ICON Expands To Africa, Signing Partnership With UABA
TechnologyBit News Today2 min read
ICONLOOP was the only blockchain company to attend Africa's largest tech conference, the Transform Africa Summit, held from May 14 to 17 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Africa: A hotbed of blockchain potential
Technology giants such as Google, Facebook, Huawei, and Kaspersky also attended the gathering, which is the flagship event for SMART Africa, an initiative launched by African governments to boost socioeconomic development through ICT and affordable broadband access.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda attended the conference, alongside other African, Estonian and Japanese officials.
On the ground at Transform Africa
ICONLOOP attended the summit as a “Knowledge Partner” under the International Telecommunication Union’s Smart Incubator Program, which aims to provide blockchain expertise and support to startups worldwide. Working with the International Telecommunication Union, ICONLOOP is helping startups around the world gain expertise in blockchain applications.
In an email to The Iconist, ICONLOOP Director of Public Affairs Josh Choi discussed the potential of blockchain technology in Africa. Choi observed that just as Africa bypassed landline infrastructure to move directly into mobile communications, its national ID systems could similarly leapfrog directly into digital formats.
He noted that many individuals in Africa do not possess basic national identification documents.
Cooperatives use paper-based ledgers to track agricultural products. Choi explained that it is the right time to build an African blockchain ecosystem by offering training and assistance to technology startups.
Building an African blockchain ecosystem
More is already in the works to spread blockchain and crypto education through Africa. The United Africa Blockchain Association, a South African non-profit, announced plans to engage the continent's blockchain and cryptocurrency community through a Train the Trainer model using hackathons and boot camps.
The initiative, announced by UABA, will target women and youth in particular, and start with sessions in Johannesburg in September. UABA ultimately plans to work with partner organizations to extend these sessions to nations such as Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ghana.
Graduate trainees have already had a successful course in Kenya, completing the DLBRT Blockchain business program in April. And moving forward, they plan to start boot camps for African startups in search of blockchain-based solutions tailored to the market.
The program is also slated to feature a second part centered on the Women in Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative, which is scheduled to begin in September 2019.
