[kictanet] Fwd: 10 Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017

Tue Jan 10 01:56:54 EAT 2017

Should we also look forward to dot Africa in 2017?
Anyone with a status update?
On 9 Jan 2017 5:14 p.m., "Barrack Otieno via kictanet" <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Eric Mugendi - iAfrikan.com" <newsletter at iafrikan.com>
> Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2017 19:56:53 +0000
> Subject: 10 Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017
> To: otieno.barrack at gmail.com
>
> View the iAfrikan Weekly Digest in your browser
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/iafrikan-weekly-digest-
> edition-142-9-january-2017-ten-things-were-looking-forward-to-in-2017/)
> http://www.iafrikan.com/2014/05/14/convergence-partners-brandon-doyle/
>
> Edition 142
> Monday, 09 January 2017
>
> From the Editor-at-Large
>
> Ngithemba ukuthi ningene kahle kunyaka omusha Afrika!
> (https://whitezulu.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/uncibijane/)
>
> 2016 was a pretty big year for tech in Afrika, and we covered a lot of
> the goings on on the continent- the ups and downs, openings and
> closings, starts and ends. We had a look back at some of our biggest
> stories (http://www.iafrikan.com/iafrikan-weekly-digest-
> edition-141-most-popular-articles-in-2016/)
>  as read by you, as well as our writers' picks
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/iafrikan-weekly-digest-
> edition-140-19-december-2016-2016-in-afrikan-tech/)
> . As we start the new year, there are a number of things we are
> looking forward to.
>
> First of all, 2017 will see elections in a number of countries. Tech
> powerhouses Kenya and Rwanda will have elections in August, and we are
> keen to see how tech will be applied in those polls, especially given
> developments elsewhere on the continent in the past year.
>
> We are also likely to see the growing adoption of the blockchain, as
> the technology gets increasingly divorced from bitcoin and finds
> applications in smart contracts, digital identity management and
> distributed cloud storage.
>
> 2017 will also likely see the growing adoption of drones and other
> means to overcome the continent's logistical challenges, the continued
> emergence of African fintech startups,
>
> We're also going to have the Annual African Roundup later in January,
> where we look back at the year that was, and chart our way forward
> into the future of tech on the continent.
>
> What do you think the (near) future holds for African tech? What are
> you looking forward to? What would you like to see more of in 2017?
> Talk to us at newsletter at iafrikan.com
> (mailto:newsletter at iafrikan.com?subject=What%20I%27m%
> 20looking%20forward%20to%20in%202017)
>
> Eric Mugendi // Editor-at-Large
>
>
> ** Ten Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Here's a brief list of the things we are looking forward to in 2017:
>
> Our Annual Tech Round-Up
> Yup. What better way to start things off than by looking back at how
> far we've come over the past year? We will be having the iAfrikan
> Annual Roundup on January 26 at Metta's flagship new space in Nairobi
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/05/metta-nairobis-flagship-
> space-for-entrepreneurs-and-innovators-is-now-open/)
> . On the agenda is a series of panel discussions covering topics such
> as tech education, journalism, policy and governance, and startups.
> (More details to follow this week)
>
> Bitcoin and Blockchain
>
> With bitcoin closing 2016 at US$1000, the cryptocurrency has found
> adopters in the midst of cash crises in India and Venezuela.
> Blockchain, which is the ledger system that powers bitcoin, shows
> promise, especially for smart contracts and record-keeping. We are
> likely to see innovative uses of these technologies in the coming
> year. South Africa's Reserve Bank shared a smart contract
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/11/02/south-african-reserve-
> bank-circulates-first-ever-smart-contract-using-private-
> ethereum-blockchain/)
>  on the Ethereum blockchain, and Senegal launched a bitcoin-based
> digital currency
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/11/24/senegal-to-introduce-a-
> new-blockchain-based-national-digital-currency-making-it-
> only-the-second-country-to-have-a-national-digital-currency/)
> , and we are likely to see similar moves in 2017 as the technology
> becomes more mainstream.
>
> Drones
> One of the biggest challenges in getting things safely and quickly
> from one point to another on the continent is the lack of supporting
> infrastructure - transport links in the form of roads and railways. In
> 2016, we saw the application of drones and other unmanned aerial
> vehicles (UAVs) to deliver medical supplies and other small packages
> in Rwanda (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/16/rwandas-pioneering-
> drone-delivery-service-for-medical-supplies-finally-takes-off/)
>  and Madagascar
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/31/with-7-out-of-10-
> residents-living-in-remote-rural-areas-madagascar-is-
> counting-on-drones-to-deliver-much-needed-medical-care/)
> , and the establishment of a humanitarian air corridor dedicated to
> drones (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/16/the-worlds-first-
> dedicated-humanitarian-air-corridor-for-drones-is-being-set-up-in-malawi/)
>  in Malawi.
> We are likely to see further trials with this technology in 2017,
> accompanied by increased investment in supporting infrastructure as
> one way of overcoming these challenges.
>
> Elections
> There will be a number of polls in the coming year, among them
> Angola's legislative election, Kenya's general election and Rwanda's
> presidential election, all in August. The past year saw
> election-related internet shutdowns in Uganda and The Gambia
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/01/gambia-becomes-the-
> latest-afrikan-country-to-shut-down-the-internet-on-election-day/)
> , and already there has been much discussion
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/03/making-sense-of-kenyas-
> digital-election-conundrum/)
>  over plans to introduce a manual backup for the technology that will
> be used to run Kenya's poll.
> Ghana's 2016 general election
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/14/ghanas-peaceful-and-digital-elections/
> )
>  was significant because it saw the successful use of technology to
> transmit results. The Electoral Commission even developed an app for
> this, making the results instantly available as soon as they were
> published.
> The coming year is likely to see a repeat of these paradoxes - the
> blocking of internet access, and the use of technology to transmit
> results after polls are done.
>
> Fintech
> The African financial technology space saw much promise in 2016, with
> a number of high-profile fundraising rounds by startups such as
> Paystack (https://techpoint.ng/2016/12/19/paystack-raises-1-3m-seed-
> investment/)
>  and BitPesa (http://disrupt-africa.com/2016/03/kenyas-bitcoin-
> startup-bitpesa-raises-funding-from-bitfury/)
> . Going into 2017, we are likely to see more funding going into the
> sector, as investors put money into startups fixing up the payments
> ecosystem.
>
> Governance and Technology
> As e-government initiatives take hold in Africa, an increasing number
> of essential services are being delivered online. We're keeping an eye
> on these, and the difference they are making in our everyday lives.
> One place where they can make a difference is in easing the
> interaction between citizens and their governments
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/03/lessons-from-tanzanias-
> digitization-of-person-to-government-payments/)
> , making it easier to access services such as registration of
> businesses, acquiring essential documents, and keeping the authorities
> accountable.
>
> Hubs
> A report published in 2016 stated that the number of tech hubs in
> Africa had doubled
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/08/19/did-afrikas-tech-hubs-
> really-double-in-number-within-a-year-or-are-we-just-
> counting-them-differently/)
> , and we asked if this was really the case. There have been a number
> of closures as some hubs found it hard to keep up with the 'everything
> is free' model, and the lack of proper growth models has brought this
> statistic into question.
> Going forward, we are seeing spaces like Nairobi's iHub adopt a more
> commercial approach in order to stay open and provide a much-needed
> service to the tech ecosystem. 2017 will likely see more spaces adopt
> this commercial approach, as funding patterns change and startups have
> to work harder to earn their keep.
>
> Information Security
> One of our biggest stories last year was about a breach
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/19/a-burundian-hacker-was-
> able-to-get-the-details-of-over-500-000-kcb-kenya-customers-through-a-
> vulnerability-in-the-banks-app/)
> in (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/19/a-burundian-hacker-was-
> able-to-get-the-details-of-over-500-000-kcb-kenya-customers-through-a-
> vulnerability-in-the-banks-app/)
>  a bank's security
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/19/a-burundian-hacker-was-
> able-to-get-the-details-of-over-500-000-kcb-kenya-customers-through-a-
> vulnerability-in-the-banks-app/)
>  that exposed customer data. As more and more of our information finds
> its way online, we are seeing instances of data loss and other similar
> breaches. It is clear that we need to take information security much
> more seriously in 2017.
>
> Mobile
> More Africans are using mobile phones now than ever before, and
> innovators are finding new and innovative ways to use the technology,
> from virtual post office boxes
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/07/18/you-can-now-use-your-
> mobile-phone-number-as-a-virtual-post-office-box-in-kenya-2/)
> in Kenya to hyperlocal weather forecasts
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/07/25/this-hyperlocal-weather-
> forecast-service-is-helping-afrikan-farmers-improve-their-yields/)
>  for farmers in West Africa and more. 2017 will likely see more
> innovations along this line, with the technology expected to further
> change how we consume news, information and entertainment content.
> Mobile tech continues to make an impact on the lives of Africans
> everywhere, and 2017 will likely see the trend continue.
>
> Startups
> On a panel discussion at the Kenya round of the Seedstars World
> startup competition, I hosted a panel discussion on the future of
> African startups
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/17/seedstars-nairobi-panel/) . One of
> the talking points was where startups could most likely thrive, and
> the main areas where this could happen are in agriculture, energy,
> technology and logistics, where significant gaps exist that tech could
> potentially solve.
> Going forward, a number of startups are trying to solve these
> problems, which we have featured at some length. As we meet and talk
> to these startups, one thing is clear, despite the challenges that
> keep getting in their way, they are determined to solve some of the
> continent's most pervasive problems, be it a need for creativity and
> innovation (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/11/14/meet-jean-claude-bastos-
> de-morais-whose-african-innovation-foundation-
> empowers-innovations-made-by-africans-for-africa/)
> , collaborative brilliance
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/31/meet-takunda-chingonzoh-
> whose-belief-in-collaborative-brilliance-is-the-force-
> behind-zimbabwes-techvillage/)
> , or opportunities to showcase their work
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/07/03/innovations-made-by-
> africans-for-africans-my-experience-in-botswana-
> gaborone-at-the-innovation-prize-for-africa-5th-edition/)
> .
> We're looking forward to finding and talking about more innovations
> and startups in 2017.
>
>
> ** News
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/09/no-more-fake-news-to-
> sway-your-views-as-the-pants-on-fire-detector-comes-to-the-rescue/
> * Nokia Is Back In The Smartphone Business, With A 5.5 Inch Device
> Running Android 7 Nougat
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/08/nokia-is-back-
> officially-unveil-the-nokia-6-running-android-7-nougat/)
> * Some Of The Most Exciting Announcements From CES 2017 So Far
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/05/some-of-the-most-
> exciting-announcements-from-ces-2017-so-far-2/)
> * After A Successful Launch In Rwanda, Zipline's Drones Will Now Trial
> Medical Deliveries In Tanzania
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/06/after-a-successful-
> launch-in-rwanda-ziplines-drones-will-now-trial-medical-
> deliveries-in-tanzania/)
> * Kenya's Internet Is Largely Free From Censorship, A Five-Month Study
> On Access And Online Activity Has Shown
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/04/kenyas-internet-is-
> largely-free-from-censorship-a-five-month-study-on-access-
> and-online-activity-has-shown/)
> * SEACOM's Internet Insights Reveal That Video Dominates Data Traffic
> In South Africa
> (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/05/video-dominates-data-
> traffic-volumes-in-south-africa-and-other-internet-
> insights/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)
>
> Tweet - This Week's iAfrikan Weekly Digest Edition 142 by Eric Mugendi
> - "🔟 Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017
> (https://twitter.com/home?status=This%20week%27s%
> 20iAfrikan%20Weekly%20Digest%20by%20%40mougendi%20-%20%22%
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