[kictanet] The Death of Cybercafes?

[bitange at jambo.co.ke]

Robert,
You are right.  Cyber Cafes may die in Nairobi CBD area but in low income
neighbourhoods and rural centers they are still relevant.  Go to Korogocho
and see what Altawon is doing.  At Mukuru Kwa Njenga the Cyber Cafe there
provides more than what we traditionally knew cyber cafes for.  If our
definition of Cyber Cafe is the same, then some digital villages in
Kangundo, Malindi, Kioge, Tsiekuru etc are basically Cyber Cafes.

The value proposition for such centers is increasingly becoming viable
with such new concepts as impact outsourcing (those who may be interested
to see model impact outsourcing centers can check with me next month).  A
bit of field visit would enhance our discussion in this list.


Regards


Ndemo.








> Hi,
>
> I disagree with your assertion that cybercafes are closing down if
> anything they
> are mushrooming and in more seats that before, in the building where our
> offices
> are we used to have a single cyber on the 2nd floor in the past 12 months
> 2 have
> opened on the ground floor replacing a bookshop and a pharmacy each with
> over 30
> stations.
>
> The availability of mobile on the phone is actually a plus for the cyber
> business as it creates a more aware market who end up spending more time
> and
> money as they need to download staff, print, cd burn etc.
>
> Unless you have an iPad the experience of browsing on your phone is still
> not as
> good as on a large 17" screen.
>
> Finally, many of thus opening cybers today have a better understanding of
> the
> business than the me too crowd that used to run them before.  Any cyber
> cafe
> that does not charge automatically for  printing is doomed to close soon.
>
> As more knowledgeable investors come into the cyber cafe business expect
> to see
> more of them coming up and with the right tools for monitoring and
> generating
> revenue such as protocol based billing.  I visited a cyber in Rongai where
> billing was bandwidth based as they where using a Safaricom 3G connection.
>
> Regards
>  Robert Yawe
> KAY System Technologies Ltd
> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> Kenya
>
>
> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke>
> To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Sent: Wed, 2 March, 2011 19:12:16
> Subject: [kictanet] The Death of Cybercafes?
>
>
> Listers
>
> Just back from Ghana where I was impressed to see that cybercafes are
> still
> alive (e.g. BusyInternet)...as my experience in Kenya is that it's hard to
> find
> a functional cybercafe within easy reach with cutting edge  services and
> programs (PDF etc)....most are closing down with Internet available on the
> mobile (with aggressive competition). So outside the office set-up and
> with
> minimal home connections...one has almost no options for innovation.
>
> Is it a good thing that cybers are dying in Kenya and broadband is yet to
> reach homes? what needs to be done differently to inform our efforts on
> digital
> villages etc?
>
> Edith
>
> ________________
> Edith  Ofwona Adera
> Senior Program Specialist
> ICT4D Program and Climate Change & Water Program
> International  Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le
> développement international
> Regional Office for Eastern  and Southern Africa
> Tel:  +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera
> eadera at idrc.or.ke | www.idrc.ca| www.crdi.ca
>
>
>
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