The African Innovative Way | Cliff Taruvinga | TEDxBorrowdale

TL;DR

Africans need to embrace technological innovations created by their own people to achieve a sense of identity and make a global impact.

Transcript

foreign [Applause] who happens to be two years old a couple of months ago she came to me and she asked for me something and she said Uncle can you make your WhatsApp Stick Of Me I was like yeah sure no problem so I made the first one she didn't like it made the second one if you didn't like it the Third the fourth the fifth the sixth and seventh on... Read More

Key Insights

• ◼️ Many Africans are not aware of social media platforms created by African individuals or companies, highlighting the lack of recognition for African innovation.
• 🇨🇫 Facebook and WhatsApp dominate the social media landscape in Africa, with a significant number of African users.
• 🇿🇦 South Africa has a notable presence on LinkedIn, with 15.6 percent of its population using the platform.
• 👯 Embracing African innovation fosters a sense of identity, as Africans can take pride in platforms developed by their own people.
• 🎓 African innovation contributes to the growth and impact of the continent, particularly in communication, healthcare, education, and agriculture.
• 🇨🇫 Expanding business networks through embracing African innovation can lead to increased sales and opportunities for African entrepreneurs.
• 🙈 Africans have a unique way of making things happen and staying for good, which can be seen in the creativity and originality of African-created platforms.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the speaker's niece inspire him to discuss African-created social media platforms?

The speaker's niece requested him to create a LinkedIn account, leading him to ask if adults can name any African-created social media platforms. This highlights the lack of awareness and recognition for such innovations.

Q: Which social media platforms have the highest user penetration in Africa?

Facebook is the most widely used platform in Africa, followed by Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and WhatsApp. This reflects the popularity and influence of these platforms in the continent.

Q: Why should Africans embrace African innovation?

Embracing African innovation gives Africans a sense of identity, as they can take pride in using platforms created by their fellow Africans. It also helps expand business networks, improve the global market reach, and contributes to the growth and development of the continent.

Q: What industries have African innovations made an impact on?

African innovations have made an impact in various industries, including communication with platforms like Zivai and TalkChart, healthcare with Maisha Medic, education, and agriculture. These innovations address specific needs and challenges faced by Africans.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker shares an anecdote about his two-year-old niece asking him to create a LinkedIn account, prompting him to question how many adults can identify African-created social media platforms.

• Statistics reveal that Facebook and WhatsApp have a significant number of African users, while LinkedIn is popular in South Africa.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of embracing African innovations in communication, health, agriculture, and education for the growth and impact of the continent and its people.