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A continent, not a crisis Cyrus
Farivar Freelance Technology Journalist http//cyr
usfarivar.com
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Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States
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I. Premise Africa is a monolith
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I. Reality Not so much.
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I. Reality Not so much.

• Nearly one billion people
• Hundreds of languages
• Largely Christian and Muslim
• Continental average 952 GDP per capita (World
  Bank, 2005)
• Economic diversity
• Ex Senegal has 1,700 GDP per capita, but the
  iPhone and DSL is available.

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II. Premise Africans need the Internet to help
themselves develop
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II. Reality Yes, but
Source http//www.flickr.com/photos/fienna/145278
4458/
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II. Reality Yes, but

• Literacy rates are low
• --gt Cant use Internet without being literate
• Few sustained models
• Shared-use by necessity
• --gt Kids pooling money at cybercafés

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III. Premise Hardware is too expensive.
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II. Solution Digital Solidarity Fund (2002 -
Present)
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II. Solution Digital Solidarity Fund (2002 -
Present)

• Initiated by President A. Wade (Senegal)
• Voluntary contribution at point-of-sale
• Various cities, countries donate
• NGO set up in Geneva (Huh?)
• Millions of Euros, Swiss Francs wasted
• January 2009 Reboot meeting in Bamako
• Reality Unsustainable. Relies entirely on
  donations.

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IV. Premise Laptops are too expensive.
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III. Solution One Laptop Per Child(2005 -
Present)
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III. Solution One Laptop Per Child(2005 -
Present)

• 100 laptop? More like 188, four years later.
• Relied on millions of orders, never materialized.
• How can countries afford such a large expense?
• 188 per child is cost of only hardware.
• Reality Relies entirely on Give One, Get One.
  Not sustainable.

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V. Premise Laptops are too expensive. What about
desktops?
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IV. Solution Inveneo(2005 - Present)
Source Inveneo
GS Muhura School Solar-Powered Computer Center,
Rwanda
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IV. Solution Inveneo(2005 - Present)

• Started with Internet phone, solar panels
• Shared-use model. Not as ambitious.
• Ndank ndank moy jàpp golo ci ñaay.
• (Little by little does one catch the monkey in
  the jungle. -- Wolof proverb)
• Provide training in-country.
• Partnering with local entrepreneurs
• Create franchise model, profit motive
• Reality Promising.

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VI. Desktops still too expensive. What about
mobile phones?
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IV. Solution M-Pesa, Txteagle, etc.(2007 -
Present)
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IV. Solution M-Pesa, Txteagle, etc.(2007 -
Present)

• Mobile phone networks are more ubiquitous, much
  cheaper
• Many Africans are growing up with mobile phones
  before desktop
• New uses for mobile tech
• New Africa mobile research centers
• Nokia offsetting N. America/EU losses with Africa
  gains, etc.
• Reality Mobile web not there yet.

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VII. Premise A continent, not a crisis
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VII. Solution Entrepreneurs(Present - Future)
To actually accomplish the goal of Live 8 - the
elimination of poverty in Africa - Americans and
Europeans have to get a great deal smarter about
this other Africa. This Africa needs investment
and trade, rather than just aid and debt
forgiveness. This Africa is open for business.
This Africa is as important and as real as the
Africa that needs help. - Ethan Zuckerman, July
2 2005
http//www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/07/02/afri
cas-a-continent-not-a-crisis/
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VII. Solution Entrepreneurs(Present - Future)

• Africa may not be an engineering problem.
• Focus on hard/software is good.
• Low-cost, relevant, sustainable is better.
• Dont just build.
• Observe. Consult. Extrapolate. Innovate.
• Reality Africa as business opportunity.

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Thank you. Cyrus Farivar cfarivar_at_cfarivar.org htt
p//cyrusfarivar.com