Why Tech + Africa?

Tech + Africa is a collaborative publication from African techies, makers, DIY-ers, and researchers about tech entrepreneurship and making in/from Africa.

Our goal is to share our experiences and knowledge about designing, building, and using digital technologies in our own voices. African voices are limited online and in media around the world. We aim to start reversing this imbalance and dearth of African perspectives and representations online, and at the same time, inject some critical reflection on technology production and use on the continent. We encourage collaboration where we can and work to support our communities through our work here and elsewhere. Many of us live and work in Africa, some of us are scattered around the world but continue to do work related to technology and Africa in some shape or form.

We begin with a series of posts from a Ghanaian tech entrepreneur and maker, who recounts his adventures in Shenzhen, China, in search of manufacturing partners to prototype and produce a device he designed. Written in his own personal style, the story of how Desmond travels to and from China will reveal nuanced observations about ‘doing tech business’ in a necessarily transnational environment, and offer his thoughts on how his home country can leverage the relationships between the Chinese and Africans today.

We expect that Tech + Africa will change over the years to reflect our community. Welcome, and if you’re interested in any of these topics, we hope to hear from you soon.