According to Dr. Lauren A. Johnston when Jack Ma visited Africa for the first time he said that the Africa in 2017 was the “China of 20 years ago”. China had poor developed infrastructure, large low income young population, lack of infrastructure in retail, logistics and banking sectors. In 20 years, the number of internet users in China went from 8.8 million to 850 million and per capita incomes have risen from $800 to $9000. China’s annual e-commerce market sales reached $1 trillion. E-commerce revenues in rural China – traditionally poor – have reached nearly $ 100 billion.
According to Jack Ma, Africa’s 54 countries and their youthful populations could, via deeper integration of digital technologies, continue their path toward becoming the world’s next growth frontier.”
I have had the pleasure to have Albert Nashon, the founder of the Slumcode Group and Renalda Mwanyuma, the director of special programmes in my podcast. The Slumcode Group is a social enterprise in Nairobi, that creates easy accessible safe spaces to help identify, develop, nurture, manage and promote fundamental development for talented kids and youth from low income regions using design centred approaches and technology to foster sustainability while impacting lives positively.
The Slumcode Group enhances digital literacy, access to information mentorship and increased awareness of the opportunities that exist to create projects, developed capacity of budding entrepreneurs from their target neighbourhoods.
The Slumcode Group mission is to create space for talent, innovation and knowledge amongst creative but less privileged people so they can identify, access and exploit available resources in an environment that fosters research, experimentation and incubation to develop solutions and create jobs.
The Slumcode Group is 13 years old and it has reached over 200 thousand people in Nairobi and transformed many more lives. Albert Nashon was born and raised in a poor neighbourhood in this city where he found himself “taking leading roles throughout his childhood on both constructive and destructive activities”. His upbringing has been crucial to prepare him for the work he does and his success in helping bridge the digital divide has been a life change to all the youngsters that have been part of Slumcode. Their journey just started and they are helping transform Africa.
If you would like to know more about the Slumcode Group and support their work visit www.slumcode.org
Listen to Transformers podcast episode featuring Albert Nashon and Renalda Mwanyuma.
Music on the podcast episode
Kilio by Poeta Dennis featuring Janlizz
M2G by Prince Krew Empire featuring Poeta