Our stand on targeted police brutality against tech communities
A speech delivered by Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director, AfriLabs at the 2020 AfriLabs Annual Gathering. Good morning to everyone here today. To our innovation hub members logged in from all over Africa and our diaspora members from all over the world, we are really excited and grateful to have you with us today. We are one large family and we have supported each other through the years in the work we do building an innovation-driven economy in Africa and particularly this really tough year with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Thank you! Good morning to all our partners, funders, friends and larger community of innovators, entrepreneurs and startups from across over 47 African countries and beyond. We welcome you today. Before we move on the main programme for today and hand over to our Board Chair to give the Official Opening Address, I would like to draw your attention to the ongoing situation in Nigeria. We young people in Nigeria and all over the world are calling for the end of the Nigerian Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a corrupt unit of the Nigerian police. Over the weekend, unfortunately, our peaceful protests have been met with violent responses from the police, which has led to the deaths of 9 protesters including a 10-year-old boy, with many more arrested or missing. Why is this important to talk about on this platform? Because young people, including those within the Nigerian tech and creative communities, might be facing harassment by a police officer (or more) and tend to be targeted for moving about with laptops, smartphones, looking casually dressed, or even successful. They have been searched, robbed, brutalized, gone missing, and killed for no reason!! At AfriLabs, our vision is an innovation-driven economy in Africa, driven by the power of our Community. As such, we cannot be silent when our community members are being killed by police brutality in Nigeria or any other African country. I call on everyone who cares about the growth, safety and lives of our young people in Africa to speak up on these heinous crimes against our people and make a call that – and I quote – hashtag #SARSMustEnd! Thank you! Now I will hand over to Rebecca Enonchong, Board Chair of AfriLabs for her Official Opening Remark. From the time of the speech was made to the time of the publication at 12 October 2020, another death allegedly by the police has been recorded at the protests. Read all you need to know about police brutality and the Nigerian Tech Ecosystem here.
AfriLabs and Mozilla Sign Partnership
To explore new technology ideas that will solve real-life issues. To further inform and develop sustainable solutions for the African region, AfriLabs, a pan-African network of 225 technology innovation hubs across 47 African countries, announced that it has partnered with Mozilla to convene roundtable discussions with African startups, entrepreneurs, developers and innovators. These roundtable discussions will focus on understanding the local needs, expertise and capabilities of African countries and explore under-served issues and areas that could spur the next generation of innovation in the region. “The right intervention is very important and for the design to fit, conversations are necessary. We are excited to listen and engage with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa with Mozilla and we are hopeful that this partnership will open the right dialogues for better-fit innovations on the continent,” said Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director of AfriLabs. Mozilla and AfriLabs will be launching exploratory research in the form of round table discussions to better understand the ecosystem, explore and identify new product ideas that solve real-life issues The discussions will be hosted as part of Mozilla’s efforts to reinvest within the African tech ecosystem and support local innovators with scalable ideas that have the potential to impact across the continent. “Mozilla is pleased to be partnering with AfriLabs to learn more about the intersection of African product needs and capacity gaps and to co-create value with local entrepreneurs,” said Alice Munyua, Director of Africa Innovation Program. AfriLabs partnership with Mozilla is a boost to a series of initiatives to support the African innovation economy during the pandemic. AfriLabs is awarding grants to host virtual meetups on COVID-19 in partnership with AFD’s sponsored capacity-building programme. AfriLabs is also a partner on DFID’s COVIDaction support programme for local production in Africa, and VC4A’s venture showcase to fund early-stage startups with seed funding up to $1M. AfriLabs partnership with Mozilla brings together two organisations committed to supporting communities of technologists by putting people first. The partnership will help develop more relevant, sustainable support for African innovators to build scalable resilient products, leveraging honest and candid discussions to identify areas of common interest. AfriLabs was founded in 2011 to build a community around rapidly emerging tech hubs and innovation spaces that serve as meeting points and communities for developers, entrepreneurs, and investors. Our aim is to empower these hubs by building their capacity to support startups and businesses and build a thriving, innovative economy in Africa. Visit www.afrilabs.com for more information. Every year, AfriLabs hosts an Annual Gathering of ecosystem stakeholders to plot the way forward for the continent’s entrepreneurial growth. This year’s edition is going virtual and will hold conversations on how Africa’s Tech community can build resilient innovative systems. Learn more and be a part of this year’s Gathering here. About Mozilla Mozilla is the not-for-profit behind the popular web browser, Firefox. We believe the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all. We work to ensure it stays open by building products, services and programs that put people in control of their online lives and contribute to a healthier Internet. Firefox protects people’s privacy and empowers users to make smart choices in their online life. Visit www.mozilla.org for more information. To download Firefox for yourself visit www.firefox.com.
AfriLabs and Djembe Consultants Unveil Report on Building a Resilient Innovative Africa
AfriLabs, the largest pan-African network of technology and innovation centres in partnership with Djembe Consultants, the award-winning Africa-focused communications consultancy, launched an Insights Report during the 2020 AfriLabs Annual Gathering. The report assesses the impact of COVID-19 on the continent’s young innovators and entrepreneurs and provides perspectives from industry experts as to how African decisionmakers from both the public and private sectors can accelerate support across the full innovation spectrum including education, inclusivity, investment, policy and research and development. The continent’s survival DNA, always durable to internal and external shocks of all shapes and forms, proves a resilience in its youthful demographic, one that is constantly creating, innovating, and looking ahead. Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director, AfriLabs Themed ‘Building a Resilient Innovative Africa’, the report is a result of a survey of over 1,000 pan-African innovators, entrepreneurs, and start-ups from both Djembe’s and AfriLabs’ vast innovation and entrepreneurship networks. Framed within the context of key milestones for the continent, including the impending African Free Trade Continental Area (AfCFTA), UN SDGs, and the African Union Agenda 2063, the report also brings together the expert perspectives of individuals from some of the continent’s leading development and private sector organizations including the African Union, African Development Bank, Afreximbank, Honoris United Universities, Mastercard Foundation, Mozilla, SMART Africa, and UN Women amongst others. It features unique insights from regional innovations hubs as well as celebrates inspiring African homegrown innovation success stories. Djembe Consultants’ Chief Executive Officer, Mitchell Prather, commented, “Djembe’s latest Insights Report reaffirms our strongly held belief that the African innovation ecosystem is singularly the most important enabler of widespread socio-economic development. Despite the innate resilience African innovators and SMEs have shown during this challenging year, this ecosystem urgently needs further intervention of policymakers and industry supporters to create a more conducive environment for innovators and SMEs to survive and thrive. While the uncertainties of COVID-19 continue to threaten economic stability and growth, future economic prosperity can be greatly enhanced by nurturing the African innovation spirit to prepare the continent for incredible success, just when it needs it most.” Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director at AfriLabs and contributor to the report, added, “The continent’s survival DNA, always durable to internal and external shocks of all shapes and forms, proves a resilience in its youthful demographic, one that is constantly creating, innovating, and looking ahead. Though we are have observed policymakers and governments step up to varying degrees, more needs to be done to drive greater innovation inclusivity from securing access to data, to reimagining education, investing in R&D and supporting international expansion. By building a more resilient innovative Africa, the region can truly embrace its full potential.” Scaling Homegrown Innovations Beyond Borders Majority of the entrepreneurs (90%) are likely to need to or be able to scale their business in the wake of COVID-19 74% say they are currently exploring the possibility of entering international markets 51% indicate that while they are aware of state support, they find this support to be inadequate in meeting their current business scaling needs Majority of innovators and startups (42%) see innovation hubs as potential platforms to access funding, followed by networking opportunities, capacity building and R&D Strengthening Policy Development to Encourage R&D and Innovation Investor funding is the number one issue governments must address to build innovation resilience. This is followed by fostering entrepreneurship and eradicating corruption Driving Innovation Inclusivity – Women, Youth, and Informal Markets Majority of entrepreneurs (45%) feel that the creation of expanded market opportunities for homegrown businesses is the main key driver of innovation inclusivity. This is followed by the provision of support services and the curation of capacity development programs to address the unique challenges of operating in the informal markets are key to driving innovation inclusivity on the continent. A high proportion of respondents (41%) do not feel there is enough support from the private and public sector to drive greater inclusivity within hubs and the wider innovation ecosystem The full report can be accessed online here.
The Impact of Covid-19 on the Nigerian Innovation Ecosystem
The Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill. How did the pandemic impact Nigeria’s tech ecosystem? And what can be done to guarantee future resilience? KTN Global Alliance and AfriLabs – A synergy Early in March 2020, Africa’s Covid-19 cases by country were in the single digits, but by mid-month those numbers had spiked, leading the World Health Organisation to sound an alarm. This has led many within the African innovation ecosystems to look for ways to address the impacts of the pandemic. In order to track the impact of the pandemic on the innovation ecosystem in Africa, AfriLabs and KTN Global Alliance worked together to deliver a rapid analysis of innovation response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with focuses on Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Our research looked into the impact of the pandemic on the innovation ecosystem, the response to it, the success and failures, and the opportunities to strengthen the African innovation ecosystem. What has been the main impact of the pandemic? The impact of the pandemic in Nigeria is similar to the impact in South Africa and Kenya – the two other focus countries. Nigeria was among the first countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to identify Covid-19 cases and has since implemented strict measures to contain the spread of the virus. From the onset, enormous effort went into healthcare, ensuring that more people got tested and treated through existing and purpose-built infrastructure, especially in Lagos. As a way of cushioning the effect of the strict measures, the Federal Government of Nigeria rolled out palliative measures for targeted groups, focusing on supporting the basic needs of the poorest – more people outside of the formal system were hit devastatingly by the lockdown. On the education front, the education sector was closed physically and resumed digitally (through e-learning) where possible. Some state governments launched television and radio programs while some private schools were able to continue following a remarkable transition to e-learning. However, the greater majority of schools were not able to transition to e-learning due to the “digital divide” in Nigeria where major parts of the society lack digital skills and access to the internet and affordable data. Many businesses that could provide all or part of their services digitally continued operations while the rest were brought to a complete standstill. Some major organisations closed down for good, while many others laid off staff out of necessity and in an effort to save their overall businesses. Examples of such were innovations in the tourism and entertainment sector. What are the lessons learnt? Despite the fact that the Nigerian innovation ecosystem was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, some sectors were able to adjust rapidly. The education sector is one (albeit a small portion of the market). There was also a drive towards medical care gear in the manufacturing sector. SMEs and entrepreneurs that had the option to adjust their plans and turn their business models to a full or partial online service were the ones that succeeded. While those that felt overwhelmed, bet on a quicker return to normalcy or required an up close and personal relationship to serve their client failed or nearly failed. The specific impact on innovation funding The immediate impact on innovators was far less funding available, especially to the already struggling early-stage startups. Furthermore, the prevailing uncertainty meant that businesses turned away from their growth strategies towards newly defined “survival strategies” resulting in fewer opportunities for the innovators, entrepreneurs and SMEs to access institutional funding. What barriers and opportunities did stakeholders identify? The key weaknesses recognised by stakeholders include limited funding (particularly for early-stage and pivot innovations), lack of access to digital channels (resulting from a lack of access to affordable internet and data), lack of digital literacy and lack of accessible business mentorship and support. While the Nigerian innovation ecosystem eventually responded by providing many of the above support to innovators, shortcomings exist in reach and timeline of provision. Read about the impact of COVID-19 on the Keyan Innovation Ecosystem. What direction should future research and analysis take? Startups need models to help them better forecast their short to medium term fiscal situations during emergencies, as well as help in making quick shifts and alterations in response to them. Many startups struggle to get a firm grasp of financial numbers and how they will evolve with emergencies, changing economic conditions and consumer behaviours. Support organisations can help by providing technical assistance around financial modelling and data-based decision making. Furthermore, future research and analysis into business support methods to improve or at a minimum maintain the channelling of funds to early startup entrepreneurs in emergency times and for critical survival pivots would be helpful. Also critical is the analysis of infrastructure, access to data, business coaching and mentorship as well as governmental policies required to fuel the continuous growth of entrepreneurs and innovators in the local ecosystem in emergency and post-emergency times in Nigeria. Recommendations towards greater resilience Given the extent of the economic impact of the pandemic, there is the need to implement other recovery strategies for future resilience. Resilience is as much a tool for persisting during a crisis as it is for thriving. Now, more than ever, programme design and intervention strategies for players within the innovation ecosystem must be intended at assisting them to build resilience in the immediate to long-term. Implementing the following recommendations would aid such resilience. Greater access to flexible and responsive financing support. Increased digital literacy and access to affordable data. Greater resilience through targeted policy design. Identify and facilitate value-driven partnerships. You can view a slide presentation which analyses the innovation response here. About KTN Global Alliance Africa KTN Global Alliance Africa is a six-year project co-funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), and with the strategic partnership of Innovate UK to drive networking activities that can help foster long-lasting, strategic partnerships between Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, the UK and across
The Impact of Covid-19 on the Kenyan Innovation Ecosystem
An overview of the challenges Kenya has faced following the disruption of the Global Pandemic of 2020. The first Covid-19 case in Kenya was confirmed by the Ministry of Health in Nairobi on 12th March 2020. This was followed by a period of lockdown of major cities with economic and social activities mostly brought to a halt. But specifically, how did the pandemic impact Kenya’s innovation ecosystem? And what can be done to assure future resilience? KTN Global Alliance and AfriLabs – A synergy The economic realities of the pandemic have led many within the African innovation ecosystems to look for ways to keep their innovations alive, with varying degrees of success. In order to track the impact of the pandemic on the innovation ecosystem in Africa, AfriLabs and KTN Global Alliance worked together to deliver a rapid analysis of the innovation ecosystem’s response to the pandemic in Kenya. Our research looked into the impact of the pandemic on the innovation ecosystem, the response to it, the success and failures and the opportunities to strengthen the Kenyan innovation ecosystem. What has been the main impact of the pandemic? The impact of the pandemic in Kenya is similar to the impact in South Africa and Nigeria – the two other focus countries. The initial spread and uncertainty around the nature of the virus resulted in the implementation of a months-long nationwide lockdown by the government. A huge effort went into healthcare, ensuring large scale testing and treatment through existing and purpose-built infrastructure. Large scale economic support was made available, with a focus on supporting the basic needs of the poorest. Many businesses and organisations had to adapt to digital purchase and delivery of goods and services, while the rest failed or temporarily suspended operations. What are the lessons learnt? At the most basic level, all businesses have had to adapt to the new climate, with remote working the new way of the world. In Kenya, we found strong reciprocal support between the International community and government/public bodies. NGOs and Charities also worked effectively with the international community to address the impact of the virus. We found important lessons that should form the basis for future responses to emergencies. There is evidence of a stronger digital education system and a drive towards medical care gear in the manufacturing sector. We found major failings in the ability of many small or startup businesses to respond to the restrictions occasioned by the virus. Stakeholders identified lack of funding for them to execute timely pivots, lack of access to digital channels (resulting from a lack of access to affordable internet and data), lack of digital literacy and lack of accessible business mentorship and support. The innovation ecosystem eventually responded by providing many of the above support, but for many, it was too late. Specific impact on innovation funding In Kenya, significant funding from government and ecosystem support organisations were almost immediately redirected to feeding arrangements and the supply of food packages to the poorest of the poor. The immediate impact on innovators was far fewer funds available, especially to the already struggling early-stage startups. Furthermore, the prevailing uncertainty meant that businesses turned away from their growth strategies towards newly defined “survival strategies” resulting in fewer opportunities for the innovators, entrepreneurs and SMEs to access institutional funding. What direction should future research and analysis take? Innovators need skills and tools to forecast their short to medium-term fiscal situations and assess changes to these predictions in almost real-time to make quick shifts and alterations. Many startups struggle to get a firm grasp of these numbers and how they will evolve with changing economic conditions and consumer behaviours. Support organisations can help by providing technical assistance around financial modelling and data-based decision making. Also, future research and analysis into business support methods to improve or in the minimum maintain the channelling of funds to early-stage entrepreneurs in emergency times and for critical survival pivots would be helpful. Critical is the analysis of infrastructure, access to data, business coaching and mentorship as well as governmental policies required to fuel the continued growth of entrepreneurs and innovators in the local ecosystem in emergency and post-emergency times. Recommendations towards greater resilience Given the size and scope of the economic impact of the pandemic, there is the need to implement certain strategies for future resilience. Resilience is as much a tool for persisting during a crisis as it is for thriving. Now, more than ever, programme design and intervention strategies for players within the innovation ecosystem must be intended at assisting them build resilience in the immediate to long-term. Implementing the following recommendations would aid such resilience. Greater access to flexible and responsive financing support. Increased digital literacy and access to affordable data. Greater resilience through targeted policy design. Identify and facilitate value-driven partnerships. You can view a slide presentation which analyses the innovation response here. Also, read about the impact of COVID-19 on the Nigerian Innovation Ecosystem. About KTN Global Alliance Africa KTN Global Alliance Africa is a six-year project co-funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), and with the strategic partnership of Innovate UK to drive networking activities that can help foster long-lasting, strategic partnerships between Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, the UK and across sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, it aims to accelerate innovations that promote economic growth and job creation. Learn more about KTN Global Alliance here: www.ktn-uk.org/programme/africa.
AfriLabs Admits 27 new members and expands to 47 African Countries
In line with its vision of a thriving innovation economy in Africa, driven by the power of its community, AfriLabs has added 27 new members to its network which brings the total number of members to 225 in 47 African Countries. Furthermore, this means that AfriLabs has extended her reach to 8 new cities and a new country, Cabo Verde. In North Africa, IMPACT Lab, Savannah Innovation Lab and City of Innovation, Research & development joined the AfriLabs Community. In West Africa, Work and Connect, Itanna, The Assembly Innovation Hub, Bayelsa Tech Hub, EBusiness Incubation Center, Kër Thiossane, Yison Tech Hub, Northern Innovation Lab, Developers Academy, Ghana Tech Lab, Maio Business Center and The Disruptive Lab became a part of the largest hubs network in Africa. The Maker Club, The WOW Factory and The Neo Hub also joined the network from Southern Africa, and members from East Africa include THE LIGHT Universe, E4Impact Accelerator, Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Center, Empretec Mauritius and Obuntu Hub. Central Africa was not left out as Climate Change Africa Opportunities (CCAO), United Advance Development, StartOpp Zone and SCS Afrique Centrale Innov also became member hubs of AfriLabs. Earlier this year, AfriLabs added 28 new hub members, and with the recent admissions, the total number of new members added this year so far stands at 55. “I am excited to be connected within the ecosystem of tech hubs and incubation centres in Africa. We are looking forward to learning from those that have been in the game, the region, and so much more. As you know, we have been operating in Africa for only about 2 yrs, so we have a lot to learn and also have a lot to offer. That’s the excitement we are looking forward to.” Malik Khan, Founder of Disruptive Lab Faraja, Gambia. Also, Zindzi Letsididi from TheNeoHub Gaborone, Botswana, shared the Hub’s expectation for being a part of the AfriLabs community. “As TheNeoHub, we are excited to be part of the largest pan-African network of technology and innovation centres, AfriLabs. Being a member of this prestigious network will bring our hub closer to an integrated and prosperous future in innovation and technology fostered by open collaboration and growth in entrepreneurship. This opportunity will expand our network and co-creation across the continent.” The Executive Director of AfriLabs, Anna Ekeledo, also had the following to say about the admission of new member hubs: “Our vision is a thriving innovation economy in Africa, driven by the power of our community, and we are happy that more hubs with the same purpose are joining us. The pandemic has affected businesses across the continent in a way nothing has done before, and collaboration through communities like ours is a right step in the right direction.” AfriLabs was founded in 2011 to build a community around rapidly emerging tech hubs and innovation spaces that serve as meeting points and communities for developers, entrepreneurs, and investors. The aim is to empower these hubs by building their capacity to support startups and businesses and build a thriving, innovative economy in Africa. Every year, AfriLabs hosts an Annual Gathering of ecosystem stakeholders to plot the way forward for the continent’s entrepreneurial growth. This year’s edition is going virtual and will hold conversations on how Africa’s Tech community can build resilient innovative systems. Learn more and be a part of this year’s Gathering here: https://www.afrilabs-gathering.com/.
AfriLabs admet 27 nouveaux membres et s’étend à 47 pays Africains
En accord avec sa vision d’une économie de l’innovation florissante en Afrique, menée par la puissance de sa communauté, AfriLabs a ajouté 27 nouveaux membres à son réseau, ce qui porte le nombre total de membres à 225 dans 47 pays africains. En outre, cela signifie que AfriLabs a étendu son rayon d’action à 8 nouvelles villes et à un nouveau pays, le Cap-Vert. En Afrique du Nord, IMPACT Lab, Savannah Innovation Lab et City of Innovation, Research & development ont rejoint la communauté AfriLabs. Alors qu’en Afrique de l’Ouest, Work and Connect, Itanna, The Assembly Innovation Hub, Bayelsa Tech Hub, EBusiness Incubation Center, Kër Thiossane, Yison Tech Hub, Northern Innovation Lab, Developers Academy, Ghana Tech Lab, Maio Business Center et The Disruptive Lab sont devenus partie intégrante du plus grand réseau de hubs en Afrique. Le Maker Club, The WOW Factory et The Neo Hub ont également rejoint le réseau en provenance d’Afrique australe et les membres d’Afrique de l’Est comprennent THE LIGHT Universe, E4Impact Accelerator, Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Center, Empretec Mauritius et Obuntu Hub. L’Afrique centrale est également présente, puisque Climate Change Africa Opportunities (CCAO), United Advance Development, StartOpp Zone et SCS Afrique Centrale Innov sont également devenus des membres hubs du réseau AfriLabs. Au début de cette année, AfriLabs a ajouté 28 nouveaux membres du hub et avec les récentes admissions, le nombre total de nouveaux membres ajoutés cette année jusqu’à présent s’élève à 55. “Je suis très heureux d’être connecté à l’écosystème de hubs de la technologie et de centres d’incubation en Afrique. J’ai vraiment hâte d’apprendre de ceux qui ont été dans le jeu, de la région et bien plus encore. Comme vous le savez, nous ne sommes présents en Afrique que depuis deux ans environ, nous avons donc beaucoup à apprendre et aussi beaucoup à offrir. Voilà ce que nous attendons avec impatience”. Malik Khan, Fondateur de Disruptive Lab Faraja, Gambie. Par ailleurs, Zindzi Letsididi du NeoHub Gaborone, au Botswana, partageait également l’attente du Hub de faire partie de la communauté AfriLabs. “En tant que TheNeoHub, nous sommes ravis de faire partie du plus grand réseau panafricain de centres de technologie et d’innovation, AfriLabs. Être membre de ce prestigieux réseau rapprochera notre hub d’un avenir intégré et prospère en matière d’innovation et de technologie, favorisé par une collaboration ouverte et une croissance de l’esprit d’entreprise. Cette opportunité permettra d’étendre notre réseau et notre co-création à travers le continent”. La Directrice Exécutive de AfriLabs, Anna Ekeledo, a eu également les commentaires suivants à propos de l’admission de nouveaux membres: “Notre vision est une économie de l’innovation florissante en Afrique, portée par la puissance de notre communauté, et nous sommes ravis que d’autres hubs ayant le même objectif nous rejoignent. La pandémie a touché les entreprises du continent d’une manière que rien n’avait encore fait auparavant, et la collaboration par le biais de communautés comme la nôtre est un grand pas vers la bonne direction”. AfriLabs a été fondé en 2011 pour construire une communauté autour de hubs de la technologie et d’espaces d’innovation émergents qui servent de points de rencontre et de communautés pour les développeurs, les entrepreneurs et les investisseurs. Le but est d’autonomiser ces hubs en renforçant leur capacité à soutenir les start-ups et les entreprises, et de construire une économie innovante florissante en Afrique. Chaque année, AfriLabs organise une Réunion Annuelle des acteurs de l’écosystème afin de tracer la voie à suivre pour la croissance entrepreneuriale du continent. L’édition de cette année sera virtuelle et permettra de discuter de la manière dont la communauté de la technologie en Afrique peut mettre en place des systèmes innovants et résilients. Pour en savoir plus et participer à la réunion de cette année, cliquez sur le lien suivant: https://www.afrilabs-gathering.com/.
AfriLabs and Djembe Consultants Partner to Produce Insights Report on Building a Resilient Innovative Africa in a COVID-19 World
Djembe Consultants Named Official Communications Partner for AfriLabs Virtual Annual Gathering
AfriLabs, the largest pan-Africa network of 225 technology and innovation centres across 47 countries in Africa has partnered with Djembe Consultants, the award-winning African-focused communications consultancy
LA RÉUNION ANNUELLE AFRILABS 2020 DEVIENT VIRTUELLE
Compte tenu de la pandémie COVID-19, de la santé et de la sauvegarde de notre communauté, la 5ème Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs aura lieu virtuellement du 12 au 14 Octobre 2020. La Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs a toujours eu lieu dans différentes villes du continent Africain en collaboration avec les gouvernements nationaux et locaux, le secteur privé et nos membres du Hub. Alors que la pandémie COVID-19 nous empêche de nous rencontrer face à face, elle nous offre maintenant une occasion unique de participer de manière encore plus inclusive. Les conséquences de la pandémie COVID-19 ont touché tous les secteurs de l’économie du continent et nous devons nous replier sur nous-mêmes et collaborer afin de créer une résistance qui se dirige vers une sombre prédiction économique pour faire naître une économie innovante florissante en Afrique. Il est donc parfait que la résilience soit le thème principal de la conférence de cette année alors que nous nous réunissons pour discuter de “Construire une Afrique Innovante et Résiliente”. Aujourd’hui plus que jamais, il est primordial de construire une Afrique innovante et résistante grâce à une approche intégrée par des Africains engagés qui parlent d’une seule voix sur l’innovation visant à actualiser les SDG et l’Agenda 2063 pour l’Afrique. Nous nous efforçons de concevoir un événement inclusif et passionnant pour les gestionnaires de nos hubs, nos partenaires, nos sponsors et tous les innovateurs curieux d’Afrique et du monde entier qui veulent prendre part à cette conversation d’une manière ou d’une autre. Dans la tradition habituelle de notre Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs, nous aurons trois jours de programmation explorant la création de communautés, l’importance des partenariats et la capacité innée de l’Afrique à construire. Nous vous présenterons plus d’informations sur la Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs 2020 dans les jours à venir. Ne manquez pas de vous abonner aux notre mises à jour ici : bit.ly/SubscribeToAfriLabsNewsletter. Nous serions ravis d’entendre des conférenciers potentiels. Veuillez nous contacter en envoyant un courriel à jen@afrilabs.com. Nous sommes fiers d’avoir des partenaires dévoués qui travaillent avec nous chaque année pour assurer le succès de la Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs. Notre Réunion Annuelle présente aux sponsors une proposition de valeur unique et passionnante que nous serions ravis de partager avec vous. Associez-vous à nous en tant que sponsor et contribuez au succès de notre première réunion annuelle virtuelle. Veuillez nous contacter en envoyant un courriel à jen@afrilabs.com.
Country in Focus: Kenya “East Africa’s Money Magnet”
To highlight the ever-growing and diversified community of the AfriLabs network, we are pleased to introduce our new series on our community and their impact in their respective countries. Today’s country in focus, Kenya, is arguably the second-largest innovation ecosystem on the continent and hosts 2 of the 5 founding member hubs of the AfriLabs network, iHub and Nailab. The swift rise of the Kenyan ecosystem can be attributed to several catalysts. In October 1995 the first leased line connection was established in Kenya providing Internet for the first time. At 32 Kbps, Kenya was at last connected to the Internet, and the dream of information sharing became a reality. Shortly thereafter and in quick succession, two ISPs serving the commercial and personal markets—Africa Online (Prodigy USA) and Form-Net—started offering service, and for the first time, competition entered the market. By the end of 1995, the two each had a 64-Kbps link and 100 lines to serve their clientele. This opened a floodgate of other operators, and by the end of 1995, more than 10 were advertising for services and reported accounts totalled approximately 5000. The organisation of the technology and innovation ecosystem through bodies like Technology Service Providers of Kenya,TESPOK in 1999, Skunkworks Kenya in around 2006, and the Kenya ICT Action Network,Kictanet, in around 2007, meant that communities of innovators and service providers were beginning to self regulate, challenge each other and collaborate. Forward-thinking public sector officials like Bitange Ndemo were also critical catalysts for the ecosystem. Ndemo pushed for various ICT policies and projects such as the installation of the undersea submarine cables, the development of business process outsourcing industry, the reduction in mobile termination rates, initiating Kenya Open Data and so on. Well-known M-Pesa bridged the gap between banked and unbanked and made payments easier contributing to a foundation for several impactful service delivery products across the country. The arrival of the undersea cable in 2009 began to bring down the costs of connectivity making the internet more accessible to Kenyans and lowering a critical barrier to innovation. 2010 saw the beginning of the rise of the hubs with iHub, Nailab and others. Kenya currently boasts close to 70 innovation centres with 23 of those being AfriLabs members. Among them are Lake Hub in Kisumu, Eldo Hub in Eldoret, Villgro in Nairobi and Sote Hub in Voi. Lake Hub was started in 2013 as one of the first tech innovation and incubation hubs running outside of Nairobi. Through Lake Hub’s programs and activities over 5,000 youths have benefited directly from technology skills workshops, startup mentorship, entrepreneurship training programs, and networking events. The Lake Hub Academy has trained 120 young professional software developers, 55 of which have gotten employment as a result of the training. This has unlocked USD 1,170,000 annual recurring income for the youth. 5 have started their own startups and 40 are involved in freelance work. Lake Hub’s Incubation program has provided business incubation services to 50 entrepreneurs enabling the launch of 25 startups solving across sectors including the circular economy and agri-food. The program has also unlocked financial investment for 9 startups. Using digital technology, Sote Hub trains students at rural high schools and out of school youth (often marginalized with less opportunity for career progression or technology) on jobs, career preparedness; support them establish startups where they create products/services and test with real customers. Over the last four years, Sote Hub has trained 10,000 youth/students, provided job matching to 700, incubated 40 startups with over 60% being women-led. Villgro Africa is one of our newest members. They are an early-stage business incubator and impact investor that seeks to support startups with a global social impact focus in the African region. Villgro’s portfolio is a blend of medical diagnostic devices, healthcare systems and technologies. Since 2015, Villgro has supported over 20 startups in getting over USD 700,000 in investment and in impacting over one million lives. Finally, Eldo Hub, which began operations in 2017 has focused on offering skills and employment to youth, women and micro, small and medium enterprises in the rural areas. To date, EldoHub has impacted over 3000 youth and women between the age of 18 to 35 years through workshops and events, community, incubation and capacity building. They have supported over 1,150 youth through training and capacity building, conducted over 100 events and established 12 partnerships and collaborations. They have also supported 597 women and girls, and 68 entrepreneurs through three 12-week innovation workshops. Through their jobs placement and digital apprenticeship program, Eldohub has placed 40 junior tech professionals to 40 SMEs/Techstartups/Scaleups or traditional businesses looking to digitize their business processes. It’s apparent that one of the strengths of Kenya’s ecosystem is the decentralisation of innovation by strong impactful innovation centres across the country. In 2019, this ecosystem achieved yet another great feat by coming together to form the Association of Startup and SMEs Enablers of Kenya (ASSEK) thereby ensuring that the right support for innovation and innovators and entrepreneurs is within reach and is coordinated for greater impact. AfriLabs currently has a partnership with ASSEK to establish a general framework of cooperation to facilitate collaboration between the parties. It’s worthwhile to note that AfriLabs is also working closely with Strathmore University, a leading academic institution in Kenya to develop a Full Hub Management Certification Course for the AfriLabs Capacity Building Program. Kenya is indeed a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa and innovation centres are greatly contributing to this along with growing investor interest and a wider ecosystem jointly working to coordinate its work. There is a lot of potentials that we look forward to exploring at AfriLabs. To learn more about our community of innovation centres impacting Africa, subscribe to our newsletter here.