Africa today evokes persistent associations with famine, wars and completely backward countries for many. But there are brands in this country too. Moreover, African start-ups, non-profit organizations and large businesses today offer a variety of services, from convenient shopping to providing a public good. Of course, before Coca-Cola or Apple it's still very, very far away, but progress is still there.
1.ihub
Проект iHub был основан в марте 2010 года блоггером Эриком Херсманом и сегодня представляет собой некий гибрид платформы для коворкинга и сервиса для общения представителей университетских общин. За три года своего существования iHub заметно разросся и на данный момент включает более 10 тысяч членов. При его помощи и участии было основано порядка 150 компаний, цель которых — найти технологические решения многим проблемам Африки.
2. SANERGY
More than 12,000 people in the slums of Kenya live in terrible unsanitary conditions. The Sanergy project is called upon to improve their living conditions. It provides Kenyans with portable toilets containing toilet paper, sawdust, soap and water. Waste is collected daily and transported to a control center where it is treated in accordance with government standards. Thus, fertilizers are obtained, which are sent to farmers in the east of the country so that they can use them in agriculture.
3. ONE ACRE FUND
Another project designed to have a positive impact on farming in Africa. The company provides farmers with seeds and fertilizers on credit, and also supplies all the necessary tools for working with crops. Moreover, if necessary, the farmer will also be taught how to use certain tools correctly and even help him realize the harvest. Since its launch in 2006, the One Acre Fund has covered over 180,000 farms in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.
4.ROCKET INTERNET
The purpose of this project is to make it easier for Africans to use some of the services of the developed world. So, since its launch in 2007, the company has made it possible to order food online with FoodPanda, work with real estate with Lamundi, book hotels with Javogo, and shop for goods on Amazon and Jumia. Thus, Rocket Inernet aims to bring new opportunities to the African continent, which is vital for its further development.
5. KONGA
The Konga project aims to make online shopping in Africa safer while protecting both buyer and seller. Today, the service offers more than 200,000 types of different products - from clothing to electronics. It is noteworthy that both large international companies and simple artisans of small Nigerian villages can promote their goods with its help.
6.STERIO.ME
Stereo.me — это молодой стартап, призванный упростить и улучшить процесс обучения, переведя его на новый, электронный уровень. На сегодняшний день активно применяется уже в 75 нигерийских школах. Работа сервиса основана на использовании SMS сообщений, которые открывают студентам доступ к аудиоматериалам и урокам, предназначенным для прослушивания за пределами классной комнаты. Уроки предварительно записываются педагогами и посылаются в качестве бесплатного голосового вызова при срабатывании определенного SMS кода.
7. UPENERGY
Even in this technologically advanced age, millions of people in rural Uganda still use their traditional three-stone stoves and kerosene to cook their meals, greatly increasing the number of accidents in the region. UpEnergy has set itself the goal of protecting the environment and people. Working directly with relevant product suppliers, the company provides the local community with safer, cleaner and more efficient cooking stoves, as well as water filters and solar lights.
8. DAPTIO
Today, online education is gaining more and more popularity, in connection with which many online learning platforms are trying to move away from the typical lecture format and try a new type of learning - adaptive. Its essence is to allow students to perceive the necessary knowledge at the optimal time for this, which leads to a better understanding of the educational material and, accordingly, to higher marks.
9. PREPCLASS
PrepClass is another education-focused company. It is an online portal for Nigerian students preparing for state tests such as JAMB, WAEC, GCE and NECO. The service allows students to take preliminary tests, the results of which can be used to draw a conclusion about the gaps in one or another of their knowledge. To make the learning process easier, PrepClass has partnered with over 1,000 internet cafes throughout Nigeria, thus providing students with convenient internet access.
10. AWEZA
The goal of the Aweza project is to unite society by reducing the gap between representatives of various segments of the population and, if possible, smoothing out language barriers. The Aweza application allows users to translate words and phrases from one African dialect to another, which is more than relevant for South Africa with its 11 official languages.
