Author: GK Annan

Chinese megacity, PRD, already has a population bigger than Canada, Australia, and Argentina

   #Business Insider writes: China’s Pearl River Delta is swallowing up nearby cities. As the largest urban area in the world, the region features a population of roughly 42 million housed inside a 2,700-square-mile perimeter. The Pearl River Delta is made up of nine cities, each boasting populations above 1 million. And China is combining them all…
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Is Africa “impoverished” or “rising”? The competing media perspectives

Journalism Professor Suzanne Franks writes: In more recent years it looks as if the single story has shifted gear. Instead of the relentless negative image of suffering and impoverished victims there is a new narrative, ‘Africa Rising’. Suddenly the continent is brimming with mobile phones and energetic businesses. In May 2000 there was a famous…
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3 ways tech can help the UN achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Travel in New York City is a mess this week. At least for regular folks anyway. But it’s for a good reason. The United Nations head of states, delegates, and Pope Francis will be in town for the UN General Assembly and security is pretty high. Along with the regular United Nations-related activity, there is…
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Nigerian internet usage skyrockets. Government begins smart cities initiative

Ventures Africa reports Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications Technology has initiated a Smart States initiative aimed at reducing Right of Way (RoW) fees and standardizing state levies and taxes on information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. By eliminating arbitrary charges and eradicating multiple taxations across the country, the initiative is expected to spur infrastructural development across…
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Africa Trends Roundup: Internet-Anywhere, Smart cities, & Jobs creation

Getting insights from the noisy coverage of Africa can be very hard. We’ve sifted through all the news and views and identified these recent stories which more accurately indicate what Africa’s cultural, and business ecosystems might look like in the near future. Read on and continue to stay one step ahead. Made In Kenya, Assembled…
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Steal this idea: A network of couriers to ease Ghana/Nigeria traffic

On a recent trip to Ghana, I spent a good amount of time traversing Accra, and consequently getting stuck in traffic. Ghana is not unlike many other African and foreign cities. It boasts a growing urban population, engaged middle class, and business growth. Add to that poor urban planning and you get horrendous daily traffic.…
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Flying drones or more roads? What will connect more Africans?

There’s an ongoing debate going on right now spawned by recent news that Facebook’s bid to buy a drone manufacturer has implications for the company’s goal of “connecting Africa”. Whether Facebook actually intends to pursue that goal or it’s just a ploy to keep the company’s investors happy, the idea that Africa’s future could be…
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IBM Chief Research Scientist on Tech as enabler for Africanized solutions

Last year I met IBM research scientist Uyi Stewart at a Africa business and innovation conference at the NYU. After hearing him talk on a panel and a few short conversations I could tell that he was a man on a mission. At the time we connected Uyi was finalizing plans to leave his position…
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Business success in Africa is all about relationships

Carlo Regueiras, Africa Sales Manager at Altech ISIS explains: Despite the fact that doing business in Africa has changed significantly over the past few years with the continent’s business environment maturing, there are still many continent- and country-specific adaptations that are required for a company to be successful. The only way to achieve an effective…
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Kenya’s Billion-Dollar Dash to Become the Tech Hub of Africa

Bloomberg reports: Nairobi, Kenya has become the tech hub of Africa, a niche that could be worth more than one billion dollars to the country in the next three years despite its 40% unemployment rate. Kenya is throwing all their eggs in the tech basket as they build a multi-billion dollar infrastructure in the form…
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