( CNN ) -- In my line of work I get to meet a lot of talented developers , entrepreneurs and people who are just plain passionate about technology and Africa . These people tell me their story , pitch me their start-ups and sometimes show me how they intend to change the world . I like it ; it makes me feel like I am part of something amazing . Recently I was given the opportunity to mentor a few start-ups , and as interesting and as innovative as their ideas are , I am yet to meet a start-up in Africa that wants to build hardware that they hope will change the world . The general consensus with most of the start-ups that I have met is that they want to provide a service with the lowest barrier to entry so as to minimize costs . That makes sense . Companies that are daring to build hardware are outsourcing to China , sure it 's cheaper to make things there but surely this hurts the continent 's economic growth in the end , but I digress . There are African start-ups/companies that are building hardware but they seem to be getting the market 's attention as easily as the established devices , which are understandable , I suppose . Why are tablets built by African start-ups ( which there are ) not getting enough traction in the market ? Is it because they just do n't stand up to the competition ? There are quite a few cool projects that tackle hardware that get an initial burst when they launch , but their products do n't seem to stay in the minds of everyday people for long , you know the consumers . Enter the Inye tablet , built by Nigerian hardware pioneer Saheed Adepoju , the man that founded Encipher Limited , which launched Nigeria 's first Android-based tablet device . So there are gadget makers in Africa . Adepoju 's tablet costs between $ 250 and $ 300 but according to his site he is out of stock , which could be a sign of great success or lack of funds . It 's more the latter as Adepoju is looking for investors and , according to an interview with VC4Africa , he feels that African investors do n't want to invest . `` Talking about venture capitalists in Africa , I am yet to see one that will invest ... when I mean invest , I do n't mean give seed funding of $ 50 000 . I mean actually give $ 2 million to a business that is already gaining traction . So I believe they are very risk averse in investing in a market where they are not sure of a return on investment , '' said Adepoju . So is Africa facing an investor problem rather than a product problem ? See also : Africa grows , but youth get left behind . It seems the consensus around this is that building physical products tends to be more expensive , and there is the problem of trying to compete with China . In the world of cheap and affordable tablets it seems the East is winning . All it takes is Apple or Samsung to announce a new product for a cheaper version of it to show up in the streets of China . Then there is the Way-C , a tablet designed by young entrepreneur Verone Mankou in the Republic of the Congo . The device , though designed in the Congo , was assembled in China like all major manufactures seem to do . Interestingly this Android-based device is targeted at West African countries and some countries in Europe . It also seems to have the support of MTN in Congo . See also : Bringing the Dreamliner to Africa . Perhaps this is the solution : partnering with mobile operators to launch affordable smart devices make in Africa aimed at the African market . Erik Hersman , a technology blogger , argues that the environment in Africa has `` bred a generation of problem-solvers '' . `` Concurrently , we 're a net importer of fabricated products from around the world . We might make some of our own software now , but we do little to nothing with hardware . How can we be the masters of our own future if we do n't do any meaningful levels of fabrication ? '' he adds . There are some really fascinating projects that look at fabrication and building hardware , such as the Maker Faire Africa project . A project that recognizes the need for Africa to take charge of its hardware future and encourages tinkering . The fair is organized around African innovation and gets people together to build gadgets in a tech DIY environment . So who else is building gadgets in Africa and why do n't we know about them ? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michelle Atagana .
Most African start-ups provide services rather than hardware to minimize costs . Companies building hardware seem to struggle for investors . Comment: