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
Country in Focus – Cameroon “Africa in Miniature”
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. As one of the fast-rising innovation communities in Africa, Cameroon has 2 unique systems; the Anglophone and the Francophone Ecosystem – a reflection of Africa’s diversity based on culture and its geographic sphere. In 1998, governing telecommunication in Cameroon enabled the introduction of two private mobile operators (Orange in 1999 and MTN in the year 2000), and within ten years, the first digital service in Cameroon began, thereby creating convenience in communication through mobile telephony which came into existence in Cameroon in 1999 with the advent of Societe Camerounaise des Mobile (mobilis) now called “Orange Cameroun.” Despite the emergence of telecom into the country, access to the internet by Cameroonians was difficult, hence the partnership between Equacomm and Camtel came into play to provide more access to wireless internet, as they believed closing the gap could be reduced through the deployment of Wi-Fi technologies throughout the country, considered less expensive and accessible via mobile telephones, whose penetration rate exceeds 80% in Cameroon. In 2010, there was a challenge as regards licensing of telecommunication companies in Cameroon which affected the service delivery of companies like Créolink, Ringo Sarl, Northwave Sarl (Vodafone), TNT Africa, and Afrikanet Online among others. ART, however, stepped in and began to issue “temporary permits” to operators disregarding regulatory measures which weren’t welcomed by the government. The then Cameroonian Prime Minister, Philémon Yang, signed a decree fixing the procedures for establishing operating networks and providing electronic communication services subject to a licensing scheme, due to the criticism posed by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Agence de Régulation des Télécommunications – ART), for illegally granting itself the issuance of “temporary permits” to telecom companies subject to licensing. 2010 marked the beginning of hub evolution in Cameroon with ActivSpaces being the first to pivot in the entrepreneurial landscape, alongside Jokkolabs, and EtriLabs. Out of over 25 tech hubs in Cameroon, AfriLabs has a record of 17 which includes; Zixtech Hub, Jongo Hub, NexGen Technology Center, Innova237, among others. ActivSpaces, founded in 2010, was founded to increase the odds of success for young tech entrepreneurs in Cameroon by creating environments that will serve as catalysts permitting their technology innovations to thrive. They have supported over 87 Startups, 1000+ community members, and have organized over 2000 events in partnership with several organizations. Their mission has always been to train, encourage and support young Cameroonian innovators into becoming world-class technology entrepreneurs capable of building successful technology enterprises. Zixtech Hub has been actively engaged in Entrepreneurship. The tech hub focused on tech solutions that solve real problems, with the vision of being the leading hub that turns ideas into enterprises. Being located in Limbe, South West Region of Cameroon, it has launched more than 15 startups with 30 Small businesses that have sprung up from them. The hub has trained more than 1500 Entrepreneurs and supported more than 200 businesses in Cameroon, Africa, and Europe. Jongo Hub since its inception has grown into a community of over 5000 innovators, bringing together creatives, techies, civil society leaders, and engineers. Jongo hub has so far served 180 startups, supported over 300 startups, and also provided to 200 young individuals skills in graphics design, motion graphics, web and mobile app development, photography, Serigraphy, and print technologies. They have trained more than 2000 entrepreneurs in design thinking, Business Development, Business Modelling and Financial Management. Seedstars, Google Developers Groups, and Startupgrind have hosted some key programs and competitions for startups in the thriving ecosystem in Cameroon. There has been tremendous growth with public incubators in the 10 Regional Universities in the country receiving support from the State. Between 2017 to 2020, the number of hubs and incubators has grown more than 20 times, and in the area of startup investments, it has been more of a baby step as some startups have raised funds within the ecosystem while most are still in the infancy stage using the lean methodology. However, the country has notable startups like DroneAfrica, the first-ever Africa-made drone manufacturing company, which is a flagship project of Will & Brothers Consulting, founded by William Elong. This startup reportedly raised a fund of 200,000 USD to facilitate its project and was said to have created a major shift in tech and innovation in Cameroon. Other notable startups include; Giftedmom, Hymo medical, Orion, Ouicare, and many more. A catalyst to the growth of the Cameroon ecosystem is the presence of smaller ecosystems in the regions, the inclusion of this fuels when providing support for enterprises and encouraging collaboration for increased impact. For example, a very vibrant ecosystem of hubs, startups, and other stakeholders often called “Silicon Mountain” based in the English-speaking region thrives based on intensive collaboration and the AfriLabs hub members in that ecosystem have been very active in boosting the enterprises through training and support programs. Over the years, about 5000 ventures have benefitted from these programs which enabled their growth and scalability. 2017 was the explosion point for the ecosystem, with government institutions like APME (Enterprise promotion agency), Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises working actively with local partners and ecosystem experts in building policies to boost the ecosystem. The government launched the business incubation summit to bring experts together to share on how to restructure the ecosystem, thus some networks like Kmertech and CEEN (Cameroon Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Network) were created for a strategic partnership to enable the growth and sustainability of businesses which in turn will aid the development of the country’s economy. It is interesting to note that most founding members of these networks are also members of AfriLabs, which brings into play the actualization of the vision of a thriving innovation economy in Africa driven by the power of our community. Though very young and with a lot of work to be done, the diversity of the Cameroonian Innovation Ecosystem is a beacon of hope
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.
Construire une communauté permettant aux innovateurs de prospérer en Afrique ; AfriLabs accueille 28 nouveaux membres, fait son entrée dans 7 nouvelles villes et 1 nouveau pays
Conformément à notre vision de soutenir l’innovation sur le continent, nous avons accueilli 28 nouveaux hubs dans notre réseau ! Nous sommes actuellement présents dans 7 nouvelles villes et un nouveau pays, les Comores. Cela porte le nombre de nos membres à un total de 268 hubs d’innovation dans 49 pays Africains. Considérant le nombre de hubs d’innovation qui émergent sur le continent, il est essentiel qu’ils bénéficient d’une communauté d’individus partageant les mêmes idées pour co-créer ensemble et qu’ils bénéficient d’un soutien adéquat pour leur croissance. Comme nous le savons, ces hubs jouent un rôle primordial dans la croissance économique et le développement de leurs différents pays. Il y a dix ans, nous avons pris l’engagement de promouvoir et de soutenir l’innovation à travers le continent. Cela implique la création d’une communauté qui fournit des solutions pour résoudre des problèmes de vie réelle pour les Africains et la résolution de ces problèmes affecte le reste du monde en général, et c’est toujours notre objectif. “Nous sommes toujours enthousiastes lorsque nous admettons de nouveaux membres dans notre réseau. Un voyage qui a commencé depuis 10 ans, nous restons toujours fidèles à nos valeurs fondamentales de construire et de soutenir une communauté qui stimule l’innovation en Afrique.” Anna Ekeledo, Directrice Exécutive de AfriLabs a déclaré à propos de la dernière admission de membres dans le réseau. “L’avenir est plein d’opportunités pour l’Ecosystème Africaine de la Technologie grâce à des communautés comme la nôtre, et nos bras sont toujours ouverts aux hubs d’innovation qui veulent faire partie de notre réseau !”. Parmi les pays d’Afrique Occidentale qui nous rejoignent, il y a Ilorin Innovation Hub, Unimak Workflow Innovation Hub, Duapa Werkspace, 8thGear Hub, Cirkle Labs, Equilibrium Zone, Fobespace Hub, The Hub, GoGlobal Hub, Dare to Innovate, Vision Incubation Hub, Noni Hub, Impact Cove et Le Hague Institute for Innovation of Law Innovation Hubs. En Afrique Orientale, nous avons l’Institute of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (SIMAD University), Muni University Business Incubation Centre (Muni University), SNDBX International, WITU Hub, DICOS Incubator LLP, Com’Work, Nakuru Box Innovation Center et Le Hague Institute for Innovation of Law Innovation Hubs. En provenance d’Afrique centrale, WETECH, Youth Business Cameroun (YBC), Startup Factory Djibouti, Kum’lab, Akewa Accelerateur ont rejoint la famille AfriLabs Nous accueillons également Innovation Co-Lab Durban, The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law Innovation Hubs d’Afrique du Sud. 249 startups et le Hague Institute for Innovation of Law Innovation Hubs d’Afrique du Nord font partie de nos nouveaux membres. “On ne soulignera jamais assez l’impact de la collaboration dans l’écosystème Africain de la technologie et de l’innovation. C’est agréable pour nous, en tant que réseau, de favoriser davantage la connectivité des hubs à travers l’Afrique et également d’assurer la croissance et la durabilité de notre écosystème grâce à notre expansion constante. Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir des nouveaux membres au sein du réseau AfriLabs, et nous espérons réaliser ensemble une Afrique innovante “, a déclaré Kenechukwu .C. Chukwu, Responsable des Services aux Membres chez AfriLabs, dans son commentaire sur les nouveaux membres. Michael Asante Saforo, Gérant du Hub, Duapa Werkspace, l’un des nouveaux hubs admis, a déclaré que son organisation est extrêmement reconnaissante pour l’opportunité de faire partie du réseau AfriLabs. “En faisant partie de AfriLabs, nous permettons de mieux aider les jeunes entrepreneurs et les startups et nous ne pourrions pas être plus reconnaissants. Nous aspirons à contribuer notre part aux objectifs de AfriLabs et plus encore. La situation de Duapa Werkspace dans la Région Occidentale du Ghana nous place dans une position stratégique pour connecter les jeunes à un grand nombre d’opportunités merveilleuses.” L’année dernière, AfriLabs a donné plus de 250 000 euros à 17 de ses membres pour réaliser des programmes de soutien aux entrepreneurs et aux innovateurs dans leurs communautés, dans le cadre de son Programme de Renforcement des Capacités financé par l’Agence Française de Développement par le biais du Fonds d’Amorçage de Digital Africa. Esther Nansbuga, Responsable des Programmes, Women In Technology Ouganda, également un hub nouvellement admis, a déclaré que son équipe est enthousiaste à l’idée de se connecter avec d’autres hubs à travers l’Afrique pour apprendre d’avantage et partager des connaissances afin d’aider les jeunes femmes et les filles à devenir des innovatrices, des technologistes et des entrepreneurs dans l’économie de la technologie en Afrique.
AfriLabs Elects a New Board Member
The AfriLabs Annual General Meeting held on the 7th October 2020 and it was the first Virtual General Meeting due to the COVID-19. During this meeting, a new board member, Takunda Chingonzo, Founder of Tech Village Zimbabwe was elected to assume the board seat that was vacant after Nekesa Were transitioned to a new role as the Director of Strategy at the AfriLabs Secretariat. Other nominees for this role included were Prince Bonney, CEO iCODE, Gilbert Junior Buregyeya, Cofounder/Programs Manager at Makerere Innovation & Incubation Centre, Youssouf Simbo Diakite, Founder & CEO of ADYFE and VAS, Khalid Ali, Chairperson, Impact Hub Khartoum at the end of the election conducted, Takunda Chingonzo emerged as the winner. The fifth edition of the AfriLabs Annual Gathering kicks off on Monday 12th October, 2020, kindly register here, to join the largest gathering of major players in the African Tech and Innovation Ecosystem.
Celebrating a Decade of Empowering and Inspiring Innovation across Africa at the AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021
After going virtual for the first time last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s AfriLabs Annual Gathering which coincides with AfriLabs 10th year anniversary will be held in Marrakesh, Morocco from 25th-27th October 2021. The theme for this year’s Gathering is “AfriLabs at 10: A Decade of Empowering and Inspiring Innovation across Africa” and Douar Tech, an AfriLabs Member Hub based in Morocco will be a co-host of the event. The history of the African Innovation Ecosystem is a story of resilience, growth, collaboration and creativity. More than before, Africans are developing scalable solutions to their problems and one factor that is contributing to this is the growth of the support systems like innovation hubs (incubators, accelerators etc.) in the entrepreneurship space. AfriLabs has for a decade played an important role in the empowerment of innovation hubs across the continent. In our 10th year of existence, we reflect on the journey so far in providing support to the ecosystem. We celebrate our strides and that of our community and plan for the future with the dream of a thriving innovation economy in Africa. A YEAR OF GOLDEN CELEBRATIONS “AfriLabs will be 10 this year and we will be celebrating and reflecting on the strides of the Innovation Ecosystem in Africa. If you have been part of our story, we would like to invite you to celebrate with us in Morocco. If you haven’t worked with us or any of our community members yet in building the Africa of our dreams, still join us and let us all set the tone and ambitions for the next 10 years!” said Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director, AfriLabs. For this year’s Gathering, we are riding strongly with our community and for the first time, they were actively involved in the selection of the theme, and their choice is a reflection of our impact in empowering hubs and driving innovation across the continent. The 6th edition of the AfriLabs Annual Gathering will be highlighting 10 years of our existence and we will be hosting a series of exciting events throughout the year which climaxes at Morocco in an effort to share the successes and challenges of the last decade while looking forward to a future of more collaborations and opportunities. Looking back at all our previous Gatherings, this year’s event will spotlight the impact of innovation in Africa in the last decade, drive more strategic collaborations and we look forward to engaging more stakeholders in the African Tech Ecosystem as well as building sustainable capacity for hubs on the continent. “ This year, we look forward with the utmost anticipation to a post-pandemic world with fervent hopes to convene the Ecosystem in Morocco. 2021 will cumulate to the 10th year anniversary of the founding of AfriLabs; which will be the focus of most of the year’s events leading to a Finale at AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021.” our Ecosystem Event Manager, Jennifer Okeke Ojiudu said. “Hosting the AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Marrakech is promised to be a unique and world-changing experience. More information to follow shortly.” “This gathering will be a unique momentum for the African innovative ecosystems narrative. It will allow us to reflect on the lessons learned in the last decade of ecosystem development, co-create and elevate our common vision for the upcoming one – by bringing ecosystem players together in Morocco, we also hope it sends a strong and clear signal that by its youth, innovators and entrepreneurs, Africa is one, ready to continue building together, growing together.” Hanae Bezad, Founder, Douar Tech on hosting the Gathering in Morocco. To stay updated on the activities of AfriLabs and information about the AfriLabs Annual Gathering and how you can be a part of it, kindly subscribe to our community newsletter here.
AfriLabs and COVIDaction to Support Offline Community Ventures in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda
* The partnership will help local offline producers increase their capacity in response to COVID-19 * Workshops will target those with minimal internet access * Intervention runs from the 8th to 21st March 2021 (Abuja, Nigeria – March 8): Local offline community producers and manufacturers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda are set to benefit from a partnership between AfriLabs and COVIDaction, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The intervention will deliver workshops to build and increase their capacity to create vital health and community resources in response to the pandemic. In August 2020, AfriLabs, partnered with COVIDaction’s Local Production Local Solutions theme, which focuses on crowdsourcing and mapping innovative responses dealing with the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other unavailable goods. Through the collaboration, AfriLabs helped lead the successful scouting of viable offline applications from local producers in various communities across seven (7) focus countries in Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, and South Sudan (read about it here, here and here). Through a review by expert judges, we have identified capacity gaps and manufacturing challenges. The offline local producers told us they needed capacity-building support and access to markets to scale their innovations and businesses. To tackle these diagnosed constraints, COVIDaction, in partnership with AfriLabs, is leveraging AfriLabs’ existing pipeline of innovation hubs across Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda to deliver tailored workshops to 30 offline producers to strengthen their operations and performance. The intervention aims to build the capacity of local offline producers who have limited internet connectivity, helping them improve their processes and scale production. The key objectives of the training are to help selected local producers build the necessary skills that will: Increase resilience to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions and similar scenarios Increase confidence in growing their businesses Increase knowledge of local support systems and networks Increase self-reliance to lower concerns about competing businesses. To facilitate this support to offline communities, AfriLabs has recruited 3 of its experienced member hubs to deliver localised workshops to 30 offline ventures across 3 locations. The hubs are: FabLab Winam – Kisumu, Kenya Impact Hub Lagos – Lagos, Nigeria Makerere Innovation and Incubation Centre (MIIC) – Kampala, Uganda The programme kicks off in all three locations using diverse training schedules. The workshops are designed to fit local needs and realities in each area and will be delivered through culturally appropriate approaches in each offline community. The target participants are ventures who are local producers and providing local solutions, including but not limited to, the following: PPE – 3D-printed face shields, washable masks, and coveralls with a broad range of innovative approaches Sanitation – pivots towards sanitiser and disinfectant manufacturing, as well as washing facilities in various contexts Food & Agriculture – both consumer-side and producer-side approaches to filling gaps Repair & Maintenance – proper preservation of equipment and replacing spare parts, which are key to sustainable local systems The workshops are scheduled to run from 8th March to 21st March 2021 and will all operate under strict Covid-19 protocols and regulations. About COVIDaction COVIDaction is a partnership led by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)’s Frontier Technology Hub, along with other collaborators including AfriLabs, to build a technology and innovation pipeline to support activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVIDaction identified four key thematic areas to work across that have emerged through consultation with investors, entrepreneurs, and networks across Africa and South Asia; one of which is the Local Production and Local Solution (LPLS) Theme. About AfriLabs AfriLabs is a pan-African network organisation supporting 240 technology and innovation hubs across 48 African countries. The organisation supports the growth of technology hubs and their communities to raise high potential entrepreneurs that will stimulate economic growth and social development in Africa. We do this by providing capacity building resources, financing, mentoring and networking opportunities to our network members.
Célébrer une Décennie d’Autonomisation et d’Inspiration de l’Innovation à travers l’Afrique lors de la Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs 2021
Après avoir été virtualisé pour la première fois l’année dernière en raison de la pandémie COVID-19, la Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs de cette année, qui coïncide avec le 10e anniversaire d’AfriLabs, se tiendra à Marrakech, au Maroc, du 25 au 27 Octobre 2021. . Le thème de la Réunion de cette année est “AfriLabs à 10 ans : Une Décennie d’Autonomisation et d’Inspiration de l’Innovation à travers l’Afrique” et Douar Tech, un Hub Membre d’AfriLabs basé au Maroc sera co-organisateur de l’événement. L’histoire de l’écosystème de l’innovation Africain est une histoire de résilience, de croissance, de collaboration et de créativité. Plus que jamais, les Africains développent des solutions évolutives à leurs problèmes et un facteur qui y contribue est la croissance des systèmes de soutien comme les hubs d’innovation (incubateurs, accélérateurs, etc.) dans l’espace de l’entreprenariat. Depuis une décennie, AfriLabs joue un rôle important dans l’autonomisation des hubs d’innovation à travers le continent. Au cours de notre dixième année d’existence, nous réfléchissons au chemin parcouru jusqu’à présent pour soutenir l’écosystème. Nous célébrons nos avancées et celles de notre communauté et planifions l’avenir avec le rêve d’une économie de l’innovation florissante en Afrique. UNE ANNÉE DE CÉLÉBRATIONS EN OR “Cette année, AfriLabs aura 10 ans et nous allons célébrer et réfléchir aux progrès de l’écosystème de l’innovation en Afrique. Si vous avez fait partie de notre histoire, nous aimerions vous inviter à célébrer avec nous au Maroc. Si vous n’avez pas encore travaillé avec nous ou avec l’un des membres de notre communauté pour construire l’Afrique de nos rêves, rejoignez-nous encore et ensemble nous pourrons donner le ton et les ambitions pour les 10 prochaines années”. – Anna Ekeledo, Directrice Exécutive, AfriLabs Pour la réunion de cette année, notre communauté est fortement impliquée et pour la première fois, elle a participé activement à la sélection du thème et leur choix est le reflet de notre impact sur l’autonomisation des hubs et la promotion de l’innovation à travers le continent. La 6ème édition de la réunion annuel d’AfriLabs mettra en lumière 10 ans d’existence et nous organiserons une série d’événements passionnants tout au long de l’année, qui sera multiplient au Maroc dans un effort pour partager les succès et les défis de la dernière décennie tout en se réjouissant d’un avenir marqué par davantage de collaborations et d’opportunités. Si l’on se réfère à tous nos Reunion précédents, l’événement de cette année mettra en lumière l’impact de l’innovation en Afrique au cours de la dernière décennie, favorisera des collaborations plus stratégiques et nous espérons engager davantage de parties prenantes dans l’Écosystème Technologique Africain ainsi que renforcer les capacités durables des hubs sur le continent. “Cette année, nous attendons avec la plus grande impatience un monde post-pandémique avec de fervents espoirs de convoquer l’Écosystème au Maroc. L’année 2021 se cumulera avec le 10e anniversaire de la fondation d’AfriLabs, qui sera le point de mire de la plupart des événements de l’année menant à la finale de la Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs 2021″, a déclaré Jennifer Okeke Ojiudu, notre Gestionnaire des Événements d’Écosystèmes . “Accueillir la Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs à Marrakech promet d’être une expérience unique et qui changera le monde. Plus d’informations suivront prochainement”. “Cette réunion sera un élan unique pour le récit des écosystèmes innovants Africains. Il nous permettra de réfléchir aux leçons tirées de la dernière décennie de développement des écosystèmes, de co-créer et d’élever notre vision commune pour la prochaine – en rassemblant les acteurs des écosystèmes au Maroc, nous espérons aussi qu’il enverra un signal fort et clair que par ses jeûnes, ses innovateurs et ses entrepreneurs, l’Afrique est une, prête à continuer à construire ensemble, à grandir ensemble”. – Hanae Bezad, Fondatrice, Douar Tech Pour rester informé des activités d’AfriLabs et des informations sur la Réunion Annuelle AfriLabs et sur la façon dont vous pouvez y participer, veuillez vous inscrire à notre bulletin d’information communautaire ici.
AfriLabs Announces Partnership with techbuild.africa
Innovation hubs have a major impact on Africa as they offer support services to startups by developing high potential entrepreneurs that stimulate economic growth and social development across the continent. However, we noticed that not much coverage is given to their stories compared to other stakeholders in the ecosystem. To solve this problem, we are partnering with techbuild.africa, an online platform established in 2013 dedicated to providing information on startups, funding and events across the African continent, to create and publish content focused on innovation hubs in Africa to create more awareness for innovation hubs on the continent via storytelling and capacity building. “Everyone knows the African startups making exits, closing incredible funding rounds and expanding into new regions. But not a lot of people know how innovation hubs in Africa are accelerating and incubating ideas at early growth stages and building the capacities of entrepreneurs to grow relevant companies. That’s why we are excited about this partnership with techbuild.africa. We finally have an opportunity to put the spotlight on these unsung heroes.” – Joshua Omena .A., Communications Manager, AfriLabs This synergy will allow hubs within our network to have a platform that highlights their impact, stories and also give hubs more visibility that will open them to more opportunities. Also, masterclasses will be organized to further assist Hubs in building a proper communication framework within their various communities and further increase their impact. “We believe that Africa is the new frontier for innovation and that is why we support this work with AfriLabs. This partnership is poised to add immense value to Africa’s innovation ecosystem as we would leverage our years of experience in the media space to reach a wider African audience.” – Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, the Founder of techbuild.africa.
Rollo Business Simulation concluded, new insights to better guide interventions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on African enterprises
8 February 2021 — The Rollo Africa Business Simulation Programme successfully concluded several rounds of simulations in 5 African countries, supported by the African Union and the United Nations Development and Programme (UNDP). Rollo Africa is a business simulation program dedicated to inspiring and supporting small African enterprises facing challenges after the COVID-19 outbreak. Driven by AfriLabs member hubs Kmt house (District Spaces) in Egypt, Savannah Hub in Sudan, Jokkolabs in Senegal, Activspaces in Cameroon and iZone Hub in Zimbabwe, the program provided a platform for African entrepreneurs to create ideas and test new strategies in a simulated and risk-free environment. This translated into understanding the responses and behaviors of African businesses to existing policies during COVID-19 and allowed the participating entrepreneurs to learn best practices to harness these policies in the real world. The AU and UNDP documented these lessons to provide evidence-based policy recommendations to governments on business stimulus packages. “The growth of the African economy is mostly reliant on small and medium enterprises and a good number of these businesses were driven to survival mode during the recent lockdowns, with many letting go of staff and some even closing up,” said Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director of AfriLabs in her opening remarks at the Rollo Africa Masters. “We need to understand how businesses across the continent make decisions in peculiar situations such as during a pandemic and we need to empower them to make better ones. Rollo is first a learning opportunity for every stakeholder and then a support system for the entrepreneurs affected by the pandemic.” The call for applications for the program received 490 submissions from African enterprises in the 5 pilot countries and 360 entrepreneurs from 120 enterprises participated in more than 1500 hours of simulation in the bootcamps that took place in December 2020 and January 2021, with the top 5 participants from each bootcamp advancing to the Rollo Africa Masters. Presentations from the 5 finalists – Mycelium from Egypt, Feith from Zimbabwe, Exousia-com from Senegal, Agrona from Egypt and Save from Cameroon – were assessed by an esteemed panel of judges from the private sector, development partners and innovation hubs across Africa. “Evaluating the ideas and lessons shared during the Rollo Africa bootcamps and demo day, was a beacon of hope in these rather unusual times. This was a great opportunity to understand the ecosystems of informal and formal businesses in different economies in Africa. Choosing the top participants was a rather tough exercise for the judges but they did their jobs thoroughly. We look forward to expanding this program to empower more enterprises and learn even more about the SMEs sector in more African countries” Moetaz Helmy, Executive Director of Rollo Africa said on the impact of the program. After the judging exercise, Exousia-com, Senegal, emerged as the Rollo Masters Africa Champion and went home with a prize of 5,000 USD among several other benefits. Feith Hub from Zimbabwe was the first runner up winning a cash prize of 3,000 USD and Mycelium from Egypt as the second runner up with a cash prize of 2,000 USD. The data from the simulation exercise will help policymakers and other stakeholders to better understand and monitor the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, especially in the informal sector, and help in the modelling of African SMEs. It will also help stakeholders identify the level of competitiveness of African businesses. “The learnings from the simulation to a norm-setting organization like the AU is tremendous. In addition to understanding the strength and weaknesses of the MSMEs and the ecosystem at large, it also helped identify the sectors of interest for the MSMEs in Africa.” Eiman Kheir, Head of Diaspora Division, African Union said about the insights gained from the program. “While the top two sectors of interest were Agriculture and Manufacturing, it is Agriculture and Digital Solutions that outperformed the rest when simulating COVID and Post COVID policies” About the African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. It is Africa’s pan-African organisation created to realise Africa’s potential towards increased cooperation and integration of African states to drive Africa’s growth and economic development. The AU is guided by its vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.” Learn more about the AU and its programs at https://au.int/. About the United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations’ global development network. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations and advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves. Visit www.undp.org to learn more about the UNDP and its activities. About AfriLabs AfriLabs is a pan-African network organization of 240 innovation centres across 48 African countries, supporting hubs to raise successful entrepreneurs that will create jobs and develop innovative solutions to African problems. AfriLabs provides an environment characterized by open collaboration, technical innovation and support for the innovation community at large. Learn more about AfriLabs and its initiatives at www.afrilabs.com.