At the Next Web Conference (click here for the link) held in Amsterdam earlier this year mobile and media trends expert Rudy de Waele left people speechless and excited about a more connected, safer, better world thanks to mobile technology developments.

According to a recent report by the IMF, cited in de Waele’s speech, 7 out of the top 10 fastest growing economies are in Africa including Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique and Rwanda. While de Waele says this is mostly based on profits from petroleum and raw materials, mobile will play a very important role in the coming years, particularly in light of the fact that mobile subscribers in Africa have been doubling every year since 2002. In fact, as reported by Hermione Way, Africans are more likely to have a Facebook account than email address because they are signing up via Facebook mobile. [See her full story here.]

According to de Waele’s study Africa certainly faces a few challenges for mobile connectivity, including infrastructure, health, education and poor governance.

Having sold over 1 million handsets in three years the challenge is no longer whether Mi-Fone can supply cell phones into Africa but rather can we keep up with the technology that will keep us relevant to our users and top of mind in a very competitive market. Our consumers, some who have never seen a laptop, now use their mobiles to send texts, emails and participate on social networks. Working globally but acting locally has enabled our team to keep abreast of the unique needs of the African market and create alliances which deliver the ultimate user experience to the African mass-market consumer.

A recent partnership with Qualcomm (http://www.qualcomm.com/) has seen the introduction of low cost Android 3G Smartphones into the African Market. Already successfully launched in other territories, the Mi-A300 and the Mi-A305 Android phones, both powered by Qualcomm chipsets, deliver cost effective communication technologically driven devices with African inspired applications. 

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Regards,

Alpesh

Mi-Fone CEO