KUBATANA MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2022
AFR I LABS
institutions to civil society, cor- porate bodies, innovators, en- trepreneurs, storytellers, his- torians, national governments and so on working towards Af- rica’s economic development, self-sufficiency and dignity. Historically, we are a people willing to work to contribute to long-term development, wheth- er technological or economic. At AfriLabs, we showcase this in how our member hubs and partners preserve our histo- ry, protect our innovations, pro- duce innovations continuously and provide holistic support to innovators across the continent. Members like the Media Innova- tion Network supports creative storytellers, and Baraza Media Lab that’s working to strength- en Kenya’s media ecosystem, ensuring that innovative stories are told well and preserved. Association of Startup and SME
Enablers of Kenya, Ghana Hubs Network and Innovation Sup- port Network have been at the forefront of leading policy agen- das by ensuring that the needs and rights of the innovator are top of mind when crafting na- tional innovation policies. Hubs across the continent are supporting manufacturing pro- cesses and connecting custom- ers to hardware, engineering and manufacturing companies to increase Africa’s capacity to produce finished goods. Check out the Nigeria Hardware Eco- system Map championed by Clintonel Innovation Centre, among others. Gearbox on its part, offers prototyping facili- ties, training in manufacturing, fabrication and design, mentor- ship, investment opportunities and community development. Our partners Liquid Technolo- gies are working with hubs like Innovation Village, Bongo Hive
and others by offering critical infrastructures like high-speed connectivity and cloud services and supporting gaming and IOT as avenues for African innova- tors to create. This post is a part of the Power- ing Local Innovation initiative, a project of Mozilla’s Africa Mra- di. Africa Mradi is a programme that seeks to foster an ecosys- tem of allies working toward a healthier internet and promot- ing innovation grounded in the unique needs of users in the Af- rican region.
CELEBRATING AFRICA’S TRADE GENIUS AND MAPPING THE FUTURE OF INTRA-AFRICAN TRADE BY NEKESA WERE Director of Strategy, AfriLabs
NEKESA WERE Director of Strategy, AfriLabs
THE FUTURE OF INTRA- AFRICAN TRADE IS IN OUR HANDS, AND ITS SUCCESS IS DEPENDENT ON THE ACTIONS OF PAN AFRICANS FROM ALL SPHERES
Africa has a rich trade histo- ry that we should celebrate and learn from. Trade across Africa is as old as the continent itself, and we stand on the shoulders of our ances- tors who perfected it. Think of our ancient and famous trad- ing cities such as Kilwa Kisiwani and Sofala off the Eastern coast- line. From the Mutapa kingdom’s trade, that stretched from Zim- babwe across to Mozambique
to the city of Gao in West Afri- ca, whose trade routes reached Cairo in North Africa, Africans traversed deserts, rivers, for- ests and oceans in pursuit of business solutions for Africa and the world - think of the Sahara trade route that was part of the original silk road - reaching an- cient Afghanistan, Iraq and Chi- na! AfriLabs, Mozilla and Omidyar Network were honoured to host
Brian Kagoro, Mona Nya, Adetola Onayemi, Bismark Addo and José Luis Tavares Semedo for a con- versation that reflected on this rich history and shared ideas for how we could collectively ensure successful modern day intra-Af- rican trade. The future of intra-African trade is in our hands, and its success is dependent on the actions of Pan Africans from all spheres, from financial and development
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