• What we do
  • The People
  • About Us
  • Why Innovation Africa
  • Contact Us
Innovation AfricaCreating the Future Today
  • Feature Articles
  • Innovation
  • Agriculture
  • ICT
  • Technology
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Health
  • Store
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Feature Articles
  • Innovation
  • Agriculture
  • ICT
  • Technology
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Health
  • Store
  • Contact Us
  • What is the development impact of .Africa and other changes in the online world?

    August 1, 2012 Editor 0

    Recently, ICANN, the organization that controls the Internet naming system, made it possible for groups to apply for new gTLDs (names to the right of the dot, like .com, .org and .edu). Nearly 2000 applications were submitted, from business ideas (like .shop and .app) to causes (.green) to the only slightly bizarre .sucks. Still, after the window closed, there were only 17 applications from the African continent, including .Africa.

    technology-salon.jpg

    At the recent Technology Salon “Will the new .Africa domain name have development impact?“, Andrew Mack lead a talk about the possible impacts these changes to the domain space might have on Africa and African economic and tech development.

    What could a new .Africa extension contribute, and how might it benefit the continent? Who should run the extension – the private sector, local governments or NGOs – and why? What is the role of international organizations like the African Union and others?

    Sign up to attend the next Technology Salon

    And after a very lively 90 minutes of discussion, what did these internet prognosticators think about new domains and development?

    1. Governments should have a limited role. By the end, nearly all participants agreed that the private sector – not governments or users – should take a leading role in management of the new spaces, given the political and technical complexities.
    2. The impact on the traditional aid community would likely be small. New domains might provide a good gathering point for communities in areas like health and could offer new visibility to some initiatives, but wouldn’t likely be game changers.
    3. That said, new African online “real estate” could create real opportunities to promote African business and economic growth. The question was if Africa’s entrepreneurs were ready to take advantage of the cyber land rush, and if the impact would really be felt outside the African tech community.
    4. Finally, there was a real missed opportunity around online community-building, as a .Zulu or .Hausa could offer significant community benefits – from cultural and linguistic preservation to community-oriented e-commerce. Still some participants questioned demand – would xyz.zulu be different or more sought after than xyz.zulu.com?

    Of course it’s too soon to tell, but history shows us that the unexpected often happens as the internet changes (a fact that was put into focus as we examined Wayan.com, a case of unexpected resale value as Balinese came online). What is certain is that the next phase of Africa’s development will be deeply connected to the Internet, especially the mobile web, and that any future expansion of the web should have more focus on Africa and more focus from Africans interested in their own development.

    Emma Etheridge supports AM Global Consulting with a strong field experience in Africa and Latin America


    .
     


    Go to Source

    Related Posts

    • More than a trend: Africa is becoming better by the year at reforming its business environmentMore than a trend: Africa is becoming better by the year at reforming its business environment
    • Next generation of Africa’s agricultural researchers RISINGNext generation of Africa’s agricultural researchers RISING
    • Prioritizing climate-smart livestock interventions in AfricaPrioritizing climate-smart livestock interventions in Africa
    • Developing a clean seed system for sweetpotato and cassava: A Bio-Innovate Program initiativeDeveloping a clean seed system for sweetpotato and cassava: A Bio-Innovate Program initiative
    • Ten African innovators vie for $100 000 awardTen African innovators vie for $100 000 award
    • The African Rural University for Women, UgandaThe African Rural University for Women, Uganda
    Sovrn
    Share

    Categories: ICT, Insights

    Tags: africa, development impact, domain

    Are WiFi-only tablets and mobile devices impractical in hotspot-starved African countries? The Future of Solar Energy – Solar Cells Integrated Into Typical Windows –

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to our stories


 

Recent Posts

  • Entrepreneurial Alertness, Innovation Modes, And Business Models in Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises December 30, 2021
  • The Strategic Role of Design in Driving Digital Innovation June 10, 2021
  • Correction to: Hybrid mosquitoes? Evidence from rural Tanzania on how local communities conceptualize and respond to modified mosquitoes as a tool for malaria control June 10, 2021
  • BRIEF FOCUS: Optimal spacing for groundnuts in smallholder farming systems June 9, 2021
  • COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on the achievements of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa June 9, 2021

Categories

Archives

Popular Post-All time

  • A review on biomass-based... 1k views
  • Apply Now: $500,000 for Y... 798 views
  • Can blockchain disrupt ge... 797 views
  • Test Your Value Propositi... 749 views
  • Prize-winning projects pr... 722 views

Recent Posts

  • Entrepreneurial Alertness, Innovation Modes, And Business Models in Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises
  • The Strategic Role of Design in Driving Digital Innovation
  • Correction to: Hybrid mosquitoes? Evidence from rural Tanzania on how local communities conceptualize and respond to modified mosquitoes as a tool for malaria control
  • BRIEF FOCUS: Optimal spacing for groundnuts in smallholder farming systems
  • COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on the achievements of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa
  • Explicit knowledge networks and their relationship with productivity in SMEs
  • Intellectual property issues in artificial intelligence: specific reference to the service sector
  • Africa RISING publishes a livestock feed and forage production manual for Ethiopia
  • Transforming crop residues into a precious feed resource for small ruminants in northern Ghana
  • Photo report: West Africa project partners cap off 2020 with farmers field day events in Northern Ghana and Southern Mali

Tag Cloud

    africa African Agriculture Business Business model Business_Finance Company Crowdsourcing data Development East Africa economics Education Entrepreneur entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship ethiopia ghana Health_Medical_Pharma ict Information technology Innovation kenya knowledge Knowledge Management Leadership marketing mobile Mobile phone nigeria Open innovation Organization Research rwanda science Science and technology studies social enterprise social entrepreneurship south africa Strategic management strategy tanzania Technology Technology_Internet uganda

Categories

Archives

  • A review on biomass-based hydrogen production for renewable energy supply 1k views
  • Apply Now: $500,000 for Your Big Data Innovations in Agriculture 798 views
  • Can blockchain disrupt gender inequality? 797 views
  • Test Your Value Proposition: Supercharge Lean Startup and CustDev Principles 749 views
  • Prize-winning projects promote healthier eating, smarter crop investments 722 views

Copyright © 2005-2020 Innovation Africa Theme created by PWT. Powered by WordPress.org