With a growing number of Africans coming online, the continent’s digital economy is on the rise, with new innovative disruptive technologies being offered, altering the way people live and work and leading to entirely new products and services. The increase consumption of technology in Africa is creating opportunities for organisations to expand into Africa, such as Uber which has recently launched its platform in Dar es Salaam and Jumia which has launched its platforms across key markets on the continent.
Over the last fifteen years Africa has leapfrogged existing technologies. The widespread use of m-money services like M-Pesa in many countries has developed in places where bank accounts are only held by a minority of the population. The coming together of cheap smartphones, ever cheaper data and new online content and services opens up a significant number of new opportunities for international companies and investors.
Disruptive technologies are shaping the landscape of the financial services sector on the continent with technologies such as the Pebble, a device used to accept card payments via mobile phones and the m-payment service Paga in Nigeria, allowing the unbanked population to gain access to financial services.
This event, hosted by the BCA Technology working group and will be an opportunity to hear from keynote speaker Jason Njoku, Founder and CEO of iROKO, who has pioneered the African digital content market by bringing Nollywood (Nigerian cinema) to a global audience. iROKO has aggregated the world’s largest online Nollywood content catalogue and is one of Africa’s largest internet TV providers.
Speaker:
Jason Njoku, Founder & CEO of iROKO
Jason Njoku is Founder and CEO of iROKO, the home of Nollywood content. He has pioneered the African digital content market by bringing Nollywood (Nigerian cinema) to a global audience, and in the process has raised over $35m in investment from international VCs, including Tiger Global, Kinnevik, RISE Capital and Canal+.
Launched in 2010, iROKO has aggregated the world’s largest online Nollywood content catalogue and is one of Africa’s largest internet TV providers. Through its Android App, iROKOtv, the company delivers thousands of hours of content each month to Nollywood fans around the world. The company’s distribution arm, iROKO Global, delivers content to leading platforms including Star Times, Canal+, Nollywood TV, Emirates, United Airlines.
In 2013, Njoku was crowned as the CNBC Africa West Africa Young Business Leader and in 2014, he was recognised as one of Fast Company’s Top 1000 most Creative People in Business.
Russell Southwood, Chief Executive, Balancing Act
Russell Southwood is the Chief Executive, Balancing Act, a consultancy and online publishing company specialising in telecoms, Internet and media in Africa. His consultancy work has included: an assessment of two different sectors in the TV market in Africa; an assessment of the transition to digital broadcasting in over 20 African countries; an appraisal of an investment in a wireless broadband operator; and a study on Open Access models. Earlier this year he completed a report for IDRC on women and youth in relation to innovation and start-ups and he edits a fortnightly e-letter called Innovation in Africa.
Fidelis Omozuapo, Director of Operations, EMEA, IPSA International
Fidelis Omozuapo joined IPSA International in March 2016 in the company’s London office. His move follows several years as Head of West Africa Section in the Investment Risk and Business Intelligence Advisory Division at Aegis Advisory. As Director of Operations, EMEA, Fidelis is responsible for developing business growth opportunities and client relations throughout the EMEA region. His experience lies within assessing the trend and implication of various investment related risks, government policies and regulations.
BCA Members: Please register for this event by clicking ‘Get Tickets’ and then ‘Enter Promotional Code’ to register for your place without charge. Please contact info@bcafrica.co.uk to receive your code