Futures of Technology in Africa

Inkijktekst Futures of Technology in Africa

Futures of Technology in Africa

The face of Africa is being changed fundamentally by both current and future trends in many areas. Economically, most African countries have outgrown the world economy for the last decade. Politically, the number of conflicts is decreasing and the region is becoming more stable. Culturally, the continent is discovering its own capacities and diversity in a globalizing world. And technologically, Africa has surprised even the most optimistic experts with how it has embraced the potential of the mobile phone. The more than 450 million units in use today are only a prelude to a fundamental ICT revolution in Africa.

Futures of Technology in Africa is based on a foresight project initiated by the STT Netherlands Study Centre for Technology Trends. The project and this book explore the promise of technology as a driver of positive change in this diverse continent. Mobile health applications will save lives, long-distance education will increase skills levels, information technology will make local markets more efficient with benefits for both buyers and sellers, and the accountability of governments will increase with greater access to information. However, the same technology can also be destructive and a cause of significant problems. Either way, technology will affect almost every aspect of life in Africa, including basic needs, agriculture, health, education, culture, business and governance. It is these manifold interrelations of technology with its environment that makes exploring its future so interesting and valuable.

What will the future bring? To answer this question, we have travelled to Africa s technology hotspots, such as Nairobi, Johannesburg and Lagos, interviewed technology pioneers, journalists, entrepreneurs, academics and government representatives, held workshops on the future of selected industries and regions, screened publications ranging from weblogs to scientific journals, and built an extensive network of partners.

Futures of Technology in Africa reveals insights into the next two decades of ICT, energy and infrastructure and how developments in these sectors are going to affect everything else. It contains scenarios providing a fascinating glimpse of how the opportunities and risks might play out. You will find advice on how businesses can take part in the opportunities as well as lessons that the West can learn from Africa. As a bonus, the book also contains one of the very few African science fiction stories, specially written for this publication. Whatever your interest in Africa, this book is sure to surprise you.