Homes for Africa’s tech entrepreneurs

AFRICA may be prone to chronic power shortages, weak infrastructure and economies still overly-dependent on commodities. But it is also being seen by technology firms as a new frontier for innovation: herds of new tech start-ups and small businesses are being birthed across the continent.

Almost as innovative as their plans for providing mobile money or clever new applications for hailing taxis are their methods of overcoming some of the continent’s main impediments to technology innovation: expensive internet access and the high costs of renting office space with reliable power. Their solution has been to take a leaf from the books of entrepreneurs in places such as Silicon Valley and the Old Street roundabout by setting up “hubs” or co-working spaces. A recent World Bank report conservatively estimated there are over 90 hubs across Africa; in reality there are many more.