4 out of 5 Africans say recent developments in African technology has changed how they view the continent

A new report that includes the surveyed opinions of 4,500 Africans from Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana has revealed that the recent wave of technology innovation coming out of Africa is changing how Africans view the continent. When asked if recent developments in African technology had impacted their perception of the continent, 4 out of 5 (84.6%) answered “yes”.

According to the report, 9 out of 10 (91.7%) are likely to use technology solutions that are made in Africa and 9 out of 10 (91.8%) are likely to describe Africans as innovative and entrepreneurial. When asked which African technology stories they were most excited to read about, 29.8% said “funding stories”, closely followed by “expansion stories” (28%) and “partnership stories” (27%).

The Africa Innovation Impact Report, which was compiled by Talking Drum Communications, a public relations and communications consultancy that works with African technology companies, and Survey54, an artificial intelligence-powered market research company, also found that education (21.1 percent) is considered to be the sector most impacted by technology innovation in Africa over the last two years. More than financial services (18.3%) and entertainment (15.1%).

A new innovation narrative has emerged in Africa in recent years, embodied by the exponential growth of funding for technology startups. Not only has investment into African startups grown 18x between 2015 and 2021, funding for African startups grew 2x faster than global rates between 2020 and 2021. However, beyond the stories of multimillion-dollar funding rounds and acquisitions, there are also the stories of the people these innovations have been developed to help. The Africa Innovation Impact Report highlighted job creation (51%) as the biggest advantage of Africa’s growing digital economy. More than exposure of the younger population to technology (29.3%), growing financial inclusion (12.4%) and the potential to plug infrastructure gaps on the continent (7.1%).

Commenting on the findings of the report, Olugbeminiyi Idowu, Founder and Managing Director of Talking Drum Communications, said “our aim with the report is to capture the impact of Africa’s emerging innovation narrative beyond anecdotes and hearsay, and contribute to the conversation about how we keep things moving forward. Based on the data we have gathered, the innovation coming out of Africa is not only changing the way people live and work, it is also changing the way people think, how they view themselves as Africans and driving a demand for more innovation. There is a growing appetite for these innovations, both from African users and global investors, and there is much to be excited about what the future holds”

The Africa Innovation Impact Report is available to access for free on the Talking Drum Communications and Survey54 websites

Talking Drum Communications

Talking Drum Communications is a public relations and communications consultancy that helps African technology companies and other stakeholders in Africa’s technology sector to shape perceptions and get more favourable and effective publicity for the work they are doing.

Talking Drum provides a unique combination of international public relations expertise and a clear understanding of the African landscape to deliver successful media campaigns that align with clients’ business goals.

For more information, please visit www.talkingdrumcomms.com

Survey54

Survey54 is a seasoned consumer intelligence platform for Africa and emerging markets focusing on addressing the shortage of consumer data that has impacted the business decisions of numerous businesses on the continent.

Using advanced technology, the team makes it easier for businesses to comprehend African consumers. They are the largest research panel in Africa, with more than 500,000 active consumers delivering unmatched capacity across the continent.

In addition to collecting data, Survey54’s AI-enabled platform analyzes and provides actionable insights in real-time. They also offer customized full-service, assisted, and DIY market research and data collection packages.

For more information, please visit www.survey54.com