Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Zynga, Airbnb, Uber etc
etc. These are all companies that have come from nowhere and are
now market leaders in an increasingly mobile and digital world.
They have built their brands and revenues on populations that are
increasingly sucked in (some would say addicted...) to this new
world of digital apps. However, Africa is still playing catch up.
If you exclude the telcos, no household African IT or social media
company has emerged. Nevertheless the TMT sector in Africa is
growing and thriving.
The National Intelligence Council identifies technological
advancements as having a game-changing role within the global
economy. This is especially visible in Africa where development and
economic growth powered by technological change can be seen across
the continent Africa (...just ask any farmer or trader in Kenya who
uses M-Pesa to trade). The combination of rapid technology uptake,
growing populations and an expanding middle class is
