Quick Hits

Faces of small businesses in Malawi-IFC
Rwanda and the 'digital divide'-Techcrunch
Ruchugi Salt Works-Bid Network
Ethnic specialty vegetables...look for the African Eggplant!
Cultivating Native Woods...Lessons for Africa?

The Business of Health

Nelly Nyagah reporting in Trade Invest:

Healthcare represents a significant investment opportunity, yet current consumer demand continues to be unmet in most sub-Saharan countries. For instance, an estimated 18,000 wealthy Nigerians travel abroad every year to seek medical care, while in Kenya at least 5% of the total stated demand for healthcare is not satisfied due to limited access to services and products.

More here

Sorghum Hybrid Innovator-Gebisa Ejeta

Introducing the 2009 World Food Prize winner:

Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia, whose sorghum hybrids resistant to drought and the devastating Striga weed have dramatically increased the production and availability of one of the world’s five principal grains and enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.

More here
via African Loft

Africa Venture Capital Fellows

From the WEF site:

The Africa Venture Capital Fellows (AVCF) is an initiative of the World Economic Forum's Global Leaders of Tomorrow (GLT) program aimed at promoting venture capital in Africa by educating and training future venture capitalists and leaders of high-growth and early stage companies based in Africa. The initiative is being established based on the important role that venture capital can play in accelerating the entrepreneurial economy in Africa.

The MultiMachine as a Roadmap

Fundamentally speaking one of the most essential components of any industrial ecosystem is the machine tool a device which is used to “fabricate metal components of machines“. Consequently the absence of a machining capacity precludes the ability of an entity (regional,national and or continent-wide) to industrialize.The question then becomes how do we effectively seed and propagate the skill of machining cheaply and pervasively? How do we Bootstrap the Industrial Age? The open source MultiMachine presents us with what could turn out to be one of the more attractive options...[continue reading]
Cross-posted from the Maker Faire Blog

Shama Group

Founded by Joseph Ndungu the Shama Group is an integrated community focused agri-business its interests include,fish farming,piggeries and crop production. Some of the constituent firms are:
Shama Fish & Bacon
Shama Milk
Shama Academy

Building a Solar Fridge

AIDG reports on an effort by MSU students to construct a solar fridge:

The Internet is stacked with academic knowledge on solar adsorption refrigeration, but our team has the goal of developing a system and assembly instructions that can be used by anybody. Our adsorption refrigerator design uses passive solar energy rather than electricity and has no moving parts. But before the adsorption process can be understood, it is necessary to understand the basics of refrigeration. All fridges operate on the principal that a liquid boiling to a gas takes heat away from its surroundings. It is also important to know that a liquid can be made to boil at a very low temperature by altering the pressure. While water boils at 100°C at atmospheric pressure, it can be boiled at 0°C under a very high vacuum.

More here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Alternative refrigeration (makezine.com)

Trickle-Up Innovation

Businessweek reports on trickle-up innovation from the developing world:

Bee Fences

Oxford University media reports on BeeHive fences:

The fence is constructed of log beehives suspended on poles beneath tiny thatched roofs (to keep off the sun). The hives are connected by eight metre lengths of fencing wire. Elephants avoid the hives and will attempt to push through the wire but this causes the hives to swing violently causing the elephants to fear an attack of angry bees.
The results of a pilot study in Kenya, published in the African Journal of Ecology, show that a farm protected by the beehive fence had 86 per cent fewer successful crop raids by elephants and 150 per cent fewer raiding elephants than a control farm without the fence.

More here
via TreeHugger
Photo:Member of the construction team with the beehive fence built for the pilot study. Photo via OU/Lucy King

Africa Index ETF

via Van Eck Global

The Africa Index ETF seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones Africa Titans 50 IndexSM. The Index provides exposure to publicly traded companies that are headquartered in Africa or that generate the majority of their revenues in Africa. As such, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in this region.

Read related coverage here and here for other ETF funds

StrawberryEarth

Strawberry Earth co-founded by Ikenna Azuike:

...is a platform for creative people from all over the world who want to do something positive for our environment.Through our online magazine we keep you up to date with the latest international eco developments. And through our live events we instantly help the environment.

'Relentless' by Clam Films

Andy Okoroafor's Relentless heralds a new phase in Nigerian film making:

A haunting story about loneliness, love and self-discovery that explores Africaís throbbing megacity Lagos, and the effects of war and loss...Visually edgy and expressionist, the film will explore the boundaries of digital cinema, embracing and harnessing digital technology to enhance good storytelling. It will be controlled, beautifully framed and composed, visually sumptuous and emotional touching, portraying Lagos and other African cities, as they have never been seen.

Watch teaser here

Related articles by Zemanta

• Facets of Lagos (africaunchained.blogspot.com)
• Depth of Field (africaunchained.blogspot.com)

Gulf Aquatics

From the Bid Network:

Gulf Aquatics is a small-business that works with rain forest communities to safely capture and transport ornamental fishes into the international trade, worth an estimated $500 million per year. In partnership with communities and the international scientific community, we are working to ensure the sustainability of our business and a fair return to the fishers.Watch related video below

The Africa Bazaar

The AFRICA BAZAAR is a magazine for international investors alike and those who are interested in Africa’s affairs. As the country’s only magazine specifically for International investors, traders, and those interested in Africa’s investment opportunities and cultural affairs, it is distinct from its other competitors and has a clear mission: To Provide a comprehensive overview of Africa’s markets, help its readers connect the dots in the Africa’s global trade market, and be the news source on Africa’s financial market affairs-ImekMedia website

Related articles by Zemanta

• Investment can help African farmers grow their way out of poverty (guardian.co.uk)

More on Sou-Sou's

In jra’s thoughts an overview of an effective informal savings generator:

The ROSCA is known as a “sou-sou” in west Africa, or at least in Nimba county, Liberia. Sousous run for a fixed term, based on the number of members. If there are 10 members and the contribution is $10, each month one of the members will get $90 (9 other members * $10 each). At the end of ten months, the sousou can either be restarted, or the membership can be renegotiated (for example, to drop people who failed to pay on time during the past sousou period). If the sousou is reconstituted with more or fewer people, it doesn’t really change anything, it just runs shorter or longer until the next restart. Sousous run best when they are between 6 and 12 people for social and economic reasons (a 5x - 11x payoff is manageable in a cash society). The order of the payouts is determined randomly at the startup meeting of the sousou...[continue reading]

Tseia Energy

Award Winning Trevor Young of Sierra Leone discusses the reasoning behind his start-up, Tseia Energy:

Many alternative-fuel efforts focus on ethanol, which competes with food supplies he thinks using methane from processing the same produce not only preserves the food supply but yields nitrogen-enriched fertilizer for the agricultural cycle he also wishes to partner with African farmers to help them find economic and energy stability through the processing plants.

More here
photo courtesy of Raphael Talisman/The Gazette

Beautiful Bones

Reuters profiles a crafts person Ben Omondi, who turns bones into handicrafts
Watch here:

via Kenyan Entrepreneur, who writes:

It’s really a must see video because this guy is using his creativity, innovation and business acumen to create unique products that are also environmentally adaptable.

Yam Propagation

Science in Africa reports on new research from the IITA:

In this innovative approach, yam is propagated through vine cuttings, with carbonized rice husks as the growth medium. By eliminating the use of tubers, more yam is made available for food or for sale while significantly lowering the risk of nematode infestation akin to using tubers as planting material. The technique also promotes faster multiplication and better and more uniform crop quality.

More Here
Photo courtesy of the IITA

Aniomagic's Button-Schemer

Nwanua Elumeze founder of Aniomagic, a leader in the field of computational textiles & electronic fashion,discusses their latest e-textile product the button-schemer:

I'm excited to announce Button-schemer, an ambient program reader the size of a nickel which is programmable with specially timed flashes of light. To load a program, simply hold it in front of your computer screen or PDA and its builtin light sensor automatically records the program, so you never have to connect any wires. After writing your program within a web-browser, a javascript-based scheme interpreter evaluates it and flashes a part of the screen, sending the program to the Button-schemer.
This method allows you to embed entire programs in a movie or animation, or use one Button-schemer to program another Button-schemer directly. The concept of embedding programs within experiences (flashes of light at an exhibition, barcodes expressed as shades of light in a painting, or notes in a song, and so on), is very compelling.
Key point: in order to change the style/color of your purse, pendant, bracelet, shirt, or wall art, just hold it up to a computer, tv, or phone. This is the future we're inventing.Watch related video here

Call for Makers-Maker Faire Africa

From the Maker Faire Africa website:

Maker Faire Africa(MFA) is excited to announce that its search for Makers is now open!There are no educational and or professional restrictions on participating as Maker at MFA.What we ask is that your contraption,prototype etc. be something you made yourself or together with others. We are just as interested in the finished item as the process/path the Maker(s) took in getting there. Photographs/Video of the assembly/fashioning/fabrication process are welcome they will add very valuable context to what you/your and or co-makers will be presenting.

More Here

Related articles by Zemanta

• Maker Faire: Africa (whiteafrican.com)
• Maker Faire Africa is happening! August 13-15 in Accra, Ghana (core77.com)
• Helping to support Maker Faire Africa (makezine.com)

African Digital Art

African Digital Art is an online collective, a creative space, where digital artist, enthusiasts and professionals can seek inspiration, showcase their artistry and connect with emerging artists-website

The Opportunity in Interactive Marketing

Image by whiteafrican via Flickr

Hash writes about the explosive internet growth in Africa and the promise of interactive marketing:

Currently, Africa is the second fastest growing internet market after it was passed with the Middle East in terms of connectivity. The growth rate is 1,100% with only 5.6% of Africa’s 975 million people online.

He goes on to outline some of the challenges faced by marketing firms such as Quirk and Pamoja Media:

...one of the hurdles that they face is that there just aren’t that many people who understand why web marketing is needed, and that there is a need for a real strategy behind everything from your website to links to emails. It’s a problem of education in the business sector, and it comes with two problems.

More Here

Andriankoto Ratozamanana - Eco Entrepreneur

Majora Carter speaks with TED Fellow Andriankoto Ratozamanana co-founder of MegaSeeds:

via TED Fellows Blog

Microfinance Stories-Opportunity International

From the Opportunity International website a series of entrepreneur stories,starting with Vivian Adama:

With an initial loan of just $54 and subsequent loans of increasing value, Vivian has built a school from the ground up. The project has posed a persistent set of challenges, with limited school supplies and unfinished classroom walls.
But Vivian has overcome many obstacles and the school is a definite success. Beginning with only six students, she now has 360—from toddlers to early high school age...[continue reading] Watch related video here:

Ngozika Productions

Founded by Ngozi Paul, Ngozika Productions has:

...created diverse content, including the short film, SHADES the Canadian Urban Music Awards, a star-studded, exhilarating concert and awards show, which aired on SunTV. Paul also produced Urban X-Posure for CanWest Media, which aired on Global in 2007 and included performances by such well-known Canadian artists as Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall, K-OS, and Keisha Chante.Currently, Ngozika Productions is shooting the anticipated second season of ‘da Kink in my Hair for Canwest/Global.-Igbo People

MyAsho

From the MyAsho website:

My Asho (derived from the Yoruba word “aṣo” meaning cloth and pronounced “ash-awe”) is an online fashion concept, developed in 2008 to celebrate and promote the talent of African designers based throughout the world. We aspire to become a one-stop-shop for the best in authentic African inspired designs.
We work closely with all our designers and stylists, choosing beautiful pieces from their collections to offer to a savvy fashion-forward international audience. In addition, we work with local markets throughout Africa to bring you distinctive, one-off pieces which you can check out daily in the My Asho Market.

via Haute

Telemed

TeleMed Africa will be the first low cost medical service enabling millions of sub-Saharan Africans to access timely, affordable, and professional diagnosis and advice. By leveraging existing mobile technologies and infrastructure, TeleMed Africa is advancing the front lines of healthcare.

African Sweets

Sugar translates into "sweet" on the tongue of almost every human being. Whether sugar is in the form of honey, sugar cane, beets or refined sugar it is a universal and versatile ingredient. The cakes, pies, cookies, brittles, fritters, fruit salads, beverages and preserves in this book will surely satisfy anyone's sweet tooth. A Sweet Taste of Africa takes you on a culinary voyage though the sweet culinary explorations of the entire continent of Africa.-Editorial Review

Watch related video:

Cellulant

Hash gives us an overview of Cellulant founded by Ken Njoroge:

Ken Njoroge is a homegrown Kenyan technology entrepreneur. One of the original founders of one of Kenya’s top digital agencies, 3Mice, he moved on to co-found Cellulant, which has been doing some great work all over East Africa and is now active in 9 countries in Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, South-Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Botswana, Zambia & Ethiopia).
Cellulant started in this space 5 years ago, they began by selling music via mobile devices, but really got active in banking about 3 years ago as a customer trying to make things work for their buyers.

More Here

Tule Suits

In Bella Naija:

Wole Taiwo is the man behind Tulé Custom suits. Tulé Custom Suits is a company that specialises in finely tailored custom men and women clothing. Their product line ranges from ties, shirts, suits and topcoats which are “hand sewn to the wearer’s body measurement with allowance given in specific areas to allow for a comfortable wear”.

More Here

Biochar

Funded by the Congo Basin Forest Fund:

...the Biochar project will help solve the hunger pandemic in Central Africa by tackling one of its root causes – rapidly declining soil fertility – , it will slow down deforestation and the destruction of biodiversity, and it solves the household energy crisis amongst the poor. Moreover, the reduction in the rate of deforestation, sustainable soil fertility management, a more efficient fuel (fire wood) use and the establishment of a stable carbon sink all contribute to mitigating climate change...[continue reading]

via Tree Hugger