Tech4Africa is the premier mobile, web and emerging technology event in Africa, attracting technologists, serial entrepreneurs, digital platforms managers, project managers, and startup founders all seeking to understand how the web and mobile is relevant in the region and the world. Typical Delegates include people from Apple, Hewlett-Packard, HTC, Hi-Fi Corporation, Hollard, IBM, IDC, Internet Solutions and Investec.
The type of content and topics of discussion include analysis of current trends and emerging tech in Africa and the wider region. Also included in the menu is mobile development, FinTech and mobile payments. IBM Smartcamp an event for start ups will also be introduced.
Account of #IBMSmartcamp Silicon Valley by @Hult professor Jeff Saperstein http://t.co/lBOiNOqPKs #entrepreneur #education
— IBM SmartCamp (@IBMSmartCamp) September 29, 2013
IBM SmartCamps are exclusive events aimed at identifying early stage entrepreneurs who are developing business ventures that align with Big Blue's Smarter Planet vision. Enrollees take advantage of mentoring opportunities, learn from thought leaders, and network with investment firms, academic institutions, and industry and technology experts.
Tech4Africa will be held on 9 and 10 October at the Focus Rooms in Sunninghill and will feature a wide range of speakers, including Amolo Ng’weno, MD of Kenya’s Digital Divide, which furnishes young, impoverished people with IT skills, PayPal’s Malvina Goldfeld and Google's Petra Cross.
http://youtu.be/HCBN0_GeT0Y
In an open letter to African technologists, Founder Gareth Knight wrote:
Dear African technologist, hacker, developer, geek, product guy, dreamer, thinker, tinkerer, manager, CEO, multi-national-organisation-in-Africa,
"We’re at the beginning of a shift in technology usage, where mobile adoption and usage is quickly going to become more prevalent and ubiquitous than the PC. Bandwidth is getting faster and cheaper for both PC and mobile, despite the monopolies that have held everyone back for years. Infrastructure is now massively cheap and easy to scale. There are toolkits, API’s, platforms, frameworks, services and stacks for almost every technology need you may have. It’s easier now to create something, and innovate, than it ever has been. Not moving forward means you’re being left behind.
We can learn a lot from places like Silicon Valley, New York, Berlin, Israel, London, Austin, Chile, Singapore, Ireland and India. We can learn even more from the people who live in those places, how they work, what they do with their time, and ultimately the success they create. We can also learn from the people we live among, by asking them about the problems they face.
There is no shortage of investors or money, only shortages of good people, scalable and executable opportunities. Be the person who can execute and scale, and do it with a product that people will use, and the money won’t be a problem. But don’t use a perceived lack of investors, internal or external, as an excuse.
There are no accidents, only trying, failure, and then ultimately succeeding. As a technologist, today, your greatest asset is the time and technical gifts you have. Use them wisely".
For a full schedule of events head on over to Tech4Africa’s website.
image credit: Tech4Africa via Flickr