Google Africa

Africa, which has the world’s highest mobile growth rate and where mobile phone penetration is six times Internet penetration is Googles new centre of light. Extending his service in Africa, Google is announcing Google SMS, a suite of mobile applications which will allow people to access information, via SMS, on a diverse number of topics including health and agriculture tips, news, local weather, sports, and more. The suite also includes Google Trader, a SMS-based “marketplace” application that helps buyers and sellers find each other. People can find, „sell“ or „buy“ any type of product or service, from used cars and mobile phones to crops, livestock and jobs.

Meanwhile, if you’re curious about what Google is doing in Africa, especially in Uganda, learn more at the Google Africa Blog.

At Novatech ICT Africa in Addis Abeba I have the pleasure to discuss with Hon. Nabilah Sempala Naggayi, Woman Member of Parliament for Kampala District in the Parliament of Uganda, the role of IT development in Eastern Africa, the situation of the educational sector – and the lack of marketing, German companies do (or better: didn’t do) on African markets.

Additional, Hon. Nabilah Sempala, who speaks fluently German, pointed out, how high the benefits are, Ugandas IT industry can receive out of the Open Source Africa project. Something – of course – I was very happy to hear.