By 2050, Africa will be home to one in four people on the planet, marking an incredible demographic shift that is already beginning to make waves.
Mike Mpanya, a young African entrepreneur raised in a family of activists who fled political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo for South Africa, views himself as a bridge between diverse worlds. This unique background allows him to “look at Africa from multiple lenses, and to understand the struggles and the stories of different people.” Influenced by his parents’ political convictions, he believes that “no one is going to be able to change everything, but everyone can do something.”
Mpanya emphasises Africa’s communal spirit, stating, “One of the things that is perhaps a form of difference between Africa and the rest of the world is our strong view that everything is a communal endeavour. How do we take that part of who we are as Africans and use that as a driver for impact? In the context of the world we live in today, that means empowering people to generate income.”
African futurist Roze Phillips echoes this sentiment, highlighting the importance of actively shaping the future. “Here we say ‘I am because you are,’ because we believe in Ubuntu. Now Ubuntu sounds like a philosophy, but it actually is a mindset. And it’s a mindset that I think starts being much more visible in our start-up communities. Until you recognise that community has value, you’re never going to understand that community is value.”
For Mpanya, technology is “an extraordinary way to drive socioeconomic impact,” with artificial intelligence playing a significant role. “What AI is going to be able to do is like mining, but mining human potential.” In collaboration with Phillips, Mpanya is developing Nubi AI, a mobile-first AI solution providing a diverse array of services tailored specifically to the African context.
Kenya, dubbed Africa’s ‘Silicon Savannah,’ boasts one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the region, spanning from fintech to climate tech. Despite Africa’s minimal contribution to climate change, it bears a disproportionate burden of its impacts. However, a new generation of trailblazers is rising to the challenge.
Diana Maranga, Business Development Lead at Octavia Carbon, states, “Octavia Carbon is a climate technology company, but it is also a start-up. And by virtue of being a start-up, it is run by entrepreneurs. So, we are creating these opportunities for ourselves, to create jobs, to build innovation, and to change the world.” The startup created the first direct air capture system designed wholly in Africa, capturing CO2 from the air and storing it beneath the Earth’s surface. Nurturing the next generation of innovators and green champions is core to their vision. “It’s very important to hit the grassroots when they’re still young to encourage them to be as environmentally conscious as possible,” says Maranga.
By 2028, it is expected that there will be almost 700 million smartphone subscribers across Sub-Saharan Africa, driving change and unlocking new industries, including healthcare. This potential brought former banking executive Roy Bore and medical doctor Radha Karnad together to develop Kenya’s telemedicine space.
Karnad, Regional Lead of HealthX Africa, states, “Health X is working towards a vision of a doctor for every Kenyan.” With most people in Kenya having a phone, the startup provides healthcare “24 hours a day, seven days a week across the country.” Like Mpanya, both Karnad’s and Bore’s entrepreneurship is rooted in Ubuntu. Bore explains, “The impact we ultimately hope to have is improved lives and livelihoods, by keeping people healthy. But also, that will have a ripple effect of getting these people to focus on more value-adding economic activities.”
As the continent rises to meet the demands of the future, it stands at the threshold of boundless opportunities. Bore concludes, “I think the future is African, there’s no question about it.”
Article derived from the latest episode of CNN’s Inside Africa
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