The SABC is participating in a new Africa-wide initiative to compile and reward online innovation. The Africa Connected project will run until February 2014 and will be a platform for success stories of Africans working in the online space.
South African animator Mdu Ntuli, best-known for his work on “Jesus is a Shangaan”, forms part of the initiative. Ntuli trained himself using YouTube and now runs a successful YouTube channel. It features his animations and has received millions of hits.
“I’m in a phase where I really need to teach other people because I am getting really overwhelmed with work. Once I have taught people how to do animation I will expand the business into gaming and merchandising and all those sorts of things. I think if there was no internet I ….I can’t even imagine what it would be like,” says Ntuli
The Google-driven Africa Connected initiative will reward 5 people with $25 000 each as well as a Google mentorship.
The SABC will be carrying its success stories on SAfm, and Channel Africa over the course of the next few months.
Some of these initiatives include a so-called “Nollywood” mobile application and a Ghananian jewellery designer who runs her business via a website set up with Google tools.
In the next five years, 7 out of the world’s 10 fastest growing economies are predicted to be in Africa, and the Internet is playing an important part in this.
– Want to read more about the success stories and hear the interviews? Visit our special report here– To enter the Africa Connected contest, visit www.africaconnected.com.
Head of Communications & Public Affairs at Google Sub-Saharan Africa, Julie Taylor, speaks to SAfm about ‘Africa Connected’.
– By Christelle du Toit
