It has been a jargon, whitepaper and report-laden year with things happening across all major sectors from arts to telecommunications. That ought not to surprise since every business is a technology business today.
From reading, analysis, and juxtaposition, this is where I think technology is headed and its applications in is Africa.
While thinking through possibilities is important and part and parcel of the innovation, nothing beats building out and testing products and services, working through innumerable iterations, testing both hypothesis and assumption to arrive at stable, scalable and sustainable versions of innovations.
I have three verticals that I hope to see teams push the envelope.
Payments and Transactions: We have been treated to a crypto-world roller-coaster and the verdict is still out there on whether it is worth it to engage with the mediums in their different forks, as they all try to store and move value cheaper and more efficiently.
Commerce: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs dictates that the physical will continue to dominate consumption. Lots of friction exist along the commerce fulfilment chain and we need to think harder and beyond online properties with local payment integration and logistics.
Personal Data: At the core of both government and business is the uniquely identifiable persona. We need to hand the reins of control on personal data back to the owner, the creator of the digital footprints. Power and profit have long ridden on disenfranchised and often clueless masses.
We must challenge ourselves to deliver on a number of concept proofs to demystify and make almost tangible the benefits and value that we constantly push as pundits; driving the adoption curve beyond early adopters and into the majority. Markets have a way of serving curveballs that can blindside even the best of us.
This will call for intense collaboration among peers across different disciplines – the avant-garde and traditionalists, enterprise players, lobbyists, academia and government. Here’s to hoping we can have a decent number of experiments and pleasant outcomes this time in 2018.
Njihia is CEO of Symbiotic | www.mbuguanjihia.com | @mbuguanjihia
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