and CEO of Gloca Inc and believes that the state of ICT in Namibia is growing and evolving, but not fast enough. "A lot of businesses are not able to reach optimal levels of efficiency and effectiveness and this reflects on their poor performance. Those that are, become a beacon of hope for the rest. It is still a virgin industry."
Aarthi Burtony from Mauritius is chairperson of the DIS-MOI. Her personal goal is to ensure ICT forms a part of daily life for every Mauritian irrespective of their social class. "It must include specialised technology for persons with disabilities. I hope to make a difference in the lives of those who never thought they would one day have access to ICT."
David Chakombera from Zambia is a senior advisor at Ernst & Young and co-founder of Africa Lead, an incubator for gifted entrepreneurs. He is also a member of the 'Lead Us Today' board where he aims to empower young people to lead community development efforts and upscale mentorship for the informal sector in Zimbabwe
Hastings Mkandawire has over ten years of experience in rural alternative energy and social-economic initiatives to uplift the youth. Currently, he serves as country coordinator for Media & Technology of the Youth (MTESO). Post the fellowship, he plans to conduct workshops trainings to strengthen youth economic activities in support of youth in isolated rural areas of Malawi.
Haleta Giday from Ethiopia is a lecturer and public prosecutor. She focuses on improving women's and children's rights. Her desire after the fellowship is to work with the United Nations and African Union on peacekeeping and conflict issues as well as conduct trainings on gender equality and women empowerment.
Team MTN-Qhubeka, Africa's first pro-continental cycling team, is effortlessly taking on the world with the help of cloud software. Through Microsoft Office 365, the team of 22 riders and 35 ground staff has managed to connect nine countries. Douglas Ryder, the team principal and renowned cyclist, discusses how Office 365 has helped manage team logistics across the globe and how the team is supporting Africa's growing cycling community.
It has been three months since you implemented Microsoft Office 365, what has the impact been not only on the ground staff but also the riders?
Now that we are on a single platform, our team calendaring and scheduling has vastly improved, as has our communication among our 35 staff and 22 riders. It has reduced complexity of our logistics in managing our team across multiple countries as everyone is more informed and has the right information at their fingertips. The staff and team now get notified of where and when they need to be and this has saved us time and money.
With the entire team being based in three different countries, how did the team manage the diaries and other logistics before Office365? How has the software improved this process?
Prior to this implementation we sent spreadsheets via email and often staff and riders were working off previous spreadsheets. With riders and races changing often, it was very difficult to keep everyone on the same version, which often resulted in extra cost as we ended up calling people to make sure they had received the latest information. Now we have a central repository updated in one place and the relevant people get automatic notification of updates and changes; so we have one version of the truth and that has helped a lot.
With time reduced for the ground staff to organise the logistics of the team, where was the saved time invested?
The time savings have helped our sports directors spend more time on race preparation and race analysis to feedback to the riders so that we can prepare better to achieve our goals. This was often only done at an event when the team was already at the race but now this is done prior to events, which mean we are better prepared as a team and can more confidently take on the challenges of each event. Staff and riders are more relaxed and therefore perform better.
How has access to the cloud enhanced the exposure of the Qhubeka rural initiatives?
Qhubeka is a separate business to the team and is not managed off our infrastructure but the more professionally we manage our operations, the more it feeds off into our other initiatives, of which Qhubeka is a big part. As a team, we race to raise funds and provide exposure to the Qhubeka Foundation and the benefits of providing bicycles to people in South Africa and Africa. The next phase of our rollout will be to include the Qhubeka bike handovers in our calendar so that all staff and riders are aware of when they are happening.
Have you managed to secure interest from more riders by being able to better manage teams remotely?
Using Office 365 has helped our team be more professional, which our riders really enjoy. This is one of the additional benefits of being part of Team MTN-Qhubeka; because riders usually struggle with logistics, our streamlined solution is helping in rider negotiations and attracting new talent to our team.
Posted by: Rotimi Olumide, Microsoft Windows Lead for sub-Saharan Africa
When all is said and done, what do you want your legacy to be?
That's a career question that I ask a lot of people. It's an important question, because it helps to shape a fulfilling career path.
A lot of people in Africa aspire to work in international organisations, in top level positions, where they can earn a lot of money. That's a great and rewarding goal, but unfortunately for Africa it means we are losing our talent to more developed markets. It is true that Africa doesn't have the infrastructure, internet penetration and access to resources that some of these countries do (yet). However, if you want to have a meaningful impact in rapidly growing markets, there's no better place to be. Africa offers us the opportunity to change people's lives for the better, every day.
Working in developed markets does enable a person to make a difference – you can make a strong market even stronger. But in Africa, we can help African people to do more and become more, by helping small businesses grow, local economies thrive, rural communities embrace technology to solve local challenges and nurture a workforce in global competitiveness.
I am Canadian by birth and grew up in Nigeria, but I've lived much of my adult life in the United States and Canada. I considered coming to work in Africa for over 10 years. Now that I'm here, I really wish I'd made the move sooner and I constantly encourage other Africans to do the same. If you are an African, living and working overseas but considering returning home, here is why I think you should do it.
1: You will have a competitive advantage
When you live and work in more modern and developed parts of the world, you develop essential 21st century skills quickly: Digital literacy, creative and innovative thinking, curiosity, leadership and accountability. If you brought all of those skills back home to Africa, you would have a strong competitive advantage. Africa is fast becoming a pre-eminent destination for foreign investment and with your understanding of how both Western and African companies operate, you would help these foreign companies to be more successful in Africa. Many countries in Africa offer comparable lifestyles to those offered in developed markets and a growing number of companies can offer competitive compensation packages, as well. You will also be able to encourage more foreign investment in local infrastructure, enabling Africa to develop its economy and competitiveness.
2: You can participate in the growth of Africa
The wonderful thing about Africa is that it's in an exciting transition phase. As more technology and resources come into the country, we're shifting to a knowledge-based, Cloud-first economy focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. However, because of the digital divide and lack of 21st century skills, this shift is not as fast as it could be. If more Africans return to Africa, we can actively participate in this transition. We can help transfer skill sets, insights and learnings from the West, close knowledge gaps and unlock new opportunities. Africans can, in fact, share their valuable insights and contributions from anywhere in the world. Knowledge can always be sent back home. Books, technology and equipment can be made available, online courses can be created and shared. The point is, you don't have to move back to Africa to participate in its growth – but do something to help. You'll be surprised how much knowledge you've picked up over the years. Find a way to share that knowledge and you will make a difference.
3: You'll be a leader who others aspire to emulate
When you hear an inspirational story about someone who has overcome difficult circumstances, it's great. When you hear an inspirational story about someone who has overcome the same difficult circumstances you are in, it's even better. People aspire to be like those who they can relate to or identify with. The same applies in the business world. Employees want to be like leaders who come from the same background as they do. In Africa, your background, heritage and culture all play to your advantage. You can be that inspiring leader and success story that others aspire to. You can encourage more future leaders on the continent.
There is so much need in Africa, but there is still a shortage of talent to fulfil it all. We all have the power to change that, if we decide it's what we want our legacy to be. Remember that you can make millions of dollars in America. But you can impact millions of lives in Africa.
Posted by: Mteto Nyati, General Manager-MEA Emerging Regions, Microsoft
The talent and potential of Africa's youth should throb to the fast beat of the continent's growth. But the opportunity gap and digital divide still prevents many of the 200 million youths on the continent, aged between 15 and 24, from reaching their full potential. I've seen how access to technology can be the key to unlocking possibilities and helping Africa's youth become the continent's biggest asset.
During South Africa's Youth Month, I visited Doasho High School in rural Limpopo. This year, the school expects at least eight distinctions from their final-year Physical Science students, with the help of the Microsoft 4Afrika Limpopo TV white spaces programme. This project is providing five schools with low-cost, high-speed white spaces broadband. It is also providing classrooms with 7-inch tablets, to help students collaborate, access learning material, complete online assessments and enter virtual laboratories that bring their lessons to life. With the help of master teachers who have undergone training on teaching with technology, these students will leave the school equipped with critical thinking and the ability to collaborate and better solve problems – 21st Century skills that are highly sought after in the workplace.
As Africa's economy diversifies from a labour-based to a knowledge-based economy, it is imperative that the youth have the skills necessary to compete in and lead this transition. Careers requiring skills in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are in hot demand and with a very high earning potential. Young nerds, for example, who were once seen as odd for spending so much time behind their computer screens, are now the popular
kids in town. Africa's problems are a breeding ground for innovators to help solve them using technology and make money at the same time.
That's why, in the spirit of Youth Month, Microsoft and Sci-Bono Discovery Centre teamed up to host a free, three-day "Week of Code" coding workshop, to introduce school-leavers and current pupils to the world of coding and help them discover the wealth of opportunities available to them in the sector. As Anele Masiza, a coder from the Johannesburg Microsoft AppFactory says: "Technology offers us this platform. We can use it to say: 'Look at Africa the way we see it – the way we tell it'. It can change lives."
Also in Youth Month, we celebrated the graduation of 499 students from our Student2Business (S2B) partnership with the Development Bank of South Africa, which plans to train and absorb 3 000 unemployed youngsters over the next three years. These youngsters have no shortage of talent, but many graduates do not have the immediate work experience in the desired skill-set to secure jobs. Companies, on the other hand, face shortages of the right skills. Programmes like S2B help close this gap, providing a roadmap for employment.
Africa's youth are full of great ideas, but many stop at the 'idea stage', leaving their ideas vulnerable to exploitation. That's why last month we launched the Microsoft 4Afrika Intellectual Property (IP) Hub in Nairobi, which provides innovators with the tools and resources to protect and commercialise their ideas. The first step is to register their idea with a local IP authority and then secure proof of ownership – something the Hub helps to do.
At Microsoft, our promise to help bridge the gaps for our youth is unwavering – and it goes beyond Youth Month. Young Africans are the future of this continent and when plugged into technology, their potential gets a whole lot brighter. Our ask of youth is to keep on shining, keep an open mind, and believe in yourselves as 'solutioneurs'. Don't wait for a problem in your community to be solved by someone else. Think about doing it yourself, make money from it and create a brighter future in Africa.
Posted by: Djam Bakhshandegi, Citizenship Lead, Microsoft West, East, Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands. 1.65 million. That's a big number. More importantly, it's an exciting number, because it's the number of students who have participated in our annual Microsoft Imagine Cup competition since its inception 10 years ago.
Over the past decade, young minds have created millions of new games, applications and solutions – solutions that address some of the world's toughest social problems.
And Africa has been among them!
Last year, Team Code 8 from Uganda walked away with the United Nations Women's Empowerment Award, for developing an app that helps detect Malaria – without even pricking a body part.
And this year, we're proud to see even more brilliant, innovative and life-saving solutions come out of Africa. Teams from Uganda, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Botswana, Tunisia, Senegal and Morocco have all competed in this year's 12th annual edition – and three of them are moving on to the World Finals, taking place in Seattle on the 29th of July 2014!
Below is an overview of what just some of our local teams have created.
Team AfriGal Tech,Uganda – World Finalist What they created: mDex What it does: According to Team AfriGal Tech, every year in Uganda 30 000 babies are born with sickle cell disease, a hereditary and life-threatening blood disorder. 80% of these babies won't make it to the age of five. mDex is a mobile sickle cell diagnosis tool, which is made up of a mobile app and an external compound lens. The tool allows for a quick, easy and affordable diagnosis, by using computer vision and pattern recognition.
Fun fact: Team AfriGal Tech come from Makerere University. They were also the only all-female team to compete in the Imagine Cup National Finals this year!
Team High Rise, Nigeria – World Finalist What they created: CATARA What it does: CATARA uses HD smartphone cameras to quickly, accurately and affordably detect early cataracts. It helps to reduce the rate at which cataracts cause total blindness, while also supplying statistical data to NGOs, government bodies and research institutions. "We are passionate about reducing the rate of cataract surgeries performed in the world. We want to offer a better life for everyone. We have dreamt it. We have built it. And now we, as a team, believe that our solution can live it," says the team.
Team Illogic, Egypt – World Finalist What they created: Puppy in Bubble What it does: Falling under the 'Games' category, Puppy in Bubble is a fun and interactive physics-based game. It follows the story of Spout, a mischievous puppy that always wanders away from his owner, Adam!
Team AGRIStars,Rwanda What they created: Farmer climate and soil assistant What it does: Farmer climate and soil assistant is a software application that analyses the fertility of soil. Users take a photo of the soil to begin the analysis process, which detects available nutrients and suggests crops that are suitable to be grown on that piece of land.
Fun fact: This is the first year that Rwanda has competed in the Imagine Cup competition. Team AGRIStars come from the University of Rwanda's College of Science and Technology, where they are all completing their bachelor's degrees in Computer Engineering.
Team Africon,Kenya
What they created: Life Buddy What it does: Life Buddy is a mobile application that uses Microsoft Azure to help anyone who is in need of a blood donation to find matching blood donors. Users send a request to the app, which then sends a notification to donors of a compatible blood group. The notification includes details of the hospital and contact details, so that users can receive blood in the fastest possible time. Fun fact: Team Africon hail from Jomo Kenyatta University. Their platform of choice for development is Windows Phone 8, for its easy-to-use and cost-effective development framework.
Team NewGen,Tunisia
What they created: Hero from the Past What it does: Hero from the Past is a 3D, Windows Phone 8 game. It follows the story of a child on a quest to save the planet. The most innovative feature of the game is the ability to take your favourite characters and print them on a t-shirt!
Fun fact: Tunisia has competed in the Imagine Cup competition every year. This year, the country had over 500 entries from 1 000 participants – and Team NewGen came out on top!
Team Absoft Corp.,Senegal What they created: EControl What it does: EControl is an application that allows for remote monitoring, home automation and telemetry, by combining a bi-modular electronic device with Windows Phone or PC technology.
Team Win Programmers,Botswana What they created: KLOK What it does: KLOK is a tour and first-aid guide application. The app combines Bing Maps and Bing Weather to provide tourists with on-the-go weather updates, allowing them to check conditions before their outings and view alternative routes should the weather be bad. It also provides useful tips on how to respond to encounters with dangerous animals or poisonous plants. Fun fact: KLOK is not an internet-based application. That means it's reliable, anywhere!
Team RedSilence,Morocco What they created: Red Silence What it does: Red Silence is a robot that is controlled only by blinking! It is designed to help paraplegics and quadriplegics complete various daily tasks that would otherwise be very difficult to do.
Fun fact: Team Red Silence is made up of three members from the Moroccan School of Engineering Science. This is the 6th year that Morocco has competed in the competition.
I am so proud and humbled to see the many teams who have and who are still representing Africa in this year's competition. I'm also gratified to see more young women entering the coding world. These apps, games and solutions are all extraordinary, and are proof that the youth of Africa are passionate about making a difference in the world. I hope that their hard work encourages even more young students to join in the Imagine Cup competition next year – and show everyone that Africa can accelerate technology for the world.
Please join me in congratulating each and every one of the teams who took part.
Her objective was to challenge the idea that motherhood and professional life do not mix. "I told them you can do both," she says.
At 36, Riham Mansour from Cairo is a computer science researcher at Microsoft, has a BSc and MSc degree, has won two awards and – on top of it all – is a full-time mother. How does she manage her work and life balance? When Riham joined Microsoft, she made it clear that she would come in early, do her job well, and leave at exactly 4pm to spend time with her children.
"Motherhood and careers have nothing to do with each other. Each is a stand-alone thing. I'm showing the world you can have a family and make progress in your career."
Read her story here: http://www.microsoft.com/eu/creative-minds-at-microsoft/riham-mansour.aspx
He loves football, reading, travelling and watching movies. He's also a trained Mechanical
Engineer – who is now the General Manager of Microsoft East and Southern Africa! We sat
down with Eric Odipo to chat about his role at Microsoft, his advice for graduates, and why he loves
his country, Kenya.
As the General Manager of Microsoft East and Southern Africa (ESA), what do you enjoy most about your job?
First off, I like the General Manager role because it's broad and gives me an all-up view of the business. I also like that I have a really strong team who are good at what they do, are able to work independently and are highly motivated. We have a great diversity in the team – and in the partner and customer community as well. In ESA, each country has a unique culture, business practice and set of priorities, which makes my role very exciting and the interaction very stimulating.
What are your day-to-day responsibilities as a General Manager?
My key accountability is to ensure that the company's priorities in each of my assigned markets are achieved. Broadly, these can be defined as:
Everything I do is tied to making these happen.
Why are you passionate about technology and the ICT sector?
I've had a strong interest in science and technology from an early age, driven by what I observed from my older siblings. I naturally chose to specialise in sciences in school and I was great at it. I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked for several years in the motor industry, before transitioning into sales and marketing, then into fast moving consumer goods and now ICT. My joining Microsoft was quite by chance, but when the opportunity came I knew that I wanted to get back into the technology field.
How did you go from being an engineer to working in IT?
Microsoft was actually my first entry into an ICT firm! My first job after graduation was with General Motors as an engineer supporting production. I found that a lot of the processes were very manual and much of the documentation was hand written. With my limited knowledge of computers then, I created the first digital Bill of Materials and also created the first technical drawings using AutoCAD (which I didn't have formal training on). I was promoted in my first year due to this contribution. From then on I valued ICT and saw its potential to improve processes and, in my case, my career.
What are your thoughts on the state of technology and ICT skills in Africa?
I can't comment about the whole of Africa, but the state of technology and ICT skills in the ESA markets is definitely not at par with some of the larger countries in Africa (such as South Africa and Kenya). However, the commitment to get relevant technology is strong. And the commitment to get technology into schools is even stronger. We continue to see this becoming a high priority for most countries. We want school children to have access to some form of device. I also see increasing efforts by Governments to minimise the digital divide by promoting universal access to technology and broadband. Microsoft TV white spaces technology, which we are pioneering in Tanzania, and Namibia, fits right into this.
What advice would you give to any young African professionals looking to get into a career in ICT? What would they need to have studied or done to make them as employable as possible?
As with any career, everyone needs to have a strong interest in their career of choice. When you are passionate, it becomes visible to prospective employers. ICT also offers more career opportunities than just technical roles. It offers Sales, Evangelism, Marketing and, of course, HR, Finance and so on. Technical roles certainly need deep professional knowledge of ICT. Technical training also gives you a head start in sales, but it's not mandatory. I personally prefer a strong sales person who can learn what is required to create interest, and then call in a technical person if that's required.
What are your thoughts on encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa?
We have so many talented Africans who are capable of innovating and becoming successful entrepreneurs. However, they face a number of challenges. Laws which were once created to protect their Intellectual Property are now weak, or do not exist at all in many countries. This is discouraging to many. Startups also face funding challenges, because they are seen by the majority of commercial banks as not being 'credit-worthy'. Added to this, many do not get mentoring or coaching opportunities, which are critical at the startup stage of their enterprise.
The support that Microsoft provides, through programs such as Youth Spark and BizSpark, help to address some of these challenges. With 4Afrika, we also provide some support to entrepreneurs to expose their innovation to prospective investors or venture capitalists, and then provide continuing mentoring. In some exceptional cases, we are also providing startup funding for these entrepreneurs.
How important are the youth in Africa to you?
I have two children in their teens and so the subject of youth, their development, their access to opportunities that furthers their aspirations and their eventual career success (whether in employment or as entrepreneurs) is very dear to me. Young people have big aspirations, which we don't recognise many times, and a "can do" attitude around their areas of interest. We need to find ways of encouraging their interests in the short-term, so that they can develop possible viable commercial enterprises in the future.
As a native Kenyan, what do you love most about Kenya?
I love Kenya because of the diversity we have in the people. I love the spectacular natural resources that we have (wildlife, beaches, the Great Rift Valley, fertile and arid lands etc.) the way we socialise, the way we are generally welcoming, the way we can rally around some common issues and also in the way we can disagree on many issues. Kenya is a land of talented and hardworking people with very high aspirations, some of whom have won great international recognition in sports, education, nature conservation, politics, the arts etc. I'm very proud of them.
Posted by: Djam Bakhshandegi, Citizenship and Partners in Learning Lead, Microsoft West, East, Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands
In my role at Microsoft I spend a lot of time dealing with organisations who are making a positive impact in Africa. But there is one that is especially close to my heart because it supports children that not only confront many of the common challenges faced by children in Africa, but are also visually-impaired or blind. The Thika School for the Blind is a boarding school that provides learning facilities for over 200 visually impaired learners. Serving as the only high school for the blind in East and Central Africa, the boarding school offers speech therapy, living skills, braille and low vision classes to kindergarten, primary and high school learners.
inABLE is an organization that works to connect these children – and many others across Africa- with computers and technology resources. With support from its funding partners including Microsoft, it launched Kenya's first assistive technology computer program at the Thika Primary School for the Blind in 2009.
The learners at Thika use normal computers with standard keyboards, to ensure they will be able to cope in a 'normal' work environment. Using text-to-speech screen readers, voice activated software and screen magnifier tools for students that retain partial sight, pupils can easily navigate around a normal computer. They easily access online educational resources, communicate with new friends worldwide, type essays, and research homework assignments, all while developing employability skills. Carol Ngandi, the lead computer instructor from inABLE says that children really enjoy the program, "They are able to send e-mails to friends and parents. They are able to go get the news and so they are able to be updated and they really enjoy that".
Ngandi says that aside from providing the children with valuable skills, internet access alone gives blind children a window to the world that they can't see. "Many of them weren't blind from birth and they say that when they lost their sight their whole life was in darkness. But now that they have computers, they say their eyes have been opened through the internet".
Walking around the school and meeting some of the children, I was reminded about how important it is to ensure equal access to technology.
"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it" – Helen Keller
Irene Nthambi is one of the schools top learners excelling in computer literacy, despite being not only blind but also suffering from a disease that has left her unable to use her hands. She has mastered the unique ability to type with her tongue and lips, while using headphones to listen to what is written on screen. Irene's teachers say she is one of the brightest children in the class, especially when it comes to using computers. Her excellence despite the impediments she faces highlights the program's success.
The World Health Organization estimates that at least 26.3 million people in Africa are visually impaired. The work by inABLE and Thika School is a shining example of what can be achieved when great people and organisations form strong partnerships; and at Microsoft we are very proud to have inspirational partners carrying out such important work.
Guest post by: Kaakpema Yelpaala, Founder and CEO of access.mobile. Recipient of 2014 4Afrika Innovation Grant
Would you ever consider strapping a small sensor to your finger? One that connects to your phone and detects your malaria status, via an app?
Believe it or not, this technology exists. It was developed by the Ugandan Team Code 8 at last year's Imagine Cup. The app helps improve people's healthcare and saves lives, all through the power of technology.
When I founded access.mobile in 2011 as a mobile and web-based technology provider for data collection, client communication and decision support, I wanted to focus on the healthcare sector. Our first area of work was in the healthcare sector in Uganda, where we helped 70 private clinics better manage data collection processes related to service delivery, all through a mobile application and web-based solution called am•health. We are also rolling out ClinicCommunicatorTM, a web application that offers health clinics an easy way to manage patient communication and care, including SMS and email-based appointment reminders, medication compliance and patient surveys.
I believe that there are big opportunities at the intersection of health and technology in Africa. At the heart of the matter is to facilitate access to quality healthcare services for consumers, and to find ways for the public and private sector to work together to improve health standards and facilitate technology adoption in high impact ways.
I was recently invited to attend a forum in Washington, DC, on key priorities for investing in global health. At the event, entitled "Global Health Best Buys", we discussed what sound investments and best-practices in global health should look like. Each panelist came from a different expertise, with unique experiences and interests. It was a great opportunity for me to emphasise the growing role of the private health sector in sub-Saharan Africa. I was also able to highlight how technology-driven, private investments in health can increase access to quality healthcare and professionalism in the private health sector, while stimulating innovation. Here is some of what I shared with the panel.
From left to right: Amanda Glassman, Director of Global Health Policy, Center for Global Development; Karl Hoffman, CEO, Population Services International (PSI); Karen Cavanaugh, Director, Office of Health Systems, USAID; Kaakpema Yelpaala, CEO & Founder, access.mobile, Inc. (Photo Credit: Center for Global Development, Washington, DC). The event convened experts from implementing agencies, governments, researcher institutions, and the private sector to discuss and debate what makes a "best buy" in global health. It was held in partnership with PSI, PATH, and Devex and the program was also supported by a grant from Merck, through its Merck for Mothers Program.
The state of the Private Health Sector in sub-Saharan Africa
The healthcare sector in sub-Saharan Africa is going through an exciting and pivotal time. According to the International Finance Corporation, approximately $16.7 billion was spent on health in sub-Saharan Africa in 2005. 60% of that was private and mainly out-of-pocket spending by individuals. In the last decade, such spending has continued to increase dramatically, driven, in many cases, by a growing middle-class in several African countries. According to a report by McKinsey and Company, by 2016 the market for healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa will be worth $35 billion.
People are looking for quality healthcare services in their own countries. If they have a serious health issue, they want to have quality options in their own market. They don't want to travel to another country to get the care they need. In January 2014, while traveling to the international airport in Nairobi, I saw a massive billboard by a leading private hospital. It said that people in Kenya no longer need to leave Nairobi to receive international standard medical care. It's quite telling that the message of the billboard is one of the last major advertisements before departing Nairobi.
Innovators are rising to the challenge and are developing locally-relevant solutions in their markets, which are helping to bring the healthcare services people need. For Africa to truly reap the full benefits of technology in healthcare, there needs to be an enabling environment for entrepreneurs, developers, technologists and medical professionals. Private and public investment is key to support innovation in the health sector in Africa.
Some tips for startups in the healthcare sector
There are many opportunities to meet local needs in Africa through the creative use of technology in healthcare. If you want to hear a few of my ideas on this topic, take a look at my interview with Devex – the leading international development news source – below.
The most important thing for startups to remember is that products which scale over time – especially technology products – must change, evolve and adapt to user needs. In the world of donor-funded projects in Africa, the challenge I see is that technology initiatives get locked in to a fixed set of deliverables. They don't adapt to new information easily. At access.mobile, we believe that being nimble and flexible is at the centre of building context-appropriate, user-centred technologies. Listening to your market allows you to adapt to new feedback from clients and users, and build meaningful and scalable solutions.
Africa's adoption of products and services looks different to the rest of the world. The African market is highly dynamic, so enterprises need to give themselves the flexibility to experiment. Experimentation is, after all, critical to the success of any new approach to solving big challenges. access.mobile is grateful to have won one of the first Microsoft 4Afrika innovation grants, which is helping us design, test and scale tailored solutions for our target markets in Africa. We look forward to watching the health sector in Africa grow, and to also playing a role in this growth.
To learn more about access.mobile and our work with Microsoft 4Afrika, you can take a look at my interview with Devex below:
Posted by: Kunle Awosika, Microsoft Kenya Country Manager
Respect. Results. Recognition. These are my three R's of leadership. Eight months ago, I was appointed as Microsoft Kenya's country manager, or, in other words, 'The Chief Servant'. I see my number one priority as leading a high performing team to greater success. I know that if I don't show my team mates respect, they won't be motivated to be results-driven. Likewise, if I don't recognise the good results they produce, they won't continue producing them. It's a cycle that maintains itself – and it's a cycle that every good leader should live by.
I've been in various leadership positions at Microsoft over the last nine years. A key part of my leadership has always been keeping employees satisfied, dealing with ambiguities, navigating challenging conversations, and selling solutions, services and now devices. My experiences have helped me to learn some very important lessons around these Three R's. Needless to say, I'm still learning, and that's one thing I love about my job. But here are a few of my insights so far…
Respect One of the profound truths I've learnt about respect can be summed up into this formula.
As a leader, how do you earn trust and respect? You build a relationship with your team, colleagues, partners and customers that is based on three things: Increased value, credibility and reduced risk.
To add value and credibility, you act with accountability. A good leader should always accept responsibility for their actions and the actions of the team. Be accountable and share all your key learnings, successes and mistakes. By being transparent like this, your team will see you as a vested member who is genuinely interested in their growth.
As a leader, you should also show your vulnerability. You won't always know the answers, and so you should be willing to gather them from your team members in different ways. The best leaders earn the respect of their peers and team members by being open and respectfully challenging, and by always inspiring a shared vision or goal. As the saying goes, respect is earned and not demanded; trust is built and worthy leaders are naturally followed.
Once you've established trust and respect, your employees will be eager to work hard for you and collaborate as a team. It's important for you to continually challenge them to act, and to inspire them to sustain and even exceed their results. Use their achievements to help grow and develop them into leaders of their own.
Think of your team as a team of oxen. Every ox or team member has the potential to grow as big and strong as you, their leader. Be humble enough to both remember and encourage this. It will only help you pull your load faster and, eventually, hand the reins over with greater confidence.
Every leader knows how important it is to recognise people for a job well done. It drives motivation and productivity. But what a lot of leaders miss is self-recognition. This includes recognising your own wins, and failures. Recognising failures and being self-critical is quite difficult for most leaders, but it's essential in helping you to grow and develop. I personally have no issues with being respectfully challenged by my team members, so long as it's constructive and for the common good of the team.
Being able to look inward and recognise where improvements can be made helps you to lead with integrity. Evaluating yourself doesn't need to be a stressful or damaging exercise. It should be empowering – a strategy to see how far you've come, and where you still can go.
Together with the Three R's, my core values as a leader have always been: Accountability, Openness, Respect and, most importantly, Honesty and Integrity.
I fundamentally believe the following 3 principles:
1) Everything rises and falls with leadership
2) You must have a high leadership lid
3) If your leadership lid is 5 your organisation cannot grow more than 4
It is critical to always challenge your team for better outcomes, help grow and develop them for future leadership roles, drive consistent results, and publicly recognise the individual or team when good work is done.
As country manager, I hope to do all this. But I also hope to inspire my team to always take the lead in innovation – to always take new ways of doing things and build a belief system that nothing is impossible. Because, as a leader, 'Impossible is Nothing'.
Posted by: Lutz Ziob, Dean of 4Afrika Academy
Kunle Awosika, Microsoft Kenya's country manager, shared an interesting insight with me the other day. He said that he read an article which stated that according to a survey by PwC, 75% of CEOs in the region are in need of skilled workers. He added that by 2015, Africa is expected to attract USD 150 billion foreign trades. And the biggest challenge is that there aren't enough skilled workers to meet these business requirements.
At Microsoft, we are well aware of the substantial gap that exists between the demand and supply of skills development in Africa. People across the continent crave learning opportunities, but there simply aren't enough of them. Through our 4Afrika Initiative, we've set out to increase these opportunities and help bring world-class skills to Africans. We're continually developing more programs to help us achieve this goal. And we've recently developed one more…
There are currently over 100 000 people around the globe who work for Microsoft. We have an intercontinental network of some of the brightest minds around with expertise in IT, Marketing, Engineering and more. And so, we thought, what better way to help bring critical skills to Africa than through our vast pool of talent?
Say hello to MySkills4Afrika.
MySkills4Afrika is a Microsoft employee volunteer program. It is designed to enable Microsoft's employees, from all over the world, to play a significant role in improving Africa's competitiveness. We're giving employees the opportunity to mentor, coach and train African developers, partners, government leaders, SMEs and recent graduates. We're encouraging both technical and non-technical employees to participate too. This way, we can bring in a much wider range of needed skills, including marketing, sales, leadership, business operations, project management, HR, app development, infrastructure and cloud computing. As one of our volunteers has said: "This program is not about painting a school or planting trees. It is about developing Africa's business climate to enable people to compete and reach their full potential."
Samar Patel, Regional Sales Director of Techno Brain Ltd. One of Microsoft's partners has benefited through this program with his business development managers from East Africa receiving training from one of the volunteers. He said "MySkills4Afrika has helped us in understanding how diverse markets and culture operate to strengthen and build skills in Africa."
And the benefits are two-fold. Each employee that is accepted into the program will be assigned a specific area of focus and a series of virtual assignments. They will then spend one to two weeks on the ground in Africa. So we're also promoting global leadership and skills development amongst our own employees, as well as a better understanding of the African markets throughout the company.
We're already seeing enormous successes from the program, both on the beneficiary side, and from our employees, who testify that their lives have positively changed through the experience. These include Melanie Sharpe from China, Michelle Agudera from Netherlands, and Jossie Tirado from Mexico based out of Seattle
Here's what they had to say.
"Coming to the end of an AMAZING week in Johannesburg. With Darren Daniels & Lindi Chatterton, we rolled out a Career Lift development program for 150+ Student2Business Microsoft interns who are being trained on MSFT technology across Johannesburg. Feeling the impact of the herculean S2B program and our passion...Thank you for the amazing opportunity MySkills4Afrika!"
– Melanie Sharpe, volunteer in Johannesburg
"I was actually surprised at how many volunteer opportunities there were. A real spectrum, from deep technical training, to hard core selling, right all the way through to career development. I leave South Africa with a heavier and fuller heart, returning to Amsterdam with a new found love for this country and its people."- Michelle Agudera, volunteer in Johannesburg.
"I got accepted to showcase Office 2013/Office 365. My audience included students, new developers, small businesses and researchers. You realize how the skills we use every day are often taken for granted. It makes a paramount difference when you share them with small businesses and entrepreneurs in markets like Africa."
- Jossie Tirado, volunteer in Kenya
We're excited to see employees, such as Melanie, Michelle and Jossie, contributing their time, talent and expertise. They are sharing vital skills and perspectives, which is helping Africans grow, innovate and compete on a global level. And that's our goal. MySkills4Afrika looks forward to seeing over 50 volunteers from 17 countries work in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritius, Tanzania and Egypt. We'll also see an additional 200 volunteers doing their work virtually. We eagerly await their success stories, and will be watching closely as they empower people all over Africa.
By Kabelo Makwane, Microsoft Nigeria Country Manager
A great man once said that the internet is the greatest equaliser. I go further to say that access to information through technology is the greatest equaliser.
I remember the first time I switched on a computer. It was just after my Matric year, and it was an x286 PC running MS DOS. I was totally fascinated by the blinking cursor, and by programs like WordPerfect and Pascal. From that day on, I started growing my own software collection, booting programs from a series of 1.44 MegaByte floppy disks. I'm still growing my collection, except now I'm using USB storage devices with 34 GigaBytes of space, and at less than a tenth of the size!
Technology has become a lot smaller over the years. But as an enabler, technology is only getting bigger. Now that the natural user interface has become so mainstream, you no longer need to be a rocket scientist to use a computer. Anyone with a PC can, and in fact is, using computers to access valuable information that leads to new skills, and even economic opportunities. Technology enables people from all over the world to explore their true potential. It makes industries more productive and competitive. And it enables governments to be more effective at service delivery and to stay connected to its citizens.
Information has become like currency and the access to it – whether through traditional means, the internet, social media or mobile communications – has become the lifeblood of thriving economies. Citizens are connected in real-time – they can be productive anywhere! And businesses can deliver products and services at the right time, place and price. ICT holds transformational opportunities for Africa.
Unfortunately, there is a shortage of skills required to deploy, run and maintain most of these ICT systems in Africa. These skills are highly sought after in the world, and sadly, qualified Africans are gravitating towards the more developed markets with better compensation packages. However, if we want to solve the continent's technology-related challenges, we need African solutions, developed by African people. Solutions which are relevant and which take into account the present set of circumstances. Only an African knows how best to solve an African problem. So how do we encourage them to stay? How do we encourage bright minds to develop locally relevant solutions?
We make sure they see value in the opportunities of Africa.
There's huge opportunity in mobile solutions. Did you know there are, on average, 2.5 mobile phones per person on the African continent? Mobile apps have become the centre of how people create solutions to real-life challenges. Look, for example, at Tonee Ndungu's Kytabu app, which is providing affordable textbooks to students in Kenya. He's just received an innovation grant from Microsoft. His app was also named the education application most likely to change the world in this decade.
Mobile devices have also become our key engagement and entertainment tools. Look here at Nigeria's Abiola Olaniran, CEO of Gamsole and developer of mobile games. In his first 11 weeks, Abiola saw over one million downloads of his games. He is now Nigeria's highest paid Windows Game developer.
Tonee and Abiola saw opportunities. And they seized them. Unfortunately, when it comes to opportunities in ICT, a lot of people make two cardinal mistakes. One: They think they need a diploma or degree in ICT to get started. But what if I told you that Tonee has a degree in International Relations and Journalism? As I said, it's access to information that is the greatest equaliser. There are so many free online ICT tools out there, where you can teach yourself and develop your own skills. Microsoft, for example, has the Microsoft Virtual Academy, a massive online portal filled with free online IT training and courses, all designed by industry experts. And that's just one of our tools.
The second mistake is that students and graduates think that being qualified in ICT alone is the only way to have a career in ICT. To that I say, the field is vast! Sales, in fact, is an area in ICT where there is a great shortage of suitably qualified and experienced individuals. Why is sales relevant? Even Microsoft has to sell its products! We're a business, after all. I, for example, studied toward a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Management Information Systems, and a Masters in Business Administration. Now I'm the country manager of Microsoft Nigeria! There is, and will always be, value in key business skills. IT, after all, exists to support business. Finding business solutions that are first underpinned by ICT solutions is an area where I'm in my element.
I have no doubt that Africa is the land of opportunity. There's no place like it. I've only touched on a few of its opportunities here, but as the country manager in Nigeria, I've made it my goal to help Africans see more of these opportunities. I want them to see the value in them and to foster meaningful 21st century skills that will help them seize them. I encourage every African to play, learn and explore with technology. You have the access to the tools – seize the opportunity to unlock your full potential and create your own destiny!
We are living in what many people call the 'age of consumption'. We're constantly purchasing new gadgets and devices, most of which have relatively short lifespans. The lifespan of most electronic devices is only about 3 years. And it's not just that some things aren't made to last. Technology is evolving at such a rate that soon after you've bought something, a newer, better and faster version is released. We often throw things away not because they are broken, but because we want a newer model.
The impact this has on the environment is alarming. Many of our gadgets contain toxic substances that are harmful to the environment. It's called e-Waste – and it's an increasing problem across the globe. As a technology company, Microsoft is committed to being part of the solution.
I recently visited the WEEE Centre (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), the only e-Waste Management Centre in Kenya, and came back feeling very privileged to have met, and partnered, with this wonderful and passionate organisation. Microsoft has, in fact, been a partner to the centre's founder, Dr Tom Musili, for over 10 years.
Dr Musili took me on a tour of the centre and explained how they recycle 'e-Waste'. It's far more complex than I imagined. The centre sorts through waste to establish what can be reused and what needs to be dismantled into parts for recycling. Cables are separated and stripped to use the copper. Hard plastic is shredded into powder and mixed with ad plastic to make fencing poles. Some things are particularly difficult to deal with, such as computers with the older Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors, which contain very harmful substances. These are taken apart with a special machine which cuts the glass away to be reused. Motherboards (from computers and phones) are also difficult to handle, and are shipped to a partner in Belgium that specialises in disposing them in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Giving new life to old computers
Of course, some computers that are thrown away are still in working order – or just need a little maintenance. They are unwanted, but Musili is adamant that they can still serve an important role in under-resourced schools. And I agree with him. While we know that African schools should not be getting 'left-overs' from the rest of society, there can be no disputing that an old computer is better than no computer at all. With the fastest growing consumer market in the world, we are certain to get an ever increasing number of devices on the continent. Our channels for disposing of used hardware therefore need to be optimal to recycle good parts and destroy e-waste and safeguard our environment.
This is the rationale behind Musili's second project, 'Computers for Schools Kenya', which refurbishes old computers for use in schools that currently have no computers at all. The organisation has not only already equipped over 100 000 schools with computers, but has worked to maintain them, trained over 20 000 educators and provided students with computer literacy certifications.
Last month Computers for Schools Kenya joined the TechSoup Global Network. As TechSoup Kenya, the organisation can now supplement its hardware and services offering with software at very low fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners, such as Microsoft, as well as by supporting NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure.
So, the next time you have a computer or cellphone you'd like to get rid of, look up your nearest recycling service or e-Waste organisation. At least you know your gadgets are going to a good cause.
By Djam Bakhshandegi, Education Lead for West, East, Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands
Last week, eight teachers from sub-Saharan Africa are travelling to Barcelona, Spain, to attend the Microsoft in Education Global Forum, a hallmark initiative to recognize the world's most innovative teachers.
Why? They have been selected to be part of Microsoft's 2014 class of Mentor Schools and the Inaugural class of Expert Educators. These exclusive one year programmes recognise visionary educators who are using technology to improve student outcomes, equip them with 21st century skills, and who are paving the way for other teachers showing them what be achieved with technology in the classroom
Our youth population is growing fast. Currently, nearly one in three people in sub-Saharan Africa are between the ages of 10 and 24. By 2050, this number is projected to double. So it is essential now more than ever to invest in the education of youth in the region, which in turn, will improve the potential for economic growth and development. At Microsoft, we strongly believe in the role that ICT can play in bridging the emerging opportunity divide and guiding youth toward the education, skills and opportunities they need to prosper in the hyper-connected era. And teachers need to be at the heart of this.
I chatted to some of the teachers who are representing sub-Saharan Africa in Spain. Here is what they had to say about using technology in education:
"Uganda has one of the youngest populations in Africa, and a youth unemployment rate of 63%. So, what Uganda needs is an education system that empowers young people to respond to the pressing needs of the country and the world at large by engaging them to seek to effect positive change," Chole Richard, Uganda.
"To function in this technology driven world and help in the development of the country, our youth ought to be IT proficient and adequately prepared to shoulder new jobs. Mauritius, being a small island devoid of natural resources, will have to rely on its human resources to ensure continuous economic and social growth. Therefore it is important to empower our youth with the necessary skills to stay in tune with world demand for continuous progress." Anil Saccaram, Mauritius
"Education is the greatest legacy that can be handed over to the younger generation and we need to invest in the education of Nigerian youth so as to prepare them psychologically, intellectually and socially to deal with life after school. This also invariably leads to national development, peace and security," Iyke Ikechukwu Chukwu, Nigeria
To be selected as an Expert Educator, teachers much demonstrate a commitment to innovation and taking advantage of technology to deliver lessons in inspiring ways. Here are some of the ways they use technology in the classroom.
"My students use technology for problem solving by creating multimedia with a purpose of voicing their concerns to communities in any part of the world," Chole Richard, Uganda.
"We are the first school in our country to use technology to teach visual arts. This allows students to gain knowledge in the field and saves time. We use creative software programmes including Windows Movie Maker, imaging and animation tools," Papa Mamadou, Senegal
All of the teachers can attest to the immediate positive effects of bringing ICT to the classroom.
"Classes have become more interesting, engaging and fun," Anil Saccaram, Mauritius
"I teach mathematics and further mathematics to semi-rural students. After applying technology in my classroom, the number of students who pass examinations has increased by 73%
especially in the teaching of 3D and abstract maths," Veranique Obiakor, Nigeria
The Microsoft in Education Forum kicks off on Wednesday, and teachers will be heavily involved in advising Microsoft on its investments in education. They will provide insights on new product
What advice do Microsoft's Expert Educators have for other teachers?s and tools, and help the company understand how technology works – or doesn't work – in real-life classrooms.
"Be pragmatic and start with simple applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which I find are excellent tools enabling teachers to create their own resources." Veranique Obiakor, Nigeria
"Many young people are already ahead of teachers because they find it easier to (and are already) wholly embracing technology. The teacher therefore needs to be more versatile in order to remain relevant in the lives of the learners." Chole Richard, Uganda
"Don't be afraid. Technology is easy and fun for both students and the teacher, there are many courses available for teachers to learn how to implement it in their classrooms effectively," Hannington Ochieng, Kenya
What do they hope to achieve as part of 2014 Class of Expert Educators?
"I hope to access and use free Microsoft resources to create innovative productivity tools that will help to add more life to my teaching and learning activities." Ikechukwu Chukwu, Nigeria
"I look forward to making the most of the mentoring and learning opportunities that are now available to me, as well as being able to connect with like-minded educators in Africa. Being a Microsoft Expert Educator will help me to increase learning outcomes for my students, my fellow educators, as well as drive technology in education on a global stage," David Muya, Kenya.
"I can assure you that I shall do what it takes to ensure this opportunity is transformed to the classroom for improved performance, and improved learning for the entire community," Hannington Ochieng, Kenya
"I hope to achieve with my students a fully developed art exhibition of works created and performed with technology," Papa Mamadou, Senegaldele Odeogbola, Nigeria
"I hope to make a difference in education in Nigeria. There is not a lot of budget for education in the country, but I believe that access to technology can level the playing field for children from all backgrounds," Ayodele Odeogbola, Nigeria
By Patrick Onwumere, Director of Youth Enablement, Microsoft 4Afrika
When we think about technology in education, we don't just think about putting devices into the hands of teachers and students. We think beyond it. We think about education, training and infrastructure – vital investments needed to support the effective integration of ICT into the classroom. We want to deliver experiences that students and educators love. And so hardware isn't the main priority. A relevant, valuable and practical education is.
With that in mind, today Microsoft, Intel and the Kenya Private Schools Association have all joined forces to launch the 4Afrika Youth Device Pilot Program in Kenya. We've set out to create a bundle offering, to provide affordable devices, educational applications, online services, affordable data plans and smart financing to Kenyan learning institutions. This forms part of our Microsoft 4Afrika Youth Initiative, which was unveiled last year to provide scholarships, fellowships and internship opportunities to thousands of African youth.
Here's how the Program works.
Affordable devices The 4Afrika Youth Device Program will be providing a range of affordable devices to learning institutions. These devices include smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs and the Intel Classmate. Intel Corporation East Africa, together with Mitsumi Computer Garage, have played a huge role in designing customised, rugged devices for this Program. The devices are water-resistant, dust-resistant and built to fit a classroom setting, and are also optimised for the provision of digital textbooks with Skype installed, to enable students and teachers to collaborate between classrooms and from home. "The devices all come with Intel® Education Software, a suite of eLearning tools including the newly launched Intel Explore and Learn, designed to promote deeper engagement with content, plus apps that enable science exploration, data analysis and promote creativity," says Alex Twinomugisha, Business Development Manager for Intel Corporation East Africa.
Educational applications Each device in this Program will come pre-loaded with the latest versions of Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1 and the cloud-based Office 365 suite, which includes Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In addition to this, each device will have a range of educational applications, games and digital books installed, including:
Training In addition to affordable devices, Microsoft and Intel will be training educators on how best to integrate technology into their classrooms. This will be done through the Intel Teach program – a series of courses designed to help educators teach critical digital skills – and Microsoft's Teach with Technology course, which leads to the Microsoft Certified Educator Accreditation.
Infrastructure Bandwidth is a top ICT priority, and so each user in our Program will be provided with affordable and tailored data packages from Safaricom. These include 5GB and 10GB bundles for PCs and laptops, to ensure teachers and students stay connected.
With regards to financing for Kenyan institutions, bank loans and contributions will be made available from Equity Bank and M-Changa, a mobile money-based way to contribute towards the purchase of devices.
We're so excited to be launching this 4Afrika Youth Device Program, and to be supporting efforts in e-Learning. Based on the success of this pilot in Kenya, we hope to soon extend the Program to South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. There are 209 million students and 6.7 million educators across Africa. Our goal is to offer affordable devices, educational applications and online services to as many as possible, through strategic cost ownership, education partner ecosystem and training support.
For more information on the Microsoft 4Afrika Youth Program, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/africa/youth4afrika/
Posted by Editor
Dele has recently taken up the position of Server and Tools Business Group Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, he was the Developer Platform Evangelism Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa. Here, he shares his thoughts on life, Africa and why he loves his job.
How long have you been at Microsoft?
I've been at Microsoft for 13 years! This is my seventh role at the company. My previous roles have spanned across our Services Group, Enterprise Group and Business Group.
Firstly, can you tell us what the Servers and Tools Business Group actually is – what does it mean and why is it relevant IN Africa?
The Microsoft Server and Tools Group develops, markets and supports software and services designed to help companies be more productive at every level – from the individual, to the team, to the whole organisation. The products that fall under this umbrella include technologies such as Windows Server, Windows Azure, SQL Server, System Center our Develop Tools (Visual Studio) and Windows Intune. While each of these products plays different roles for the customers, the commonalities between the products ensure that customers have a consistent experience when using the products with the end result being an increase in resource efficiency. With more African companies wanting to increase their competitiveness and more companies investing in Africa than ever before, being effective and streamlined remains a top priority for business stakeholders. For African SMEs and businesses that can't afford to implement IT infrastructure, moving to the cloud is especially advantageous.
What are your goals as Lead of Server & Tools?
My goal is to provide economical solutions to our customers to encourage adoption of our products, and to bring the cloud to businesses across sub-Saharan Africa.
What was your highlight of serving as the Developer Platforms Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and Indian Ocean islands? How long did you serve in this role?
I was in the role for two and a
half years. It's hard to single out one highlight as there have been so many. The biggest ones have definitely been providing students, startups and developers with the opportunities to access a global market, and seeing the impact that we have on the continent, especially in academia. Travelling to so many different African countries and getting the chance to interact with some of the brightest developers in Africa is also definitely something I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do! Also the partnership with the 4Afrika initiative has made our impact stick and be long term as we are seen larger as a strategic advisor on this topic.
Do you still do any work in the development field?
Yes, I do. In my current role, I still do some things that I did in my previous role as Developer and Platform Evangelist. Only now I tend to work more directly with enterprises and businesses when it comes to using apps and leveraging the cloud, rather than directly to developers as I did in the past. I also will have more interactions with IT Professionals as in our market they sometimes wear the developer hat as well plus advocacy for the cloud via our Windows Azure platform.
What does your new role entail?
As the Server and Tools Business Group Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, I'm responsible for the marketing, sales, and deployment strategy of our products, for enterprise, and small and medium customers. I'm really excited to work with our SME customers because they are the future of the continent's economic growth and development. They account for 50% of employment in Africa and add 20% to its collective GDP. These companies face a unique set of challenges and part of my role will be to help them find the best solutions possible.
What did you study, and why?
My first interest was to study Medicine but I ended up changing my major and studied Computer Science. I was always interested in the sciences – both natural science and physical science. I loved gadgets and tools and had a passion for software. So it seemed like the best fit for me!
What's the first piece of technology you ever owned?
A TV video game console.
What are your hobbies?
I love to travel, I love sports of all kinds, and I love to sing. My main sports are Golf, Basketball, American Football and Soccer. Passionate about the Washington Wizards, Redskins and Arsenal J
What is your life philosophy?
One of the things I've always believed is that nobody is going to hand you anything in life. You have to go and grab it! I believe in being fiercely independent, believing in yourself and going out and getting what you need to be happy/successful.
Why do you love Africa?
I was born in the US and spent most of my life in the US. Both my parents are from Nigeria and I always felt close to the country through my heritage. I've always been fascinated by the vast opportunities in Africa. My relocation to Nigeria is my way of 'giving back' to the country and the continent that I'm so proud of. That's why I really enjoy the travelling aspect of my job, as I get to experience the diversity that makes up Africa, and I have the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with people from many different countries.
By Mteto Nyati, Managing Director of Microsoft South Africa and Vice Chair of 4Afrika Advisory Council
Did you know that in Mo Ibrahim's foundation's 2012 report, African Youths: Fulfilling the Potential, it was indicated that in less than three generations, 41% of the world's youth will be African? An exciting yet daunting challenge!
When I was appointed as the Vice Chair of the 4Afrika Advisory Council in October last year, I immediately knew I wanted to bring strong and influential youth voices on board. The Advisory Council is tasked with aligning our 4Afrika Initiative to broader African development goals. One of Africa and 4Afrika's goals is to empower and enable African youth so that, in three generation's time, the continent will be a strong economic competitor on the global stage. The best way for us to sincerely meet this goal is hear and learn from the youth themselves.
And so today, I'm proud to announce four highly influential and innovative young leaders who have been added to the Council. These leaders are going to make the critical young voices of Africa heard, and they are going to help us solve the issues most relevant to young people in Africa. I'm humbled to be working with them. I'm inspired by their stories. And I'm excited about the futures they are going to create.
Akaliza Keza Gara - Rwanda
I'm really looking forward to joining the 4Afrika Advisory Council. I hope to help the 4Afrika Initiative better understand my country. I hope to share the needs that exist here, as well as the opportunities to use technology to impact people's lives.
After noticing that women in Rwanda weren't encouraged to study ICT, Akaliza set out to make a difference. She studied Multimedia Technology & Design in university and soon after formed her own company, Shaking Sun, which specialises in graphic design, animation and website development. She now uses her expertise to mentor at kLab and Girls in ICT Rwanda, where she encourages women to pursue careers in ICT and shares key insights on being a tech entrepreneur in Africa.
"When it comes to youth issues in Africa, female empowerment, access to quality education, unemployment and the stereotypes about African youth are most important to me. I find that most of the schools do not teach skills that are valuable in the market. I hope to encourage young people, who have Internet access, to take advantage of the many free online courses and keep up-to-date with industry trends and developments."
I am also a huge promoter of entrepreneurship. There are simply not enough jobs to employ all of us, so it's important that we create our own. It's also so important for us to tell our stories. I'm an avid blogger and I would encourage all African youth to start blogging and in that way open the world, and ourselves, to the diversity of our continent."
Tayeb Sbihi – Morocco
I'm very excited to be joining the council as a youth leader. As a telecommunications professional, I hope to bring affordable broadband access to the youth in Africa. I believe that Internet access will enhance the development of Africa and improve its competitiveness.
Tayeb has a B.S.c, M.Sc and MBA degree all to his name, and is also the founder of B2N Consulting. His company provides the testing, evaluation and optimisation of telecom infrastructure, which means Tayeb is very passionate about bringing universal and quality internet access to Africa.
"Connectivity is one of the solutions and tools that can help us solve prominent issues in Africa. We can reduce illiteracy through e-Learning programmes. We can give the youth a means to speak and share their issues. We can enhance creativity. And we can provide a platform for young Africans to broadcast local solutions and innovations. All of this will make our competitiveness as a continent much higher."
Olivia Mukham - Cameroon
As a youth council member, I hope to bring light to Africa's youth aspirations, ambitions and current actions. I also hope to bring my various networks within Cameroon and from more than 20 countries in Africa to the 4Afrika Initiative and action plan.
A self-described 'Solutionneur', Olivia has always been passionate about searching for solutions and solving local problems within her community. When she was just a first-year student, she initiated her own water addition project, which solved water-borne diseases such as cholera. The project now provides clean water access to over 5 000 villagers. Olivia also formed Harambe Cameroon, an NGO with the goal of encouraging youths to transform their challenges into opportunities. On top of this, she co-founded Solutionneurs SARL, a company which uses the talented youth of Harambe Cameroon to provide locally-relevant micro-services.
"I look forward to encouraging more and more African youths to be solutions-driven. I think it's very ironic that we have many mundane and resolvable problems that hamper our standard of living on a daily basis. I hope to encourage the youth of Africa to take action and solve problems in their communities. The zeal of many youths today is impressive, and I know they're ready to take these challenges on."
Chude Jideonwo – Nigeria
I'm most looking forward to being part of a committed group of African leaders, who are working hard to open up access to opportunities and be part of the transformation story for the continent and its people. 4Afrika has a huge potential to make a lasting impact, and it's exciting to be part of that process.
Chude is many great things: A lawyer, award-winning journalist, media entrepreneur and youth development expert. He is also the co-founder and managing partner of RED, and the founder of Enough is Enough Nigeria. As one of Forbes' 30 Best Young African Entrepreneurs, Chude knows all about jobs and opportunities – and is passionate about creating these for the youth of Africa.
"The challenges young people face continue to evolve. As a youth council member, I hope to achieve more access, more open doors and more opportunities. I'm always asking myself: How can we engage young Africans through and for enterprise, connecting them with opportunities that ensure they create value for themselves and their countries? I am obsessed with how we can use the media to drive this African imperative. So media, youth and opportunities – that's the intersection I hope to make a difference in."
The four new youth council members are currently in Abidjan, where they are meeting in-person with the 4Afrika team for their mid-year meeting. For updates on this inspirational group, follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.
By Leila Charfi, Director, Innovation Partnerships, Microsoft 4Afrika
Just over a year ago we launched Microsoft 4Afrika, an Initiative designed to accelerate Africa's economic competitiveness by investing in Africa's youth and small and medium businesses in three areas - skills, innovation, and access to affordable smart devices. From the start, we recognized that partnerships with likeminded organizations were critical to the success of this initiative. One of our first such partnerships is a strategic cooperation agreement with the iHub in Nairobi and m:lab East Africa, which in the past year has together provided technical training to 520 startups, SMEs, entrepreneurs, & developers – helping them become fully fledged businesses. Over the past year we have entered into similar agreements with CcHUB in Nigeria, DTBi in Tanzania and AfriLabs, the pan-African hub network.
If you've been a closer follower of the African innovation landscape, you will realize there has been a shift in recent years from investors seeking innovative solutions from established independent software vendors toward investing more aggressively in developers and start-ups. Why? They are innately innovative, nimble, have potential for tremendous growth, and are using one-of-a-kind solutions to address local problems.
So if you're an innovative startup or a developer with big ideas, here are my top reasons for signing up with an innovation Hub– also, check out the video here for more!
1. Networking
We all know the saying, 'It's not what you know, but who you know', often quoted to illustrate the importance of networking. There is great truth in this, especially when it comes to the exciting and dynamic technology industry. And there is no better place to do this than at the vibrant iHub in Nairobi. According to its founder, Erik Hersman, "The iHub's mission is to catalyze and grow the Kenyan tech community. We do this by connecting people, supporting startups and surfacing valuable information to the community, whether they're engineers, web designers, investors, government or academia. At our core, we believe that just by putting smart people in a room, good things happen. This has been proved true over and over again for four years now, it is a place where companies spring up, products are funded, people get connected and where innovation thrives. The iHub was born of an idea by the community, and it should be no surprise that it grows due to that same community's drive and ambition."
2. Support and resources
Innovation hubs provide direct access to companies like Microsoft, meaning that developers get access not only to a range of tools to help them develop their products, but one-on-one time with experts that provide invaluable feedback and strategic guidance. For example, Microsoft Developer Evangelist and , John Kimani @kimanigakingo on Twitter is at the iHub every Wednesday to provide technical support to developers and answer their questions. And the best thing about people like John is that they are not just there to do their 'job' – they're genuinely passionate about helping people and seeing ideas turned into reality.
One great example of how this kind of support can help developers, comes from Catherine Kiguru, Chief Innovator of Ukall Limited. Catherine is a successful developer who launched her own startup focused on providing mobile HR solutions that address the challenges that business face who employ large and diverse workforces in multiple and often remote sites. She says the collaborative environment and the support she received from Microsoft, ranging from mentorship to resources and testing, have been instrumental to her success. "(The support from Microsoft) has been very instrumental, both in mentorship and in providing us with the right working environment… and in providing us with the resources we actually needed to develop the product and get it out."
3. Motivation and inspiration
Coding way into the night at your desk all alone in the dark isn't very glamorous or motivating. Far more appealing is sitting in a trendy, light and colourful space surrounded by like-minded people and everything you could possibly need to be successful. From its bustling coffee shop to foosball table, bean bags, and outside canteen area, the iHub also enables people to maintain some form of social life while they make their development dreams come true. And, there's a strong chance that by socializing with some of the greatest tech brains around, they'll walk away with enough inspiration to burn the midnight oil back at home – even if it is at a drab desk, in the dark!
We fiercely believe in the potential of African innovations, and the developers, entrepreneurs, and youth that are driving them, which is why we've chosen to support startups by working with innovation hubs. In addition, we believe that open spaces for innovation and collaboration can help nurture this potential, which is tightly aligned with 4Afrika's goal of helping accelerate Africa's economic development and improve its global competitiveness.
So, if you are in Kenya and these reasons sound like good ones to you – or if you need more convincing – I urge you to get down to the iHub and see what the space has to offer (you can also follow iHub on Twitter here). And if you aren't in Kenya, find out more about an innovation hub in your country at the following links:
CCHub (Nigeria)
DTBi (Tanzania)
Afrilabs (pan-African network with affiliates in Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia)
By Amrote Abdella, Director – Startup Engagement & Partnerships: Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative
Whenever we come across an entrepreneur looking to start a business in Africa, our first piece of advice is this: Develop solutions relevant to Africa. At Microsoft, we're always working to identify and engage with promising startups – startups who not only have burning ideas, but who have gone beyond these ideas and developed innovative solutions right here in Africa.
As you may have heard, last week, as part of our 4Afrika Initiative, we announced the awarding of innovation grants for five local startups who are doing exactly this. Through our partnerships with 88mph, HiveColab, CC'Hub and other developer communities, we discovered Africa 118, Kytabu, access.mobile, Gamsole and Save & Buy – startup companies who are already making waves across Africa. While we are always on the look-out to support ground-breaking innovation, and drive the long-term competitiveness of Africa's economy, even we are humbled at how truly brilliant this innovation can be. Here are their stories.
Africa 118 - Kenya
Ezana Raswork's father had some new puppies that he wanted to get immunised. But he couldn't find contact information for a local vet who did house calls. That's when Ezana, who was working at the Yellow Pages in Canada, decided to work on a business idea that would make it simple for mobile consumers to find services in Africa.
"I found that 85% of Kenyans experienced frustration trying to find local information at least once a week," says Ezana. "This problem seemed so solve-able to me, so we developed Africa 118. Here, we work to build the best, most up-to-date and accurate database, where users can get real-time access to the services they need."
To use Africa 118, users call an agent at one of the relevant mobile partners, who then sends an SMS back to the caller with the contact information they're looking for. And a search like this only costs 20 Kenyan shillings.
"We've become experts in identifying the best services, getting the right information first time and ensuring there are no duplications. Websites often have inaccurate information, so it's our job to step in and contact local businesses, to make sure we provide the most up-to-date information. And we're proud to say we have an eight to nine out of 10 satisfaction rate. Our users come back and have been known to use the service up to 10 times a month."
Going forward, Africa 118 hopes to make their services available across a wider variety of platforms. "We're excited about our future with Microsoft, who are helping us develop an online platform and app for our service. Our vision is to give users access to an accurate database through whichever platform they prefer – be it through an SMS or an app."
Kytabu - Kenya
Tonee Ndungu's father has always been invested in African education. In 2007, he started a nursery school for his local community, providing classrooms, meals, teachers and uniforms – all at his own investment. But he hit a snag when it came to the unbelievably high cost of school textbooks. So one day in 2012, over a cup of tea with his son, Kytabu was born.
"Kytabu is a textbook encryption and subscription system," explains Tonee. "Users can rent an entire textbook, or selections of the book, for any period of time – from an hour to a year – using a mobile money platform."
To use Kytabu, a user purchases the service and receives a memory card preloaded with every book in the Kenyan education curriculum. They also receive a SIM card that allows the app to be updated over cellular data. The whole application runs on a Windows tablet, or off a dongle for Windows 8 desktops, where users can enjoy textbooks, audio books, learning games, virtual classrooms, past tests and exams, as well as an app store.
"The cost of each textbook is subsidised by as much as 20% once it is digitised. The renting concept allows you to rent a page for as little as six Kenyan cents per day. This solves the access, affordability and cost challenge – translating into a 60% overall saving."
Kytabu's goal is for the developing world to have universal access to relevant learning material. "There are three main challenges to this" explains Tonee. "Infrastructure, cost implications and textbook lifecycles. Through a micro SD for storage, a dongle or tablet as a function device, a SIM card as a communication portal, and the leasing of content on micropayments, we hope to accelerate this change in the next decade."
access.mobile - Uganda
Kaakpema 'KP' Yelpaala had been living in East Africa for five years, when he became aware of the growth of mobile and the opportunities it offered. He also saw a thriving and growing SME sector – but not too many businesses focused on them. So, he put this opportunity and this challenge together and created access.mobile.
"access.mobile provides high-quality and customised mobile technology solutions to a wide range of enterprises," explains KP. "We're helping enterprises – large and small and across various sectors – to adopt and integrate technology by digitising their operations. Our technology drives efficiency, provides key business insights and helps enterprises to be more profitable. We're not just building tech. We're providing relevant solutions that address wants and needs – and ultimately create value."
What's interesting is that access.mobile has a different story to most tech startups. It wasn't born out of a business plan. It was born, in part, out of an encounter with a coffee exporter in rural Rwanda.
"I was chatting to a coffee exporter and I saw his process of working with farmers was all paper- and cash- based. I kept wondering how I could digitise his process. So we built him a mobile app that tracked his transactions and gave him insights into his flow and inventory. And access.mobile just grew from there. Today we carry a 90% customer satisfaction rate, and this is from people who had previously just been using Microsoft Excel, at best."
At the heart of this business is an interest in SMEs and technology access, which has led to a great synergy with Microsoft. "There are mutual interests and priorities between 4Afrika and access.mobile. Microsoft has been helping us to build on our small successes in East Africa and to think about scaling across Africa. They're giving us access to key people who are helping us pursue a broader African vision."
Gamsole - Nigeria
Abiola Olaniran was a computer science and mathematics student, with a passion for the mobile space in Africa. After noticing that most people use their devices for gaming, he started Gamsole – a mobile game production company. 11 weeks into its launch, Gamsole had over 1 000 000 game downloads. Fast forward five years and Abiola is Nigeria's highest paid Windows Game developer.
"Human desire for entertainment is undying, and that's what we hope to satisfy at Gamsole," says Gamsole CEO Abiola. "On an everyday basis, millions of people are experiencing little boring moments: the long queue at the supermarket, the traffic, a 13-hour flight. Apart from providing the entertainment factor for scenarios like this, mobile gaming also serves as a great tool for education."
The secret behind Gamsole's success is simple: They listen to their audience. "Apart from the fact that we make quality casual games, we listen to our users' demand. For instance, every now and then we get requests from our Facebook fans for games they would like us to create. Some of these people were on iOs or Android phones before switching to a Windows Phone, and they're now looking for similar gameplay on their new device".
Although he peaked early, Abiola only has plans to sustain his momentum. "Gamsole is operating on the fastest growing mobile platform in the world. And we hope to move along with this growth."
Save & Buy - Nigeria
It was during a work day when Hugo Obi was speaking to his colleagues at a gaming company in Nigeria. They all had things they wanted to buy, yet simply couldn't afford – mostly due to a lack of access to funds. So imagine a company that helped you save towards them?
"Save & Buy is all about helping you create a savings plans for specific products you want to buy online," explains Toni Osibodu, Hugo's co-founder and business partner. "So while you're shopping online, you click the Save & Buy button and start a savings plan. You select your duration, put down a small deposit and receive reminders of when to deposit money into your Save & Buy account. Once you've paid the full amount, the retailer sends your product to you".
Save & Buy was only founded in July 2013, but under their CEO Hugo have already made huge progress. "We're now looking at implementing new features, such as saving towards virtual products like birthdays or holidays. Part of this will include a group save feature, so that friends and family can work towards a common goal. Microsoft is helping us here by giving us access to world-class servers, so that we'll have a stable and reliable platform for the increased traffic."
Save & Buy are in a good place and their growth is definitely worth keeping an eye on. "Things are moving quickly for us. We were fortunate to have made the right connections fast. We've got big expansion plans and ambitions, and hope to be in at least three African countries in the next three years."
It's clear that the future is nothing but bright for these five African startups. We at Microsoft are proud and privileged to be a part of their journey. The 4Afrika innovation grant programme will be providing each startup with financial backing, technical support and mentorship. We look forward to seeing them inspiring and influencing future developers and entrepreneurs in Africa, so that together, we can make Africa the global competitor it is destined to be.