Tech startups are making it easier for entrepreneurs to connect in Africa

Global Business

Talk of power blackouts in Africa and most people hardly raise an eyebrow — that’s how common blackouts have become. They’re a daily event in many developing countries, where the electricity generation capacity is underfunded and poorly managed infrastructure affects businesses whose connectivity to the internet is vital to their operations. But now a new startup company is aiming to change all that.

Nairobi is fast becoming the IT hub of the region, often described as the economic hub of East Africa.

A new device is able to connect multiple networks and provide connection points for other devices with enough backup power in case of a blackout.

The idea behind the device is to design a product that provides unique solutions at a cost effective price to local problems. And there is no better place to see this at work than at the Ihub, a place where tech minds come together to find solutions to everyday problems through technology.

Ihub is funded by Ushahidi, a non-profit company developing software for information collection and visualization. But like many start-ups across the African continent, they are not waiting for laws to change. Taking matters into their own hands, through hard work, innovation and initiative in the hope the right policies will soon play catch-up in an industry that keeps changing by the minutes. CCTV America’s Robert Nagila reports from Nairobi.