{"id":1328,"date":"2022-10-18T13:09:46","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T13:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icetech.io\/?p=1328"},"modified":"2023-05-15T18:47:23","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T18:47:23","slug":"innovation-solves-unique-african-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icetech.io\/2022\/10\/innovation-solves-unique-african-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation solves unique African challenges. The e-Citizen is the next wave.","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n
I often sit back and marvel at the rate of adoption of new technologies in Africa which, in many cases, exceeds that of developing world. Technology is embraced when it solves practical problems. The most notable example in Africa has been the exponential penetration of mobile telephony, and more recently smart phones. The lack of physical infrastructure connecting people who were starved of this basic service drove this unprecedented phenomenon. Humans are social beings that crave connection and simplicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the public services fail, like they did with fixed line telephony, the private sector steps in to fill the void. Technology has been an exceptional enabler of this drive. If one, simply considers the following statistics, which would have been scarcely believable many years ago, it tells the story (Mail & Guardian, April 2022):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ubiquity of connectivity that now exists on the African continent has created the platform for the practical implementation of digital transformation of government on the African continent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many parts of the developed world \u201cold school\u201d processes in government have not transitioned into the digital age simply because they work. My nephew lives in Switzerland, and I am stunned at how manual, and paper laden government services remain. However, regardless of the \u201carchaic\u201d mode of operation, they still work efficiently. Forms are filled out by hand and mailed in. In contrast, in #africa<\/a> , manual, paper-based systems simply fail the citizen. When last did anyone use the mail and trust that what was posted would be delivered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ubiquity of information and consequent exposure by the African citizen to the services levels they deserve is applying the pressure to governments to deliver on these expectations or risk losing support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n