London — The past two years has seen the steady growth of things that are variously called innovation hubs, incubators and accelerators. They are now creating support networks that give ICT entrepreneurs a much better chance of survival. This week Russell Southwood spoke to Josiah Eyison and reflects of the continuing dangers for this ecosystem.
iSpace came out of a conversation between Ghanaian developers for the need for a space to meet and the lack of reliable internet connectivity. Eyison took that conversation to heart and decided to set up iSpace: "We will be able to support graduates who don't know where to go. We can support start-ups who don't make it to MEST or the Kumasi Tech Hub."
"Anyone can use the co-location space but we don't want it to simply turn into a free Internet cafe so there will be a membership and we will talk to those wanting to join about what they're trying to achieve and their vision."
It is run as a social enterprise that offers developers, entrepreneurs (not always the same thing) and those in creative industries connections, resources and training. Based on Oxford Street in Accraís Osu district and covering an entire floor, it gives a visible public presence to all three of these mutually overlapping communities: "It has a beautiful view over the city and out towards the sea."
The idea of having creative industries alongside was that the media (whether TV, radio or press) are not very familiar always with ICT and the developer community is currently largely but not completely invisible. The assumption is that if you get the two alongside each other, then there will be a synergy, whether itís with media or film or music.
So far it has attracted 6 start-ups and has a co-working space that can accommodate 60 people. The start-ups include:; another focused on booking cinema and event tickets; one focused on finding restaurants and another on teaching code to children.
iSpace has attracted funding from the Indigo Trust and ATTI is part of the Google partnership for entrepreneurs. In due course it wants to be able to set up its own UX Lab to help provide research for developers before they start writing apps.
In Senegal, Jokko Labs has begun to roll out a similar formula both within Senegal itself and into other francophone countries on a open franchise model. It does not deal just with ICT but looks more widely at other areas of innovation. Its founder Karim Sy says that it will soon open a Jokko Lab in an anglophone country, which will be an exciting development, crossing one of the continent's continuing divides:
See video clip interview here
In my heart, I want to see this flourishing of entrepreneurial talent (and best can and have succeeded) but my head can see the many significant barriers that need to be tackled. The OS and handset market is incredibly fragmented, making all but the development of SMS apps a really tough call. Transaction processes remain in the hands of the mobile operators. Their current greed on deal structure (which to be fair, is changing a little) is holding back getting money into the ecosystem.
Developers are not entrepreneurs and vice versa. Too many developers are designing apps for their friends or for problems they think exist but which take a very different for. Unless these diverse new communities (developers, entrepreneurs, creative industries) can articulate what they need and argue for it, they will find themselves up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Funding fashions change and a lot of hubs will disappear unless they start tackling the fundamentals of building the ecosystem.
Video briefings on:
Making mHealth work:
Maeghan Orton, Medic Mobile on using SMS services to connect rural unconnected clinics
Maeghan Orton, Medic Mobile on how SMS generated health data can be used for decision-making
New content for mobile phones:
Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainana plans to set up a digital publishing house to sell cheap African pulp fiction
Kenyan booking portal set to expand across Africa and in the Middle East:
Johann Jenson, Sleepout.com on how this accommodation portal works and its expansion plans
More successful bloggers are now attracting advertising:
Kennedy Kachwanya on the size of the Kenyan blogosphere and what people are writing about
Think before you launch an app – User-based research essential:
Mark Kamau, UX Lab on how research with users can overcome barriers to mobile apps adoption
Citizen Journalism:
Santos Okottah, Eziki on its citizen journalism app Reporta that's also being used for weddings
TV White Spaces Briefing from Dakar event sponsored by Google and Microsoft:
Paul Mitchell explains Microsoft's TV White Spaces pilots and why it thinks TVWS is important
Kai Wulff on Google's TV White Spaces pilots and why they are important for developing countries
Africa’s Tech Incubators:
Karim Sy on the innovative projects Jokko Labs supports and the expansion of its network
Africa’s first accelerator 88mph:
Nikolai Barnwell - How Africa's first accelerator 88mph will to help create local content & services
Viewing and talking about football in Africa:
Football, TV viewers and social media:
Gary Rathbone, Founder Sports News Africa (formerly Head of Supersports) on African TV sports watching habits and the rise of the tablet as first screen
Premier League football agent Ayo Alli on the launch of his football social network site Gbamm!
Computer gaming in Kenya:
Wesley Kirinya, Leti Games on its new games and comic series based on African myths and legends
Nathan Masyuko on the launch of Kenya's first computer games league
For breaking news, follow us on Twitter: @BalancingActAfr
- See more at: http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/en/issue-no-665/top-story/ispace-joins-the-wav/en#sthash.f3hRdkGi.dpuf
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This Global Warming Stuff Is A Complete Hoax . Man has so arrogantly told
God, by inference, that God the Creator didn’t Create things quite right. The United
Nations is just another attempt by Satan to build another Tower of Babel .
If you want to know some real truth tune in to broadcasts like Living In Black
(Hosted By Keidi-Obi Awadu – via www.libradio.net) & Alex Jones’ Infowars broadcast
( via www.inforwars.com)
Here’s a link to articles on the Hoax of Global Warming.
1) [http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi]
What is this hype of Global warming for ? It’s designed to give these phony
scientists ( who actually act like they were taking part in the Creation itself ) and the
organizations they represent control of the world’s natural resources. The GEORGIA
GUIDESTONES is consistent with United Nations goals for the world.
Here is a synopsis of the GEORGIA GUIDESTONES :
[The Agenda Of The Antichrist aka The Georgia Guidestones (GG) ]
THE GEORGIA GUIDESTONES
1) MAINTAIN HUMANITY'S POPULATION UNDER 500 MILLION IN
PERPETUAL BALANCE WITH NATURE
2) GUIDE REPRODUCTION WISELY —IMPROVING FITNESS AND DIVERSITY
3) UNITE HUMANITY WITH A LIVING NEW LANGUAGE
4) RULE PASSION — FAITH — TRADITION AND ALL THINGS WITH
TEMPERED REASON
5) PROTECT PEOPLE AND NATIONS WITH FAIR LAWS AND JUST COURTS
6) LET ALL NATIONS RULE INTERNALLY RESOLVING EXTERNAL DISPUTES
IN A WORLD COURT
7) AVOID PETTY LAWS AND USELESS OFFICIALS
8) BALANCE PERSONAL RIGHTS WITH SOCIAL DUTIES.
9) PRIZE TRUTH — BEAUTY — LOVE — SEEKING HARMONY WITH THE
INFINITE
10) BE NOT A CANCER ON THE EARTH — LEAVE ROOM FOR NATURE —
LEAVE ROOM FOR NATURE
In conclusion the directives for these GEORGIA GUIDESTONES call for : a) b) c) Elimination of around 7 billion residents d) e) f) Control of how many people are born g) h) i) The return of the system of ONE LANGUAGE as it was during the construction j) k) of the TOWER OF BABEL l) m) n) The other goals seem to infer that there isn’t currently a choice available to us that o) p) can help us to be better people. And there is a choice. q) r) s) But as the prophecy said in Daniel , The Beast/Antichrist will not allow any other t) u) worship, but of himself.
Global Warming and all this false human-directed unity is designed to appeal to our
personal pride , our lustful flesh and our unsatisfied eyes. But we can’t save our
selves. We children need OUR FATHER GOD to fight for us against our evil older
brethren Satan (formerly known as Lucifer) and His Fallen Followers.
CHECK OUT THIS EYE-OPENING VIDEO ON THE SCAM
SWINDLE OF GLOBAL WARMING
2) THE GREAT GLOBAL WARMING SWINDLE
- URL – [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMA6sszChwQ]
Revelations 11:18
And the nations were angry, and your wrath is here, and the time
of the dead, that they
should be judged, and that you should give reward to your
servants the prophets, and to
the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; AND
SHOULD DESTROY THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH.
3) Scientists Debunk UN “Global Warming”
[ http://www.infowars.com/scientists-debunk-un-global-warming/ ]
4) Gore cancels on Copenhagen lecture — leaves ticket holders
in a lurch
[ http://www.infowars.com/gore-cancels-on-copenhagen-lecture-leaves-tickethol ders-in-a-lurch/ ]
5) It’s Over, Al Gore.
[ http://www.infowars.com/its-over-al-gore/]
6) Rep. Miller Calls For Climategate Investigation
[http://www.infowars.com/rep-miller-calls-for-climategate-investigation/ ]
7) Climategate Crooks Recast Themselves As The Victims [ http://www.infowars.com/climategate-crooks-recast-themselves-as-the-victims / ]
:WHO BROUGHT THE SLAVES TO AMERICA ?
[ http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/42787621/Who+brought+the+slaves+to+ameri ca?tab=summary]
for full length video
FRITZ SPRINGMEIER A Bold Christian Truthseeker
The Top 13 Illuminati Bloodlines
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k73Q2_f4vKU ]
WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! .
[ libradio.net ]
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx]
[gcnlive.com]
- Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]
SO PLEASE WAKE UP MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
GOD IS ALL WE NEED.
You are In My Prayers.
God Bless Us.
God Bless Africa.