Medical Biotech Labs

The major goals of MBL are to set up an infrastructure for high-technology biomedical research in Uganda, to facilitate technology transfer and capacity building in biotechnology and medical research, and to undertake goal-oriented and focused research on diseases of importance in Uganda-AFDevInfo

Smoked Mussels

Ocean King processes seafood products which include smoked mussels and oysters they are:

• hand-packed and naturally smoked

• superior tasting and can be simply eaten on their own, or used in light snacks, soups, sauces and paellas

• high in protein but low in fat

-company website

Okoye Fitness

Christian Okoye is the founder of Okoye Fitness whose main product,"...QUICK LEAN offers a simple and satisfying approach to weight loss. It is an excellent source of protein (27g) and a good source of fiber (4g). Made with over 20 vitamins and minerals; Quick Lean provides 35%-55% of your daily calcium needs..."-company website

Radio Africa & Kitchen

"...RADIO AFRICA & KITCHEN is a nomadic restaurant with sustainable products and methods. The food is inspired by old world recipes of Mediterranean and Red Sea countries. The goal of Radio Africa is to create extraordinary meals out of organically grown ordinary ingredients. In the tasting menu we offer weekly, the theme is to create a nutritionally well balanced dinner by including seasonal vegetables, greens, grains, nuts, wild fish, shellfish and fruit..."-website
via Twiga

Village Tech

Make profiles New Guinean 'Makers':

Tim Anderson, who does the awesome Heirloom Technology column in MAKE, has a zillion great Instructables covering all manner of indigenous tech, shop tips, tool hacks, and other flaky golden biscuits of makery goodness. Here are some excerpts from a piece he did after visiting a town on the western tip of Papua, a place called Tempat Garam (meaning "salt making place"). It's a sweet maker portrait of the Mombrasars, a family of blacksmiths that have a shop there. The family build boats, forges tools for the village, and invents their own cool gadgets...[continue reading]

Nigerian Financial Brands

Nigerian Financial Brands provides a comparative "...analytical view on the various sectors such as Commercial/Retail Banking, Mortgage, Insurance, Microfinance, Stock Brokers, Pension funds, Finance companies and Money transfer...",website.

BarCamp Nigeria

The Africa Barcamp rollout continues:

BarCamp Nigeria brings people, institutions and enterprises interested in power of technology - as a topic, an opportunity, or a place of action - together in one location to exchange ideas, build connections, re-frame perceptions and catalyze action of realizing the potentials of technology in Nigeria
It be held at Tom Associates Training Center and Conference Hall, 5/7, Alade Lawal Street, Opposite Anthony Police Station, Lagos, Nigeria on 25 April, 2009 as a way to bring people interested in technology, on a variety of levels and topics, together in one place for a day of sharing, learning, networking and brainstorming-website

'Rumi Schools' Africa Anyone?

A project of Orient Global covered earlier

"...Rumi Schools of Excellence is India’s first chain of truly affordable private schools. Parents choose our schools for a quality education that costs just Rs. 150 - 400 per month...Rumi Schools of Excellence established operations in Hyderabad in March 2008 with nine foundation schools serving 4,000 children. Working with existing private schools, we are able to improve the quality of education delivered to each child by providing talented school entrepreneurs with a portfolio of education services..."-website

See the Open Architecture Network for related coverage.

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'Small Software'

27 months extols the promise of African inspired 'Small Software':

By adopting the philosophy of small software, the developers crafting solutions on the African continent are in a unique position to reap opportunity from their environment. Witness highly specialized, targeted applications such as FrontlineSMS, MobilePress, Kerawa, Afrigator, Maneno, Zoopy, Ushahidi and countless others—all created by Africans and distributed online, often for free. One of the most interesting recent applications built for the developing world, FrontlineForms, is targeted specifically at low- to mid-level mobile devices...[continue reading]

via Hash

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image courtesy of Tectonic

Nomu

Packaging Review discusses the packaging and branding of Nomu, a prize winning food condiment company:

NoMU Stir, targets discerning consumers who are willing to pay for a premium product...‘The rationale behind the packaging is quite simple,’ says Raphaely(company director). ‘We don’t add to the clutter of everything else that’s out there already. We aim not necessarily to innovate – as that’s incredibly difficult to achieve on an ongoing basis – but rather to aesthetically “break out” of the wallpaper of other products that take up consumer’s attention.’...[continue reading]

Blue Skies

The BBC reports on the adaptive tactics of Blue Skies, a fresh cut fruit product manufacturer in Ghana that was facing plummeting sales in its key export markets:

What do you do when your buyers in Europe start cutting their orders?Target the local market.
That is the strategy being used by Blue Skies - which exports pre-packed fruit salads and juices to Europe but has now realised their products can also tickle the taste buds of Ghana's more affluent customers...[continue reading]

photo courtesy of the BBC

Rubitesolar

Rubitesolar a solar installation provider offers services which include:

• Solar Medical Applications

• Solar Pump Systems

• Solar Home Systems

• Solar Rural Electrification Systems

• Solar Telecommunication Systems

Mixta Africa

Mixta Africa's philosophy is to build safe, decent housing at competitive, transparent prices, in the minimum time and to international quality standards. A key investor in the company is Kingdom Zephyr covered earlier,private equity wire reports:

Pan-African private equity firm Kingdom Zephyr has invested EUR45m in Mixta Africa, an affordable housing developer that predominantly operates in the fast growing African low to middle income residential real estate sector.
Mixta's main focus is the development, construction and sales of housing units and, to a lesser extent, land transformation across Africa.

A Dance Company-Africa Footprint

From the cultural entrepreneurs, African Footprint:

The hypnotic heartbeat of the African drum, the soulful saxophone and the haunting pennywhistle, meld Afro- and Euro-centric music and dance – Kwela-jive, traditional gumboot, tap, contemporary ballet, hip-hop pantsula – into an ‘explosive stampede of song and dance’ that tells the vibrant and diverse history of South Africa

Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries

Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries supplies products to all parts of the country and exports to the surrounding East African region.We are a manufacturer of essential quality medicines in a range of therapeutic areas with a special emphasis on Malaria which is a major contributor to the burden of disease in East Africa. The company has a range of over 70 registered products in Uganda and we also export some products to Tanzania and Kenya-company website

Nigeria "Most Prolific Filmmaker"

From the Progressive Policy Institute:

According to Screen Digest, the world's film hacks and auteurs shot 4,603 feature-length movies in 2005. Of this total, Asians accounted for 2,157 films, with about half done in India and Japan, China next in line. Latin production was a relatively modest 283 films. European filmmakers spent $5 billion to shoot 1,292 films, with French filmmakers spending the most and Iceland's directors shooting the most films per capita (10 for 300,000 people). American films, though second to India by shooting totals, are easily the most expensive and most widely shown. Off the list entirely, though, are the Nigeria's newly prolific "Nollywood" filmmakers...[continue reading]

Hat Tip Joy!

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Skoto Gallery

Photo of Dancing Mom by Bright Bimpong
Founded by Skoto Aghahowa and Alix du Serech Skoto Gallery was established in 1992 as a space where some of the best works by African artists can be exhibited within the context of a diverse and totalized audience. As one of the first galleries specializing in contemporary African Art in New York City, it has been instrumental in the progression of this rapidly growing field-website

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Yusol Foods

From the Yusol Foods website:

Our Ola-Ola brand of products, exclusively processed and manufactured at our Sacramento plant, provides a wide selection of African gourmet flour such as: Plantain fufu flour, Potato Starch, Cassava Starch, Bean flour, Ground rice, Rice flour, Cassava flour, Akpu-Fufu, Elubo/Amala and Yam flour. Our other brand products are the Ola-Ola Carotino cooking oil and the Ola-Ola cholesterol-free red palm oil

Quick Hits

Turning indigenous fruits into wine-Daily Fruit Wine via SAFFP
Unilever and the soap business.
Super cheap paper based medical testing.
Tiviski covered earlier considers a line of Camel's milk cosmetics-Cosmetics Design
AquaAfrica assists existing aquaculturalists as well as new entrants into the industry.
New Globe Schools, a franchise model for for-profit primary schools via Sandeep
Nurturing cocoa nursery's-World Cocoa Foundation
ANPOP has medium scale palm oil plantation ambitions.
Africa to replace India as the capital of outsourcing?-ASNS
Nigeria's latest billionaire Femi Odetola joins the Forbes list.

StormBerg Engineering and Solar Streetlights

Via Odili

Residents of Lagos have recently been getting used to the sight of streetlights working again...Lagos has had to power its streetlights with generators, pending the implementation of sustainable alternatives.One of such options has arrived, and it is the solar option, which is now being rolled out across the state.It is another first for the centre of excellence, as the solar units are of unique design.

Stomberg Engineering's other services include:
-Civil, Mechanical, Telecommunication & Power systems infrastructure
-Turkey CDMA/GSM Sites Build
-Fibre Optics and Copper Cabling Networks

Quality Chemical Industries

From Pharmaceutical Technology:

Quality Chemical's new facility began to produce the triple therapy ARV and a first line antimalarial therapy in January 2008...the plant will produce the triple therapy combination Triomune (containing lamivudine, stavudine and nevirapine) and also the antimalarial therapy Lumartem (containing artemisinin and lumefantrin)...The plant will produce two million tablets per day per shift and 600 million tablets per year. The immediate future production target is 1.2 billion tablets when the plant is fully operational (expansion may be required). The facility will employ 500 personnel including 200 scientists for research and development...[continue reading]

Investment Fund for Health in Africa

The Investment Fund for Health in Africa (IFHA) is a venture capital fund dedicated to small to medium size (equity) investments in private healthcare companies in (sub-Saharan) Africa. At IFHA, we invest in private healthcare companies that operate in fast-growing markets and show unique advantages over the competition. IFHA predominantly focuses on companies active in pharmaceutical supplies, health insurance and private hospitals and laboratories-company website

Ecotact and The Clean Shop-Sanitation Entrepreneurs

One World brings our attention to two sanitation pioneers: Ecotact and The Clean Shop

Ecotact is a Nairobi-based company that aims to improve the urban landscape for low-income communities through environmentally responsible projects in sanitation and housing...Under the Ikotoilet project, Ecotact builds and operates high-quality, public, pay-per-use toilet and shower facilities on public land in urban centers. Ecotact uses a Build-Operate-Transfer model of public-private partnership, entering into long-term contracts with municipalities to secure use of public lands.-Acumen Fund

While The Clean Shop founded by Fhauwni Trevor Mulaudzi provides sanitation to multi-toilet organizations like schools and universities:
Also touched upon is Joseph Adelegan's previously covered work on livestock waste.
via Sanitation Updates

Seed Investment Challenges contd.

Despite its more fully formed investment infrastructure even India still faces seed investment challenges,Sramana Mitra writes:

Unless angel investors who do have the experience start playing in India, the vitally important "mentor capital" component will continue to be absent. And without that mentorship, the entrepreneurs will not be successful in bringing product or innovation to market....[continue reading]

Pertinent underlying point here...successful entrepreneurs help form the foundation for a future sustainable investor base.

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Solar Base Station Rollout

TreeHugger reports:

The idea of using renewable energy to power cell phone base stations in rural areas is nothing new. The latest variation on this comes from Ericsson and Orange Guinea Conakry which plan to deploy more than 100 solar-powered base stations...Orange Guinea Conakry, a local carrier, will build the base stations according to Ericsson's energy-efficient BTS 2111 model, which is designed to operate in remote areas. The base station contains no active moving parts (such as cooling fans), reducing energy consumption up to 50%, according to Ericcson. The site is fully powered by solar energy, supported by batteries for nighttime operation...[continue reading]

Allanblackia

Sustainable Foodlab profiles another underutilised crop:

Allanblackia is a tree based oil crop with a new, expanding and guaranteed market. It grows only in Africa and has the potential to grow in volume and provide an attractive additional income to more than two million farmer households...it is indigenous to the very wet tropical forests and farmlands of equatorial Africa. The tree can grow to a height of more than 40 meters and produce seeds for nearly a century. The seeds of this tree contain an oil with a unique composition. The oil is exceptionally high melting and therefore very suitable to be used in processed foodstuff like spreads and confectionery products...[continue reading]

Sylva Food Solutions

Co-founded by Sylvia C. Banda Sylvia Food Solutions is a food company whose products include
-Solar dryers
-Solar Dried foods
It also offers services such as catering and hospitality

Astronomy Africa

Astronomy Africa provides a range of astronomical products and services including the design and construction of private observatories, installation and maintenance of telescopes and equipment, astronomy education and training courses, evening entertainment at conferences, corporate functions and special events, travel advice about prime sky viewing destinations and community development programs aimed at advancing astronomy in Africa.-company website

Solarmate Engineering

Solarmate undertakes the design, supply and installation of renewable energy system packages for the various industrial sectors of the Nigerian economy"-company website

Swift Broadband

Swift Broadband's "...Technology is based on Motorola Expedience NLOS plug-and-play solution that provides broadband wireless access over licensed frequencies to business and residential subscribers. The Expedience system delivers consistent broadband speeds across NLOS coverage areas of up to 30 km...as a point-to-multipoint broadband network and consists of Access Point (AP) equipment and Customer Premises Equipment (CPEs). AP equipment is located at the service provider’s site and CPE equipment is located at the customer’s site. "-company website

RLJ Kendeja Resort & Villas

From the site of Liberia’s newest resort luxury property the RLJ Kendeja Resort & Villas:

"...Spanning across thirteen acres of oceanfront property, the seventy-six villa-styled rooms are comprised of two Presidential Suites, eight Royal Suites, and sixty-six standard luxury rooms. Casual and formal dining, as well as afternoon tea is available at Posh, the Hotel’s modish restaurant, located in the main building. Additionally, the pool bar offers healthy snacks and light fare in a luxurious yet relaxing atmosphere. If you care to dine in private, the Hotel offers in-room dining services day and night..."

Afrinatural

From Nutraingrediants:

Afrinatural supplies a range of natural ingredients from South Africa, West Africa, Madagascar and the Tropical regions. Its main focus is the dietary supplements industry, which currently makes up the majority of its sales, although it is also targeting the food and beverage market on a smaller scale...[continue reading]

Pectin From Banana Waste

In Food Navigator:

Developing countries such as Cameroon import several tons of pectin each year, although there is a vast resource of agricultural products and agro wastes which can be used to produce pectin. In this country, 600,000 metric tons of banana were produced in 2004 with 40 per cent of the total weight of the fruit being wastes which can be used to extract pectin...[continue reading]

via SAFPP Blog
photo courtesy of undeleterious@flickr

Snail Farming in West Africa

From Practical Action a handbook on a popular form of mini-livestock:

This booklet produced by CTA covers; selecting suitable species, choosing a site, constructing a snailery, food and feeding, breeding & management, predators, parasites & diseases and markets.