Does Africa Need More Cheap Smartphones?

For many recently married couples, the diamond engagement ring is one of their biggest assets— albeit an emotional asset, symbolising love and lifelong commitment. In financial terms it isn’t an asset at all, considering the fact that it loses at least 50% of it’s retail value the moment you leave the jewellery store. Rough, isn’t it?

And yet still we feel compelled to buy diamonds for our loved ones, and continue to fuel a global billion-dollar industry. One has to admire the ingenious marketing strategy drafted and executed by the N.W. Ayer ad agency in the early 1900s for their client, De Beers, which resulted in the world attaching value to a commodity that’s not nearly as rare (or as necessary) as we were led to believe.

In this week’s African Tech Round-up, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss the the implications of low-cost smartphone penetration on the continent. The increase in internet use via mobile devices has undoubtedly delivered certain advantages. But when you consider how issues like the prevalence of preventable diseases, hunger and limited access to basic education continue to be a daily reality faced by many Africans, the importance of whether or not you have a smartphone might be in question.

So, just how important and necessary is this so-called “mass exodus” from feature phones to smartphones, and could the Android-brigade (led by Google and its mobile device manufacturing homies) be stimulating the demand for the smartphone the way De Beers did for diamonds near the turn of the century?

Also in this week’s episode, all the biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across Africa:

• Vodacom South Africa rolls out voice-over-WiFi calling,
• The Nigerian Communications Commission poised to deactivate 10.7 million mobile lines over various networks,
• Kenyan banks are finally getting in on the mobile money craze in a big way,
• Uber Kenya sees their user numbers triple following the introduction of Uber Cash,
• The embattled Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa is reeling following a train crash,
• Thousands of South Africans reportedly implicated in the Ashley Madison data dump, and
• Google rolls out its Android One programme is Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco.

Are Kenya And Ethiopia Violating Citizens’ Privacy?

Many people are conflicted about the need for “cyber mercenaries” like Hacking Team to exist. Blind idealism might contend that it is simply not right for corporatised hacking syndicates with dodgy ethical standards to secretly assist government intelligence agencies (and well-heeled private clients) to snoop on targets.

However, living in a world where the modern wonders of the internet and mobile devices are harnessed to conduct criminal activities in increasingly devious ways may demand that we hold a far more pragmatic attitude towards the need for “hackers for hire” firms to stay in business.

This week, iAfrikan Startups Editor and Content Producer for the African Tech Round-up, Peter Peele joins me to discuss how Kenya and Ethiopia have been implicated in Hacking Team’s recent embarrassing hacking incident, and explain how the alleged incompetence of those countries’ intelligence officials– as evidenced in leaked documents archived on WikiLeaks, could mean that companies like Hacking Team will not be short of clients any time soon.

As always, be sure to catch up on all the weeks biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across the African continent:

• Get an update on the headcount at PRASA in the wake of the company’s multi-million dollar locomotive procurement scandal,
• Find out which three big international players have announced major plays for Africa’s growing money remittance and online payments market,
• Discover which recent infrastructural development at SEACOM has led to their claim of being Africa’s leading “telecom enabler and network provider”, and what has given rise to Liquid Telecoms promising its clients “near 100 percent server uptime at much faster speeds than any other ISP in Africa”,
• Learn more about the Nigerian government’s new SIM card registration rules– aimed at curbing fraud, and
• Get the low-low on which African countries Vodafone services never ask them to intercept communications either for for law enforcement or national security purposes?

Nest.vc Launches In Africa

Everyone loves a good love story.  Especially when things go according to plan: start-up founder meets venture capitalist with deep pockets, tons of real-world experience, great contacts and of course, a tried and tested system for navigating to success.

For most African tech startups who have been financed by one of Africa’s leading venture capital funds, this idyllic scenario couldn’t be further from reality.

This week, the folks at Hong Kong’s only private, full service startup accelerator, Nest, have granted the African Tech Round-up an exclusive to break the news of their plans to ride into Africa’s startup funding scene like a knight in shining armour to “make an impact” by sweeping pretty damsels (aka promising startups) off their feet.

Listen in to hear straight from Nest’s Africa Managing Partner, Aaron Fu, what he and his team plan to offer investable prospects on the continent (starting with Kenya) by way of finance, expertise and other key elements of startup support.

Also in this week’s show– all the week’s digital, tech and innovation news from across Africa:

• A quick update from my co-host, Tefo Mohapi, on the official launch of Facebook Africa’s office in Johannesburg,
• Details on the far-reaching consequences of the embarrassing security breach at controversial spyware company Hacking Team,
• Worrying news on internet security laws being proposed by the Kenyan government,
• The low-low on a multi-million dollar locomotive scandal in South Africa, and
• The latest on bitcoin platform BitX’s foray into the Nigerian market.