Bring on the tech in Africa where necessity is mother of innovation
Continent poised to benefit in ways that may not be envisaged in more developed regions
Talk of artificial intelligence (AI) and the advent of the fourth industrial revolution has created fear in developed countries that many jobs will be lost to machines and robots and that economic growth will be stifled by technological advances. We, however, believe that the African continent may well be able to benefit from these technologies in ways that possibly aren’t envisaged in more developed economies. The continent should also be able to avoid the expensive rollout of outdated technologies and leapfrog to the latest innovations. As Naadiya Moosajee, a World Economic Forum global shaper, said: "Necessity is the mother of invention and in Africa it has been the mother of innovation." History shows that people on the continent have been strong adopters of new technologies and that Africa has even bypassed existing developments. After skipping the roll-out of landlines, mobile technology users were quick to see the benefits this could bring, especially mobile money. Sub-Sahara...
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