Africa: Social Entrepreneurship & TechnologyBy Megan Fox, Branden Kim, and Tiffany Liu

How does technology help to empower businesses and further development in Africa?

Africa

Moving Towards a Globalized World ● Globalization: “The inexorable integration of markets,

nation-states and technologies to a degree never witnessed before.” - Thomas Friedman

● Marginalization vs. Integration○ Africa’s share of world trade has gone down from 4% to

1.5% over the past 40 years

Why does this matter?

The Challenges within Africa ● The Bottom Billion

○ “Seventy percent of [people living in these trapped countries] are in Africa, and most Africans are living in countries that have been in one or another of the traps. Africa therefore is the core of the problem.”-Paul Collier

● Development Traps○ Conflicts○ Raw materials○ Poor leadership○ Landlocked with bad neighbors

The Opportunities within Africa ● “I think right now there is a revolution, a technological,

entrepreneurial revolution within the continent.” -Loic Assobmo

● Africa as the land of opportunity for the entrepreneurial-focused○ Lack of established businesses ○ Large, growing youth population

Looking for a SolutionWhat Doesn’t Work

● The aid model as it is now○ The Blue Sweater -

malaria nets● Lack of local input

What Does Work

● Social entrepreneurship○ Collaboration and

empowerment● Technology

○ Universal technology

Social Entrepreneurship

What is Social Entrepreneurship?1. Loic Assobmo - A&S ‘15

a. “In the context of Africa, solving issues that are critical to the daily activities of people within that and then creating a business out of it and making it sustainable.”

2. Kevin Schuster - A&S ‘11a. “A business that blends impact and profits, or a social

mission, with a sustainable business model.”

Aid in Africa● Sustainability

○ biggest difference between the old and new model○ business plans aren’t doomed to fall apart

● Putting the business into the country’s own hands○ not simply copying and pasting ○ collaboration between diverse people groups○ empowers the people

Impact of Social Entrepreneurship● Economic development

○ Provides economic stimulation ○ Help solve social issues within the continent

● Changes in attitude ○ Inspires people in Africa to become entrepreneurs○ A “Doomed Continent” to an innovative one

Technology

Moore’s Law

Chip performance per dollar doubles every 18 months

Why does Moore’s Law matter?Leap-Frogging: Acceleration of development by skipping inferior, less efficient, more expensive, or more polluting technologies and industries and moving directly to more advanced ones

Problems with Technology● Even with leap-frogging,

technology still hasn’t caught up to all modern innovations

● “In most cases technology isn’t the solution, it’s a way to enable traditional businesses or traditional sectors” - Kevin Schuster

Culmination

“What ultimately distinguishes — and continues to handicap — Africa is its lack of mastery of modern science and technology. Without advanced competency in these areas, nations cannot harness the full power of scientific research and technological

tools to solve the many health, energy and development challenges confronting them.”

-“Africa Needs Science, Not Aid”

● GEMA (Global Enterprise for Medical Advancement)○ Provides awareness and solutions to medical problems in

Africa● MEST (Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology)

○ School and incubator providing training, mentoring, and investment for technology entrepreneurs with a focus on creating wealth and jobs in Africa

Examples

Land of Opportunity● For entrepreneurs interested in Africa:

○ Know the market○ Start developing solutions○ Be able to deal with the constant changes

● After understanding the challenges that exist within the continent, the market potential can be sustainable and generate money

Works Cited1. Assobmo, L. (2015, October 13). Africa: Social Entrepreneurship and Technology [Telephone interview].

2. GEM. (n.d.). Percentage of population involved in setting up a new business in Africa in 2014, by country. In

Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved October 15, 2015, from http://www.statista.com/statistics/315390/nascent-

entrepreneurship-rate-in-sub-saharan-africa/.

3. Jefferies & Company. (n.d.). Number of mobile subscribers in the Middle East and Africa from 2008 to 2020 (in 1,000).

In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://www.statista.com/statistics/226345/mobile-

subscriber-forecast-in-the-middle-east-and-africa/.

4. Khumbah, N., & Foote, M. (2014, July 31). Africa Needs Science, Not Aid. Retrieved October 13, 2015.

5. Moss, T. (2009, June 23). Where does Africa fit in the globalization puzzle? Retrieved November 17, 2015, from

http://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/where-does-africa-fit-globalization-puzzle

6. Schuster, K. (2015, October 22). Africa: Social Entrepreneurship and Technology [Telephone interview].