The Future of Tech is Africa
The Head of Digital Marketing here at 3 Wise Pixels Ltd asked me to write this article, with the title “The Future of Tech in Africa”. But it is with a head-turn that would wow Zoolander that I say, the future of tech is Africa.
It is common knowledge that North America, Western Europe, and a lot of Asia are light-years ahead of Africa in terms of the use of technology to empower their citizens and economies. From electricity and water supply systems to urban planning and public security, these nations understand that the key to a thriving populace is the elimination of uncertainty in as many areas as possible. Tools should work when and as they are expected to work, so that people are free to grow and innovate, using those tools, and that’s where the African paradigm gets its edge.
After hundreds of years of European exploitation and the resulting homegrown greed, the vast digital wilderness that separates the majority of African nations from those mentioned earlier has shrunk exponentially, thanks in no small part to the wider variety of advanced tools to choose from to tackle an equally wide variety of social issues. This is also one of the reasons why the global FinTech Revolution resounds more in Africa than anywhere else, it is easier to lay a foundation where one doesn’t already exist (at least not one that works).
This is one of the basic premises we work with at 3WP, where we use cutting-edge technology to develop products that are efficient, reliable, scalable and sustainable, so that our clients can focus on inventing new flavors of gelato or finding the next African Basquiat, while being assured that their digital logistics function seamlessly. Coupled with bespoke branding, our clients end up with tools that would allow them to compete with anyone in their industry, anywhere in the world, and it is with that understanding that we place as much importance on the nuances of the required solution as we do on the nuances of the client’s business plan.
This part of the world is rife with memories of missed opportunities and mismanaged resources, so rather than selecting clients (only) based off the size of their checkbook, we are determined to ensure our efforts will not be for naught or our products kept on a shelf to gather dust.
We want to provide the tools that will pave the Yellow Brick Road to Africa’s digital future, just as much as we want to live in that future. And with the exportability of the endless reserves of culture we enjoy here, all signs point to a future that boasts a uniquely Afrocentric aesthetic, draped atop technology tailored for us, by us.
Well, let’s see how the elections go first.
Sean is Chief Operating Officer at 3WP. Learn more about 3WP at www.3wp.io
