TechTrek Ghana
How would telcos use advertising to boost usage of their network?
By delivering advertising content and allowing the viewer free internet airtime
How is VOTO helping improve the life of people that live in rural areas in Africa?
By providing information hotlines to teach people proper behaviors related to health concerns and agriculture techniques
Name and briefly describe one of Alphabet's non-core businesses (other than Google):
Calico- R&D company that uses technology to study life-span, counteract aging, and age-related diseases. Nest- produces smart, programmable thermostats that can reduce energy consumption (Internet of things home products) Google Ventures- Alphabet's venture capital arm- invests in seed to growth stage technology companies. Investments are strategic for Google. Google Capital- invests in later stage growth technology companies. Invests for profit rather than strategically for Google. Fiber- Launched in 2012 and provides extremely fast fiber-optic internet and cable services to consumers, in a select number of US cities right now and are expanding access. Google X- Semi secret R&D facility that focuses on "Moonshot", really futuristic and innovative projects (driverless cars, Google Glass, Project Loon, etc.)
What is VOTO's 321 program?
Callers can access 500 pieces of relevant information in their local language. It's like a "most commonly asked questions" for people without internet access. For example questions about reproductive health, the weather, etc.
Where are RLG's 4 main plants?
China, Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia
What are four areas in which Africa can leapfrog the West?
Clean energy; urban sanitation; finance and money transfer; organic agriculture
What is a problem with Facebook's Free Basics program?
Concerns about net neutrality, in that Facebook is providing free access to only their content, and perhaps restricting access to competitors content.
What are clients that CoreNett shares with MMIT?
CoreNett and MMIT both have relationships with FBN Bank, Stanbic Bank, and the MNO, Tigo.
Q: What are the main challenges facing African markets according to core concepts?
Corruption, not a unified market, red tape, lack of infrastructure, lack of access to capital
What recommendations did the Ghana country manager for Esoko share on how small shareholder farmers can compete with more industrialized companies?
Daniel Asare-Kyei believes that if farmers form cooperatives they will be able to compete by increasing their quantity and this structure allows them to gain access to product certification and new technologies that help them meet quality standards.
How important is mobile data predicted to be for Vodafone's business in the next couple of years?
Data usage will be at the forefront of Vodafone's strategy, having growth rates that surpass voice usage.
What is IBM's two-thirds research work devoted to?
Data; Analytics; Cognitive Computing
Who wrote The Bright Continent?
Dayo Olopade, a Nigerian-American journalist
Which events provides an opportunity to pitch one's business ideas to the ServLed team for a chance to joint the Accelerator program?
Demo Friday
What is one feature distinguishes Africa from other emerging economies in the world?
Demographics (booming young urban population), Diversity (cultures and people across the continent are incredibly different), Timing (Africa is at key inflection point in its pace of development)
What is impact investing?
Intentional investment in companies, organizations, and funds for an environmental, social, and financial return with the intention to create social change. "Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate social and environmental impact alongside a financial return."
Why was Ghana the chosen place in Africa for the establishment of MEST?
High mobile tech penetration, Connected to various European cities with direct flights, More politically stable
What is Hope City?
Hope City (Home, Office, People and Environment) is RLG's initiative to build a $10B technology city outside Accra, Ghana. The plans include a building that would be the tallest in Africa and enough space for 25K people to live and 50K people to work. There are concerns that Hope City is a white elephant project because few households will be able to afford to live in the luxury apartments.
What type of service is IBM providing to Ghana Fidelity Bank?
IBM implanted a new comprehensive state-of-the-art data center for the bank
How has IBM's Corporate Services Corp program assisted Ghanaian institutions?
IBM's Corporate Services Corp is helping improve efficiency and effectiveness through utilizing the latest technologies and business practices.
What does IBM's Nairobi Research Lab focus on?
IBM's Nairobi Research Lab is developing commercially viable solutions to transform lives and spark new business opportunities. Water, agriculture, transportation, health-care, financial inclusion, education, energy, security, and e-government
What are ISPs and MNOs?
ISPs- Internet Service Providers; MNOs- Mobile Network Operators
Compare the "Family Map" in fat vs. lean economies
In African countries, many rely on networks of family, friends and neighbors for support, and governance often occurs at the community level. In fat economies like the US, people tend to more isolated and individualist.
What did Sangu Delle point to as an example of a solution to combat income inequality in living spaces?
In London any real-estate developer must put some percentage towards low income housing
The Anti-Corruption Coalition in Ghana is encouraging the use of what technology to monitor and report acts of corruption?
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
What 2 American companies have partnered with RLG and their products?
Intel (processors in laptops) and Microsoft (Windows 8 for Uhuru tablet)
What is an MVNO?
Mobile Virtual Network Operator. A wireless telecommunications services provider that doesn't own its own infrastructure. Instead, MVNOs pay a reduced price to license capacity from other providers and repackage the service under their own brand.
What is IBM shifting their product and service focus to?
Moving away from commoditized hardware computing products, in favor of high-margin, high-value software products with an emphasis on cloud and cognitive computing
What are the challenges Kaymu faces that its US counterparts do not?
Much like Amazon, Kaymu connects buyers and sellers. Unlike Amazon however, Kaymu must overcome the lack of a strong mail system, no addresses and the lack of credit card usage. Therefore more customer interaction is required in order to connect the seller to the buyer (they actually meet in person). Kaymu is the middleman.
Q: Name three reasons mobile money is so successful in Africa.
-Opens up the network and channel where different mobile providers can send money to each other -Mobiles are ubiquitous -Much deeper reach to the consumer since more people have mobile services than banks -Youthful population -Lack of payment alternatives -Lifestyle fit
What are various philanthropic efforts the IBM is making in Ghana?
-Partnerships with the Peace Corp -Led workshop on women's empowerment -Reduce mother to child HIV
Name three types of cards that CoreNett creates and personalizes for users?
-Payment cards (credit and debit cards) -Loyalty/rewards cards -Discount cards
Name three positives of Project 1000 (all are listed below)
-Reduces dependency on crude oil -Provides emergency power to Ghana -Increase job creation -New natural gas industry -Capable of running off of other gases - adaptable -Benefits neighboring countries and makes Ghana a hub for energy and trade
Name 2 Esoko services designed to be used by farmers
-SMS alert subscription: regular text messages about weather and plating good practices -MarketPlace tools to connect traders to farmers -Call center to answer questions and offer another avenue of information
What information do the three parts of a Ghanaian name provide?
-gender -day of week they were born on -birth order (first born, second, etc.)
Who are CoreNett's clients?
Mobile Network Operators and banks.
What is the "PHD" attitude in Ghana?
"Pull Him Down"
What is Sangu Delle's take on microfinance?
"We seem to be fixated on this romanticized idea that every poor person in Africa is an entrepreneur," he says. "Yet, my work has taught me that most people want jobs."
Name two services designed to be used by Esoko's partners and franchises to better their internal operations.
-Advertisement notifications (use SMS as a marketing tool to send out product announcements etc.) -Survey and poling platforms (using SMS and/or android) -Agent management system used to track sales agents
How is GE not just giving Ghana the infrastructure it needs, but also the tools for long-term success?
-Developing young leaders so they know how to manage and keep operations running efficiently -Creating sustainable power developments by using natural gas instead of crude oil -Training Ghanaians through programs like the educational plan at Ashesi University to educate workers
What are factors that are helping Ghana achieve success?
-Ghana is a model for democratic practices -Increased economic success because of foreign development -82% of the capital flowing to the developing world is from the private sector
What best describes the backgrounds of the founder and current CEO of Esoko?
Both have experience with entrepreneurship and the current CEO has specific experience with social entrepreneurship and has worked for Grameen in their rural business sector.
What did Nathan Eagle say Jana's mission is?
Bring Internet for the next billion
Why is Sangu Delle a big supporter of big businesses in Africa?
He believes they create jobs, develop local economies and help people become rich.
What is Offshore Cape Three Points?
Block that GE is investing $850 million in equipment and services in the hopes of finding gas by the end of the first of three stages
What is ServLed's 3-tier model?
1) Accelerator 2) Assistance to graduate startups-management service support 3) Raising VC fund
How many people does GE employ in Africa?
1,800 employees
What is the mobile penetration rate?
116%
In what year and African country did IBM first have a presence?
1933 and Algeria
What place did RLG earn in the List of Top 100 Companies in Ghana, known as the Ghana Club 100?
1st
How many years of entrepreneurial or corporate work experience must one have to apply to MEST?
3-5 years
How many African countries does GE have a presence in?
6
What is the literacy rate?
86%
What is a "fail state"?
A "fail state" is a government that fails to provide basic services to its citizens, often due to poverty and corruption.
How are investors' interests protected?
A Special Purpose Vehicle is created and seeded by twenty angel investors. The fund is then used to invest in a cohort of ten or 12 startups to spread the risk of investors.
What is Smartvod?
A company that offers mobile streaming services in Africa - similar to Netflix
What is First Access?
A data analytics company that provides a credit-scoring system for microfinance institutions
What is ServLed?
A disruptive, socially-minded, scalable start-up accelerator
What is Clinic In A Can?
A solar powered clinic that can go to rural areas
Why has mobile money not taken off in the USA?
A: -Sophisticated payment infrastructure (still easy to pay with credit or debit cards) -Credit, debit, and bank accounts are ubiquitous -Concerns over security and privacy -When make an online transaction you're afraid that people can steal customer's information
Q: What is branchless banking?
A: Branchless banking is defined as the delivery of financial services outside conventional bank branches, often using agents and relying on information and communications technologies to transmit transaction details.
What are some notable inventions by IBM?
ATM, floppy disk, the UPC, Magnetic Stripes, Watson AI
What are the main benefits of the IBM research center in South Africa for customers?
Access to advanced cloud computing and cloud storage technology and faster network speeds.
Name one Esoko investor.
Acumen, Lundin Foundation, International Network Investments, John Forster
What other company does ServLed partner with to host Demo Fridays?
African Entrepreneurs Hub
What 2-day event did MEST host with representatives from Google, IBM, and the like?
African Technology Summit
What are some of Sangu Delle's roles?
An Entrepreneur, Author, Clean Water Activist, Soros Fellow and TEDGlobal Fellow
What company did Google acquire in 2005 that has been pivotal in its capitalizing on the increase in mobile smartphone usage in Africa?
Android
Who is the current IBM Ghana country general manager and who did she replace?
Angela Kyrematen-Jimoh, Joe Mensah
What does Sangu Delle mean when he says Africa is the last frontier of economic growth?
As Africa modernizes and innovates with a booming population and a rising middle class, many countries are experiencing substantial growth in GDP. This presents key business and investment opportunities.
What was RLG the first to do in sub-Saharan Africa?
Assemble laptops and mobile phones in-country
What are the three models of banking?
Bank Focused Model - bank has its own stand-alone products Bank Led Model - couple of different companies partnering together but it has to involve a bank Non Bank Led Model - purely a company being independent with no bank
Why has the use of voice messages been successful for VOTO in reaching distant communities in Africa?
Because of low literacy rates, voice messages are better to get the information across.
What is one way that CoreNett benefits from its partner, Diebold?
Diebold provides CoreNett with the sale, manufacture, and installation of its ATMs
Name one CoreNett partner.
Diebold, Thales, PAX Technology, BS/2, Vivantti, Knoxxi
What is the term MEST uses for its students?
EIT - Entrepreneur in Training
According to the author, what is the most important issue for African youth?
Education - she argues for education should provide vocational training to prevent unemployment and should also empower the next generation to be leaders of change across the continent
What is Fluxxi EFT Switch?
Electronic fund transfer switch that authorizes and routes financial transactions based on predefined rules.
What is B-Link?
Embedded Bank Integration that adds the flexibility for Bank to Wallet, Wallet to Bank functionality. (Available for MTN, Airtel, Tigo and Vodafone wallets in Ghana).
What are the 5 stages of Design Thinking?
Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototyping, Testing
What are some key values of Ghanaian culture?
Emphasis on community, importance of family shown in extended family living together, proper dignity and social conduct
What are three interlocking challenges that have recently affected startups in Ghana?
Energy crisis; currency fluctuations; fuel price increases
Google's Ghana Country Manager is a Ghanaian businesswoman who was previously Managing Director for BusyInternet. What is her name?
Estelle Akofio-Sowah
In what regions is Vodaphone present?
Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific
According to Tavneet Suri, what are some problems with mobile adoption in Africa?
Expansion of cell networks, power issues, and literacy
What are external and internal factors of driving growth?
External: Demand for rich natural resources (cocoa, oil, gold) Internal: Rise of the middle class; Democratic, accountable governments; Sensible economic policies; Adoption of technology; Emergence of a new generation of policymakers, activist, business leaders
True or False: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps advertisers run and optimize their paid ad campaigns.
False, SEO is the process of trying to improve a page's organic search results. Organic search is determined by Google's PageRank algorithm, so a webpage with more pages linking to it will be ranked higher, and cannot be bought. Some websites are deemed more influential (ex- NYT more influential than my personal blog), and Google also uses some data on user history.
True or False: IBM is entering the African market purely from a philanthropy end and do not care about making profits.
False: Africa is part of IBM's part to profit on the formerly ignored parts of the world outside of BRIC. Even though the profits may be small initially, the potential to scale the growth is extremely attractive.
True or False: MEST Incubator startups have to stay in the MEST Ghana location
False: Startups can take advantage of Meltwater's satellite offices in San Francisco and London for a global reach
What five maps does The Bright Continent use to create a new image of Africa?
Family, Technology, Commercial, Nature, and Youth
List three groups of people and/or entities that benefit from Esoko and explain how each one benefits:
Farmers- they have increased business Franchises of Esoko make money selling subscriptions and use Esoko's services to make internal operations better. Traders- some would think that making farmers better at negotiating would hurt traders, but transparency ultimately increases efficiency. The market information also allows traders to gain the trust of farmers more easily. Esoko focuses on helping the entire value chain Telecos- many in Ghana have partnered with Esoko to offer enticing services to their members, this increases customer loyalty and helps them attract new customers. Gov't agencies- Many gov't in Africa lack the resources necessary to maintain real time market information and most citizens don't trust gov't information to be up to date. By using Esoko's services, gov'ts can know current market trends and forecast future growth.
What is financial inclusion?
Financial inclusion is the delivery of financial services at affordable costs to sections of disadvantaged and low-income segments of society. It is a person's resilience in the face of some kind of shock. It does not mean simply having a bank account, it is the building of financial resilience so you can handle unexpected events.
Who are some of MMIT's key partners?
First Bank of Nigeria, SmartVOD, BBM, Talk360
What is Firstmonie?
Firstmonie is the FirstBank of Nigeria's mobile wallet, which can be used to make purchases even using feature phones.
What is Fluxxi?
Fluxxi is an enterprise and innovation platform. CoreNett manages the platform infrastructure, regulation, and risk, while the institution focuses on design, marketing, and distribution. Fluxxi's platform offers unbanked people financial services.
How much does MEST Venture Capital invest?
For small companies: 500K-750K. For larger companies: 1-2 million
According to George Ayittey, what are the four factors that account for Ghana's democratic success?
Free media; Existence of vigilant civil societies and NGOs; Mature political leaders; Luck
What were two challenges Esoko faced?
Funding; Lack of trust; Illiteracy; Poor Infrastructure; Scale
Name one startup in ServLed's portfolio.
GeniusHive, Tizans, Insumeter, EasyLearn, Horseman Shoes
GAIN is a major company that has partnered with ServLed. What does GAIN stand for?
Ghana Angel Investor Network (GAIN)
What did Michael Joseph say should be the role of NGO's in Africa?
Go in with the intention of leaving. Try to create something sustainable and then leave.
What is the difference between Google Fiber and Project Link?
Google Fiber is subsidiary under Alphabet that provides high-speed internet access in a select number of US cities. Google Fiber sells directly to US consumers. Project Link is laying down fiber optic cables in Uganda and Ghana and leasing the broadband capacity to ISPs and MNOs. The ISPs and MNOs deal with the users/customers, because it is difficult to manage customers and payments in most African countries.
What are "Socially responsible investors"?
Investors participated in the first wave of impact investing. They eliminated holdings with negative impacts (ex- tobacco) from their portfolios. Started in the 1970s.
What is wrong with sending "stuff we don't want" to Africa?
It doesn't solve the root problems of poverty so it is not a sustainable solution. It often harms local industries and reinforces the "white savior industrial complex."
What is the "smarter cities project" attempting to accomplish?
It is attempting to use technology to transform its key urban systems.
How is chieftaincy in Ghanaian tribes similar to despotism?
It is not, it is Democractic
what is Cleanacwa program?
It works to bring clean drinking water to over 60,000 people in over 120 villages in Ghana
What countries border Ghana?
Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo
Who is the CEO of GE, and CEO of GE Africa?
Jeffrey Immalt; Jay Ireland
What are RLG's goals for 2020?
Job training for Ghanaian youth, become industry leader in manufacturing sales, become employer of choice for talented young individuals
Who is the current President of Ghana?
John Dramani Mahama
What is kanju?
Kanju is a specific creativity born from African difficulty. It is the driving force of innovation.
What is Kaymu?
Kaymu is the #1 online shopping community in Ghana. They help local entrepreneurs expand their businesses by introducing them to e-commerce
What is KnoxxiCast?
KnoxxiCast is a platform that enhances the interactions between businesses and customers through rewards and loyalty program models, campaign content management, geo-fencing/micro-location technology, and app integration into a marketing platform.
What are some challenges mobile banking faced in Ghana?
Lack of education; Barriers to access; Not reaching the unbanked; Cash transactions culture
What are the challenges startups in Ghana faced?
Lack of human capital, lack of financial capital, Ghanaian love for foreign goods and services, regulatory roadblocks, and lack of reliable essential infrastructure
What is one of the biggest challenges facing the commercial sector?
Lack of investment, especially for small and medium sized enterprises that fall in the "missing middle" between microfinance institutions and commercial banks
Name one country that MEST will be expanding to.
Lagos, Nigeria or Nairobi, Kenya
Q: What are the two types of economies outlined in The Bright Continent?
Lean economies struggle with disease, unemployment, and infrastructure but have more innovation and less waste. Since these economies are not as stable, diversified, or developed, there is a larger focus on innovation since creative solutions have to be made in order to solve problems unique to country with a poorer population. In fat economies abundance is the norm so innovation often centered around luxury and excess. Problem solving is far beyond sanitation, vaccination and electrification.
Besides trying to get people onto the Internet, what else does Google need to be concerned with?
Local, meaningful content available for Africans to search and engage with.
What does ServLed look for in a startup?
Looking for high growth business idea that use tech to solve social issues
What is one of the main issues in Ghana that GE is trying to solve?
Loss of productivity and efficiency due to widespread power outages, because there is a deficiency in the output of energy.
In what year was MEST founded? In what year did the MEST Incubator open its doors?
MEST was first launched in 2008. The MEST Incubator opened its doors in 2010
What is MMIT?
MMIT (Mobile Media Info Tech) is a payment processing company with products to facilitate electronic transactions.
What point did Michael Joseph emphasize about the source of innovation in Africa?
Majority of innovation in Africa has come from the outside, now we have to see innovation from within Africa
What is Esoko's ultimate social goal?
Make farming more profitable for small farms; Support poor farmers and the agricultural sector in general
What day did Ghana gain independence?
March 6, 1957
What role does each of the following fulfill in the Esoko company: Mark Davies, Hillary Miller-Wise, Daniel Asare-Kyei?
Mark Davies (founder) Hillary Miller-Wise (current CEO) Daniel Asare-Kyei (Ghana country manager)
Who is Mark Davies?
Mark Davies is the tech entrepreneur that founded Esoko. His other ventures include BusyInternet, FirstTuesday, Metrobeat, and Sky Electronic Publishing.
What is an MIS?
Market Information System. It is a system in which market data is gathered, analyzed, and eventually distributed. The information provided allows those who use it to make better business decisions.
What Esoko product has been most successful in helping farmers?
Market price SMS notifications, in one study price alerts led to a 7% increase in the price that farmers received for their yams. Currently, price alerts mainly help farmers bargain better with traders but the hope is that in the future the service will help farmers decide when and where to sell as well
What is Measured Resilience?
Measured Resilience is how well people can respond to an economic shock. In developing countries when you experience a negative shock your spending changes, which is a sign of low resilience and economic exclusion.
What does the MEST acronym stand for?
Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology
Who is Michael Amankwa?
Michael Amankwa is the founder and CEO of CoreNett. His other ventures include Vivantti and Knoxxi, both of which are partners of CoreNett.
What is BC Alum Mike Hogan's role at Google?
Mike is the Program Manager for Access Africa. He helps with the automation of the business in Africa, including building business management tools and connecting info about the network (fiber cables).
What is an NFC tag and how is it used?
NFC means "Near Field Communication." These NFC tags are identified by radio waves, and offer a secure form of data exchange dependent on proximity.
What is a juju man? When is he consulted?
Part of native Ghanaian beliefs/spirituality, a juju man is sought out to get spiritual answers using magic. For example- who will win a soccer/football game, if you will win the heart of a girl...
How was SOLO mobile able to discount the price of their phone form $100 to $10 for their customers?
Partnered with telco like Airtel to offer a subsidized price of the phone in exchange for a service contract.
What does GE Healthcare's business unit Sustainable Healthcare Solutions (SHS) do?
Sustainable Healthcare Solutions has the goal of developing high value, low cost technology to improve outcomes for patients in the emerging healthcare market.
What role does technology play for the Bridge International Academies?
Teachers have tablets to see lesson plans, deliver lessons to students, and collect data on student performance
What is a common challenge for many primary schools?
Teachers lecture and write too much, expecting students to memorize, and don't understand what students need to learn
What is NOVUS International?
NOVUS International, a multinational animal feed business, is one of esoko's many clients. It uses esoko to send SMS messages to farmers in Kenya and Uganda, giving tips on how to care for animals, and introduces new products.
What organization is RLG partnering with to teach youth in mobile phone/computer repairs and assembling?
National Youth Employment Program. The thousands of trainees who can be seen under RLG umbrellas, selling and repairing phones
What issue did Nathan Eagle emphasize had to be part of the conversation as companies try to bring Internet access to Africans?
Net Neutrality
What does O3b stand for and what do they do?
O3b stands for the Other 3 Billion, the other three billion people who do not have reliable access to the Internet. This organization has a satellite network that aims to provide more coverage to under covered areas.
What country had the most signups for the Google "Africa, Get Your Business Online" project?
Of the businesses that registered, 95% of them were in Ghana.
What natural resource has been discovered off the coast of Ghana that will aid the economy in the future?
Oil
What is an important factor to keep in mind when defining target audience in terms of MMIT's definition?
One of the main things that they consider is price point because like in Nigeria, the majority of the population live on $2 a day. Because of the tradeoff this creates between basic and luxuries, quality is an important component because they are willing to spend the money.
What district in Accra is RLG based out of?
Osu
Why is Project 1000 beneficial to the Ghanaian gov't?
Outside companies are investing in solving the power outage issues surrounding Ghana, allowing the gov't to invest in other problems that do not draw as much private capital
What partner assists in the creation of Knoxxi POS?
PAX Technology
Many people describe M-PESA as being a debit card or having a bank account. However, one may be shocked to learn that M-PESA is not used for activities that Americans or other fat economies might use our bank accounts for. What are people NOT using M-PESA for?
Paying bills; Receiving payments or wages from an organization; Paying for other goods or services
Why is online advertising increasing?
People spending more time online; Measure how well the ads are working; Targeting
What are the five need gaps that serve as the starting points for reverse innovation opportunities?
Performance, Infrastructure, Sustainability, Regulatory, Preferences
What is Project Loon?
Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.
Briefly describe Project Lucy and it's importance in Africa
Project Lucy is IBM's version of it's powerful analytics venture, Watson, that will be used to discover new patterns and correlations in data that can be used to helps businesses and governments address continental grand challenges in healthcare, education, water & sanitation, human mobility, and agriculture. For example: Help plan out forecasting so that farmers can better prepare how they should plant their crops
What is GE's project 1000?
Project to create LNG (liquefied natural gas) power plant that will deliver energy to Ghana. Reducing the dependency on crude oil that is expensive and not sustainable. Focus on cheaper, faster, and sustainable energy and adaptable technology.
What is the RLG Foundation doing to solve water quality/water scarcity issues?
Providing boreholes in northern Ghana, and urging institutions to curb small-scale mining
What are two factors as to why Samsung displaced RLG as #1 in Ghana?
RLG executed projects with the government that earned bad press, and they had weak R&D
Describe the business of RLG in a sentence.
RLG is a leading Ghanaian computer and handset manufacturing company.
Which RLG product was named Product of the Year 2011?
RLG phones
Samuel Yeboah is a co-founder of ServLed who also served as COO of what company?
Rancard
What challenges do Financial Tech firms face in Africa?
Regulations, compliance, foreign currency exchange, access to financing
What is reverse innovation?
Start from scratch, 50% performance at 15% price. Approach is the startup model.
What types of companies does the MEST Incubator focus on?
SaaS, Consumer Internet, eCommerce, Digital Media, and Healthcare IT
In the Telecom Panel, what did Michael Joseph and Nathan Eagle agree was more important, empowerment or scaling?
Scaling. They said that the goal is to create a service that the user is paying for, rather than giving as handout. Companies should not be questioning whether the service empowers the people or adds value, but whether they can put a price on the value-added service to generate a return on investment
What are the services VOTO provides?
Send voice and SMS communications to small and large groups Create surveys to gather feedback Information hotlines
What is ServLed Friday?
ServLed Friday is a weekly seminar from industry experts on topics pertaining to building sustainable businesses in Africa.
What is Knoxxi's centralized rewards aggregating system?
Since Knoxxi converts life experience into wealth, it provides this centralized rewards aggregating system to combine all of the money received from different apps and accounts into a single, personal account, which can be used as real money for anything.
What are the advantages of social entrepreneurship?
Social entrepreneurs use market solutions to solve social problems, creating solutions that are more accountable and sustainable.
How have Esoko products helped support Ghana's agricultural sector?
Supply chain efficiency; Organizational cost savings; Proliferation of information; Decrease in information asymmetry
How much does ServLed typically invest in a startup?
Typically invest an average of $30,000 US for return for the min stake being 15%
What is the purpose of Daniel's Ghana Strong Initiative?
The Ghana Strong Initiative facilitates research for collaborative design and sustainable development for and with people with disabilities in Ghana. Its mission is to produce affordable, accessible transportation solutions to promote inclusion of diverse abilities locally.
Why does Dayo Olopade criticize the Millenium Development Goals?
The MDGs rely on formal indicators that are often irrelevant in a local context. They are an example of Western nations deciding what is best for developing countries instead of developing organic growth from within.
Does the MEST curriculum put a heavy emphasis on software development?
The MEST program provides rigorous entrepreneurial training and extensive hands-on project work, designed so that EITs master methodologies for software development.
What is the MIT doing in Africa?
The MIT Africa Initiative is seeking a mutually beneficial engagement in research, education, and innovation
What is the Moringa School?
The Moringa School teaches students how to code through an intensive 4-month program. They tackle the issue of lack of high quality developers and quality education in Kenya. Its biggest success has been its 100% job placement rate.
What does "esoko" mean?
The Swahili word "Soko" means market, the 'e' represents electronic.
What is the V-scan+? Has Ghana received any?
The V-scan+ is an ultrasound in your pocket, a diagnostic product that is easily moved. Ghana received 400 in 2011
What is unique about the Vodafone Appstore?
The Vodafone Appstore is developer friendly and focuses on local, relevant content. Users still have access to global apps.
What problem did Solo encounter while trying to stream movies? What was their solution?
The broadband available to most people is not enough to stream movies, so Solo put out local "Redboxes" that allow you plug in your phone and download the movie within a few minutes.
Why did Google partner with Orange in 2015?
The partnership will combine Orange's mobile network with Google's Android devices and mobile applications to deliver affordable smartphone packages to Africa and the Middle East.
How have m-pesa and other money transferring services changed the way African's build their financial support networks? Why is this shift beneficial?
The phone transfers allow them to spread their networks out geographically. This is important because the key to a strong network is having it made up of people who are different from you, and thus are unlikely to be affected by the same shock at the same time. Mobile money transfers allow people to diversify their financial support network, which increases their measured resilience. Also reduced the transaction costs
What is Project Fi?
The project that offers low-cost mobile data plans with unlimited talk, text, international data roaming with no added fee in 120 countries, access to hot spots, and a usage based pricing model where customers get a refund for unused data.
Why is it difficult for Ghanaian startups to last longer than 5 years?
Unreliable power, little access to quality Internet, gov't policy increasingly favors multinational businesses, and the energy crisis is eating at profits.
What is the function of the Ushahidi app?
Ushahidi means, "witness." This app allows people to digitally, rapidly, and publicly track outbreaks of violence (specifically used in Kenya's election crisis).
What is the goal of VOTO Mobile?
VOTO Mobile- use mobile phones to reach people in the last mile of communication
What are the 4 major mobile money service providers in Ghana?
Vodafone Cash, MTN Mobile, Airtel Money, Tigo Cash
What are some marketing techniques Vodafone has employed to expand their business in Ghana?
Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, radio advertisements, strong social media presence, TV commercials
What is Vodafone Red?
Vodafone Ghana launched the Red Club to reward loyal customers, granting them access to discounts from selected businesses and hotels.
What is "formality bias"?
The tendency to rely upon rules and formal structures (i.e. governments) instead of seeing the potential for change through unconventional channels (i.e. informal sector)
What regulation by the Ghanaian gov't has unintentionally inhibited the growth of branchless banking?
There must be a minimum of 3 banks involved in every service and no exclusive partnerships allowed (Bank-led model)
What does Jana do to help the poor afford internet?
They can earn free airtime for their services.
What was RLG fined a large amount of money for?
They overstated the number of youth being trained under the Youth in ICT Module
What policy did Nigeria put in place to encourage the use of card and electronic based transactions?
They put in place a charge on daily cash withdrawals beyond a certain threshold.
What is the goal of the D-Lab?
To advance the discipline of collaborative design and delivery of technologies that improve the lives of people in poverty
What was the purpose behind the launching of Project Link?
To bring faster, more reliable Internet to the people and places that need it. Project Link builds metro fiber and Wi-Fi networks to help local providers connect more people to the Internet and each other. Google first launched Project Link in Kampala, Uganda.
Why have Esoko and Vodafone formed a partnership?
To create the Farmers' Club to transform Ghana's agricultural sector Accra by providing information services.
Why is it cheaper to produce corn in Iowa and send it to Ghana?
To produce and ship a ton of corn from Iowa costs $50, while just the transportation costs from the plains in Ghana is 60% of that.
What are IBM's three areas of focus within Sub-Saharan Africa?
Transforming rural areas, creating smarter cities, and positively influencing the lives of Africa's citizens
True or False: MEST's program is fully sponsored.
True. MEST's program includes education, housing, food, and a monthly stipend.
What is a service that Vodafone's Farmers' Club offers?
Vodafone's Farmers Club- Expert Advice, Price of Commodities, and Crop Information. Partner with esoko.
What is Vodafone's Hackathon?
Vodafone's Hackathon is aimed at creating innovative solutions by providing a platform for technological innovators and software developers to collaborate on various projects to address social needs.
What does the Bugum festival celebrate?
a fire festival
What are the four pillars that GE emphasizes?
building, curing, moving, powering
What are the two areas that the MTN executive highlighted as needing disruption?
c. Health services and education
How much seed funding does the MEST Incubator award to startups?
for profit model, $50,000 - $200,0000, take a minority equity stake
How does mPharma make drugs more affordable for consumers?
mPharma aggregates information from all pharmacies and talks to pharmaceutical companies to lower prices through a micropayment scheme. This reduces the high upfront cost that prevents many people from fulfilling their prescriptions.
Q: What is the goal of mPharma?
mPharma is building the largest e-prescription network in Africa to make it easier for medicines to be tracked and usage monitored. It tries to solve the distribution problem to analyze drug consumption data.
Fill in the blank (2 words) for the following Ghanaian proverb: "A good wife is .... .... than gold"
more precious
What are the four areas in which GE hopes to support economic growth in Ghana through infrastructure?
power, healthcare, transportation, oil&gas
