By Kenneth Liss, Editor, HBS Working Knowledge
For Africa, the Internet is all about opening doors. Doors to global markets, to Western resources, and to the new economy.
And for the panelists on the African Business Conference's Information Technology & Telecommunications panel, the key question was not how to bring Internet technology to Africa, but how to use the Internet to bring Africa to the world.
"One of the great opportunities is to marry the rich resources of emerging markets, beginning with Africa, with us," said former Washington, D.C. mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly in a rousing talk. "Through this digital virtual highway, we can effectively bring these markets to America and bring America to these markets without anybody having to leave the home office."
"America, while she is technologically and economically rich, is culturally isolated," said Kelly, who now leads ATC Research, a business portal to Sub-Saharan Africa. "We've got to bring it [Africa] to America where she sits."
Kelly and her co-panelists saw the lack of African telecommunications and technology infrastructure as more of an opportunity than an obstacle. "Fortunately," said Judith Aidoo, CEO of Unicom Africa, "Africa is one of the few places in the world where you can start with nothing — a dollar and a dream — and make something," she said.
"The good news is you don't need a lot of money. The second good thing is that nobody's figured out how to do it, so we all have an opportunity."
A Quality Called Tenacity
Kingsley Idehen, President and CEO of OpenLink Software, said that Africans are particularly well-suited to solving the challenges ahead. "Africans have tenacity," he said. "To live in Africa, to grow up in Africa, you have an indigenous quality called tenacity. What is needed is the confidence and the encouragement."
Idehen cited, as an example, the fact that in many African countries, entrepreneurs are setting up local network loops using radio waves. "The lack of dial tone is not impeding local entrepreneurs," he said.
"Africa simply has to make up its mind that it's going to leap from the past to join the future. It's about a mindset that says, 'I have the power to do things.'"
Idehen also offered challenges, to African governments and to entrepreneurs. "The governments in Africa have to understand that the responsibility is to create an environment for entrepreneurship to bloom," he said.
As for entrepreneurs: "The shortage of resources is an opportunity for every African," he said. "Whether you have domain expertise or are a professional in a certain line of training, the Internet is simply your outlet. No longer is capital an impediment to an idea. It's no longer an excuse. You simply need an idea, tenacity and the ability to connect to the Internet."
Runa Alam (HBS MBA '85), Director of the AIG African Infrastructure Fund, said Africa had a chance to leapfrog other regions as new technology is brought in. "The one advantage Africa has — even over the U.S. — is that when cellular is being put in it's state of the art. Basically, we're going from cellular being put down today to having Internet and ISPs and portals being built right on top of that."
"There are many Africas, and there are opportunities in all those Africas," she added.
Fascinating Times
"Communications markets around the world are going through amazing and fascinating times," said Guy Engon Zibi, Africa/Middle East Research Manager for Pyramid Research. "Make no mistake, this transformation is happening in Africa as well. Communications markets in Africa are growing at a speed we haven't seen before."
Infrastructure is where most African countries fall short, said Zibi. "But I'm really starting to think that it really doesn't matter. The power of the Internet thing and the convergence of technologies is such that the door to competition may be closed, but the back door is open. There are so many ways you can offer services. It's already happening, and where it isn't happening it's only a matter of time."
As it did in almost all of the panels at the conference, the role of Africans abroad drew the attention of the speakers here, too. "Those of us in the diaspora can help in a number of ways," said Idehen. "The Internet connects us. No longer do we have to get on a plane to go over there, or do they have to line up at the embassy and hope for a visa."
"We're using the Internet to deliver the promise," said Kelly. "Anybody who's not excited about this economic revolution — I don't know where you are or who you are. It is going to change all the rules."