Report by Cory Stieg



People should be wearing cloth face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control said Friday.



These homemade masks should cover the nose and mouth and be worn whenever you’re in a community setting, like going to the supermarket or pharmacy. The CDC has a helpful guide for DIY-ing a mask with materials you’d have at home.



While surgical masks and N95 respirators should be saved for healthcare workers, the idea is that a simple cloth covering could prevent asymptomatic people from spreading the disease in situations where it’s hard to maintain social distance.



“These are not intended to prevent you from getting the virus, they are intended to prevent other people from getting the virus from you, Dr. Howard Forman, professor of management, public health, economics and radiology at Yale University and Yale School of Medicine, tells CNBC Make It. “If everybody takes that recommendation carefully, then you are clearly benefiting from the collective.”



But securing a mask is just one piece of the puzzle: For masks to be effective, they must be worn properly. Here’s the right way to use a cloth face covering during the COVID-19 pandemic, plus common pitfalls that could affect your safety:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Focus on the fit</h2>



Face coverings should be snug, but still comfortable, and cover your whole nose and mouth, and extend underneath your chin,&nbsp;according to the CDC. You should be able to breathe normally, but the sides of the mask should fit close to your face.



In truth, wearing a mask can be a little bit annoying, Forman says. Glasses-wearers may struggle with masks steaming up lenses, and it can make breathing somewhat uncomfortable or stuffy. (Kids under age 2 and people who have trouble breathing shouldn’t wear cloth face coverings, per the CDC.) 



If you’re feeling restricted or uncomfortable wearing a scarf over your face, you may want to consider making a mask. Here’s how the CDC suggests making a quick face covering using a scarf, bandana or towel and two rubber bands or hair elastics.



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPx1yqvJgf4
</div></figure>



But you should “find a way to make it is as comfortable as possible,” Forman says.“If you choose not to wear it because it’s uncomfortable, you’re doing more harm,” he says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Put it on carefully</h2>



Whether you’re using a homemade mask, scarf, bandana or surgical mask, “one of the most important steps before putting on or after taking off a face covering is to use appropriate hand hygiene, either by using hand sanitizer or washing your hands with soap and water,” Walley says.



The World Health Organization suggests that people first clean their hands before putting a mask on and check that there are no holes or tears in the fabric.



When putting on your face covering, use the ties to place it on your face and cover your face and mouth snugly, making sure you can breathe easily, Walley adds.&nbsp;If your mask has a nose bridge, hold it in place, then loop the ear bands over your ears.&nbsp;



A bandana, scarf or cloth covering should be applied with the same care.



And don’t touch the outside of the mask or cloth which could be contaminated.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Don’t touch the mask while wearing it</h2>



You shouldn’t be taking off, adjusting or moving your mask during your outing, says Forman.



“It is important to remember the outside of the mask is considered contaminated,”&nbsp;Dr. Susan Walley, professor at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, practicing at Children’s of Alabama, tells CNBC Make It.&nbsp;



A recent laboratory study found that the virus that causes COVID-19 could survive on a face mask for up to seven days.



That means, if you must take off your mask for a&nbsp;quick breather, or an itch, it’s important to practice good hand hygiene after touching the face covering.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Take it off carefully too</h2>



There’s some technique involved taking off a mask, especially if you’re a healthcare worker or taking care of someone who has COVID-19. The key is to avoid accidentally contaminating your hands or touching your face.



Be extra careful not to touch the front of your mask and your eyes, nose and mouth when removing your face covering, and wash your hands after handling your mask, according to the CDC.&nbsp;



Remember: Wearing a mask or cloth face covering doesn’t make you invincible. “There’s no question you could be getting viral particles on the outside of it,” Forman says.



The CDC recommends storing personal protective equipment in a paper bag, so you should do the same with your cloth face covering, Walley says.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wash your mask often</h2>



Currently, there are no strict guidelines about washing and sanitizing cloth face coverings and masks. According to the CDC, machine-washing your mask is enough to disinfect your cloth face covering.



You should wash it regularly, or after each time you wear it.It’s okay to re-wear a cloth face covering so long as it’s not soiled, Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, told NBC’s “TODAY” on Monday. Similarly, if you don’t have immediate access to laundry, it’s reasonable to wait until the face covering is visibly soiled to wash it, Walley says. 



Any clothing or accessories that you wear have the potential to be contaminated, but right now experts don’t believe that the mechanism of transmission is so extreme that you need to be washing or changing your clothes multiple times a day, he says. The same is true for cloth masks and face coverings.



“If someone wanted to be aggressive and keep their clothes is as clean as they could be, I think they would want to do the same thing with a mask,” Forman says. For example, Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious diseases expert at Columbia University, told NPR you should wash your mask as often as you do your underwear. (To that end, you may want to have multiple masks so you can still stay protected while it’s in the wash.)



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Keep social distancing</h2>



Wearing a face covering is just one additional step that you can take to stop the spread of COVID-19, but it’s not a replacement for the other important prevention measures, such as washing your hands and social distancing.



Like the other measures, it’s important to do your part, Forman says. “Anything that reduces transmission at this moment has enormous benefit to the public,” he says.



This article was first published on CNBC Make It <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/09/how-to-use-and-clean-homemade-face-mask-to-prevent-covid19.html?__source=newsletter%7Cmakeit">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/09/how-to-use-and-clean-homemade-face-mask-to-prevent-covid19.html?__source=newsletter%7Cmakeit</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Clarification on COVID-19 “hotspots” as SA moves to level 3 lockdown

Here’s how to use and clean your mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, the right way

Report by Catherine Clifford



The Covid-19 pandemic has nearly instantly and very dramatically pivoted the priorities of some makers, start-up founders, entrepreneurs, researchers and doers&nbsp;— the innovators — to solving problems related to the pandemic and preparing for any in the future.



“Every [tech] entrepreneur that I know is spending time on the pandemic response,”&nbsp;CEO of global start-up accelerator The Founder Institute Adeo Ressi tells CNBC Make It. “Many innovations will result from this global focus.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



That’s because a time of crisis is also a time of opportunity.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490066-1586971034326adeo_ressi_17.jpg2_.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-368172" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490066-1586971034326adeo_ressi_17.jpg2_.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490066-1586971034326adeo_ressi_17.jpg2_-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490066-1586971034326adeo_ressi_17.jpg2_-696x391.jpg 696w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>Adeo Ressi, CEO of the global start-up accelerator The Founder Institute, presenting at a Founder Institute showcase. Photo courtesy The Founder Institute</figcaption></figure>



Alibaba, for instance, was transformed by the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic in China. The company launched its first consumer market place just as people around the country were self-quarantining, so they turned to shopping online, setting the company on its path to becoming a $500 billion e-commerce giant.&nbsp;



And there has already been an impressive amount of collaboration, says&nbsp;Sam Altman, the former president of top Silicon Valley start-up accelerator Y Combinator and current CEO of artificial intelligence research lab&nbsp;Open AI.&nbsp;



“This will be a before moment and an after moment for the world,” Altman tells CNBC Make It, and “there’s incredible innovation coming,” he says.



Here’s a look at the areas of innovation which have become freshly important as the coronavirus pandemic takes center stage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Innovation to fight the pandemic</h2>



The coronavirus pandemic has exposed numerous weak spots in how the government, businesses and citizens prepare for and respond to such events. But these weak spots are opportunities for entrepreneurs to innovate solutions, and many “are working to address the problems that we are facing right now, like a lack of testing and ventilators,” Ressi tells CNBC Make It.



There are many start-ups developing tools to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.



That includes things like artificial intelligence spread modeling, symptom-tracking solutions, chatbots for diagnoses and people-tracking with nearby infection notification, Ressi says.



For exmaple, Y Combinator-backed start-up&nbsp;Inokyo, which builds and installs autonomous checking for retail stores, has used its technical knowledge to build a product, Act, specifically to help companies deploy contact-tracing technology to their workplaces and warehouses, Y-Combinator partner Jared Friedman tells CNBC Make It.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“It uses cameras and computer vision technology to see visually which employees have been in proximity to each other,” Friedman tells CNBC Make It. “Inokyo&nbsp;originally developed this advanced technology for grocery shopping (similar to Amazon Go), and has rapidly adapted it to this new use case.”



And 500 Startups portfolio company OhmniLabs is facilitating virtual visits in the time of coronavirus with its “telepresence robot,” Christine Tsai, CEO and founding partner of the early-stage venture fund and seed accelerator, tells CNBC Make It.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490305-1586980501033hero-1080p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-368175" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490305-1586980501033hero-1080p.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490305-1586980501033hero-1080p-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490305-1586980501033hero-1080p-696x391.jpg 696w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>The “telepresence robot,” made by Ohmni Labs. Photo courtesy Ohmni Labs</figcaption></figure>



“They’re essentially high-tech mobile sticks fitted with high resolution cameras,” Tsai says. “Ohmni is now deploying these robots in hospitals to connect quarantined Covid-19 patients with their families, and donating them to care organizations to enable virtual visits with seniors who are isolated at home.”



Medical software company&nbsp;Qventus&nbsp;is helping hospitals manage patient flow and help hospitals streamline resources, Friedman tells CNBC Make It. The Y Combinator-backed start-up’s product specifically for the Covid-19 pandemic is being used by&nbsp;New York-Presbyterian hospital in New York City, Friedman says. (New York-Presbyterian is also an investor in Qventus, according to the public investor database Crunchbase.)



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Innovation for quarantine life</h2>



Then there are&nbsp;start-ups working to address problems of the quarantined population trying to adapt. This space includes things like digital teleworking tools, home-schooling solutions, safe food delivery solutions, therapy and stress coping mechanisms, as well as symptom tracking innovation, Ressi tells CNBC Make It.&nbsp;



One example of such a start-up is a Y-Combinator backed start-up called&nbsp;Outschool, which produces online video chat classes taught by independent teachers.



“Their demand has exploded as parents adjust to the widespread school closures across the US,” Friedman tells CNBC Make It. “To help families who need financial assistance to access these classes, they are&nbsp;giving away $1M worth&nbsp;of free classes.”



Techstars portfolio company&nbsp;Banjo Robinson, a London-based ed tech company which engages young children in an interactive penpal experience, has seen rapid growth in the time of the coronavirus pandemic.



“They have experienced a five-fold increase in daily sales since schools closed. Parents are telling the Banjo team that juggling work with homeschooling is hard but Banjo activities have been a huge help in occupying their young children in educational ways,” Techstars founder and CEO David Brown tells CNBC Make It.&nbsp;



Microgreen kit producer Hamama is helping people grow green produce at home, Tsai says.



“Given that communities are sheltering in place or quarantined at home, access to fresh produce is much harder to come by,” she tells CNBC Make It of the 500 Startups portfolio company.&nbsp;



Then there’s artificial-intelligence stock trading platfrom, Pynk, a Founder Institute portfolio company, which Ressi says is doing well as investors digest the economic changes coronavirus has wrought.



“As a result of the market volatility, their returns have been 79% up over the last few weeks,” Ressi tells CNBC Make It.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490039-1586970266080pynk.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-368177" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490039-1586970266080pynk.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490039-1586970266080pynk-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490039-1586970266080pynk-696x391.jpg 696w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>Pynk co-founders Seth Ward and Rupert Barksfield on the stage of the 10th Wolves Summit, winning their startup pitch competition. Photo Credit: Wolves Summit</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Innovation for life after the coronavirus</h2>



Then there are innovations accelerated by the pandemic that will live beyond its end.



For example, Tsai says remote care and telemedicine broadly will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic more attractive than they were prior.



So far it “has been held back by regulations and a general lack of awareness,” Tsai tells CNBC Make It. But it “has already begun to take more prominence and this behavior will likely persist past Covid-19 as healthcare providers see the benefits and efficiency in treating patients.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Ressi cites&nbsp;Second Medic, a telemedicine company for second opinions in India in which his accelerator owns a minority stake, as an example. “India just legalized telemedicine for primary care because of the Coronavirus,” Ressi tells CNBC Make It. “This businesses is exploding and plans to close a large pre-seed right any moment now.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Innovation to reinvent hard-hit industries</h2>



&nbsp;As the coronavirus pandemic has swept the country, it has changed consumer behavior drastically. And entrepreneurs in a hard-hit industries are being stressed.



“For start-ups working in negatively affected industries, this is an unprecedented time to innovate or face extinction,” Ressi tells CNBC Make It.



And according to Ressi, many start-ups have been able to adapt since they are “small and nimble,” he says.



For example, Smart Health Clubs (a Founder Institute portfolio company) is moving its business online in this time.&nbsp;



“Physical exertion and the related heavy breathing is known to spread the virus widely,” Ressi tells CNBC Make It. So Smart Health Clubs “is pivoting to provide online engagement solutions to retain members through the pandemic. One options that they are examining is helping gyms sell idle equipment to members and create online courses for the equipment.”



And&nbsp;Gusto, a small-business payroll provider, “has been working around the clock to help small businesses get loans via the&nbsp;Paycheck Protection Program,” Friedman says of the Y-Combinator backed start-up. (On Feb. 22, Gusto was one of 11 companies added to the Small Business Administration’s&nbsp;Small Business Technology Coalition, a public-private partnership which aims to help small businesses use technology more effectively to grow their businesses.)



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490073-1586971341385pier70-gusto3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-368179" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490073-1586971341385pier70-gusto3.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490073-1586971341385pier70-gusto3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106490073-1586971341385pier70-gusto3-696x391.jpg 696w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>The Gusto headquarters in San Francisco at Pier 70. Photo credit: Jenna Carando</figcaption></figure>



Social care networking start-up&nbsp;Aunt Bertha&nbsp;is now helping people locate social services, Brown says of the Techstars portfolio company.



“There are so many people who need support and specific services and they are lost about where to look — at the same time, those offering these resources are overwhelmed by the exponential increase in need. Aunt Bertha is providing a critical connection between these two and they were ready at scale before the Covid-19 crisis hit,” says Brown.&nbsp;



The bottom line is, says Ressi, change can be scary, but it can also be inspiring.



“If anything, I am encouraged by the fact that necessary changeis coming. I am excited about her prospects of new entrants to disrupt,” he says.



This article was first published on CNBC Make It <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/hot-spots-of-innovation-as-a-result-of-coronavirus-pandemic.html?__source=newsletter%7Cmakeit">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/hot-spots-of-innovation-as-a-result-of-coronavirus-pandemic.html?__source=newsletter%7Cmakeit</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Op-Ed: Supporting the ICT sector in Africa as a cure for the economic crisis

These are the new hot spots of innovation in the time of coronavirus

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/tom-popomaronis/">Tom Popomaronis</a>



From building PayPal and SpaceX to running one of the world’s most disruptive automobile companies, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/24/warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-giving-up-this-one-thing-will-make-you-more-successful.html">Elon Musk</a> has a number of impressive accomplishments under his belt. And he’s only 48 years old.



In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/elon_musk_the_mind_behind_tesla_spacex_solarcity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2013 TED talk</a>, the billionaire entrepreneur revealed his “secret sauce” to achieving extraordinary things: “First principles” thinking, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/10/billionaire-warren-buffett-use-this-simple-test-when-making-tough-decisions.html">decision-making</a>&nbsp;strategy in which you “boil things down to their fundamental truths and reason up from there, as opposed to reasoning by analogy.”



Of course, Musk acknowledges that reasoning by analogy — or “copying what other people do with slight variations” — is something we haveto do throughout most of our lives. “Otherwise, mentally, you wouldn’t be able to get through the day,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A framework for deconstructing complex problems</h2>



The term “first principles” was coined more than&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=8tYcp0vYd5EC&amp;amp;amp;printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&amp;amp;amp;q&amp;amp;amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2,000 years ago by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle</a>, who believed that the best way to understand a subject is to&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=8tYcp0vYd5EC&amp;amp;amp;printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&amp;amp;amp;q&amp;amp;amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">break it down to its most fundamental principles</a>.



In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-s_3b5fRd8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2012 interview with Digg founder Kevin Rose</a>, Musk explained how to apply the first principles method, using the cost of car batteries as an example:



Step 1: Identify the problem and its common assumptions.



“Somebody could say, ’Battery packs are really expensive, and that’s just the way they will always be. Historically, it has cost $600 per kilowatt hour,” Musk said, referencing the “common assumption” about car batteries.



Therefore, he continued, most people would just accept that “it’s not going to be much better than that in the future.”



Step 2. Break the problem down to its fundamental truths.



This is often the most difficult part, and the key is to ask the right questions — by challenging the common assumptions. Keep digging deeper and deeper until you are left with only the fundamental truths.



“With first principles, you say, ‘What are the material constituents of the batteries? What is the stock market value of the material constituents?’ It’s got cobalt, nickel, aluminum, carbon, some polymers for separation and a seal can,” explained Musk.



Then, he continued, “you’d break that down on a material basis and say, ‘If we bought that on the London Metal Exchange what would each of those things cost?’ It’s like $80 per kilowatt hour.”



Step 3. Use the fundamental truths to plot a new course.



Fundamental truths are like building blocks. Once you’ve gathered them, you can use them to create an entirely new and innovative solution.



With the batteries, “you just need to think of clever ways to take those materials and combine them into the shape of a battery cell,” Musk said. “Then you can have batteries that are much, much cheaper than anyone realizes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A ‘powerful, powerful way of thinking’</h2>



Musk has referenced the value of first principles thinking several times. “I think it’s important to view knowledge as sort of semantic tree,” he wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2rgsan/i_am_elon_musk_ceocto_of_a_rocket_company_ama/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2015 Reddit AMA</a>. “Make sure you understand the fundamental principles, i.e., the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details, or there is nothing for them to hang on to.”



In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Qh-vwpYH8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2014 commencement speech</a>&nbsp;at the University of Southern California, he offered a similar piece of advice: “Don’t just follow the trend. It’s good to think in terms of the physics approach — the first principles,” he said. “This is a good way to figure out if something really makes sense, or if it’s just what everybody else is doing.”



He added: “It’s very hard to do. You can’t think that way about everything. It takes a lot of effort, but if you’re trying to do something new, it’s the best way to think. It’s really a powerful, powerful way of thinking.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">First principles reasoning can make your life better</h2>



First principles thinking isn’t just for building rockets or electric vehicles. It can be used to fix problems in your daily life, whether it’s related to personal relationships, work, finances or anything else.



Too often, we make major life decisions based on outdated or false information. But in a rapidly changing world, historical truths and experience may not always work, which is why it’s sometimes necessary to take a step back and use the first principles approach to create a more customized and creative solution.



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_tpopomaronis_&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;c=LO_8KzsOlAGvgA6hdGI4v02U_XLiES0sR51Zca0yIy4&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;r=fnb6sKq7SKN8iiAQiVc8NQSbL93Ztb9TeGwNUoj2-0Y&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;m=P_Ys4FkTrXS6d3lDujeEcG0RASS_Te__ciXliHG8uo0&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;s=rHzz9dkDjfkID7To9v-Lu83SKuT7yQyc4bQT7r89G-o&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;e=" target="_blank">Tom Popomaronis</a> is a leadership researcher, commerce expert, cross-industry innovation leader and VP of Innovation at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.massivealliance.com&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;c=LO_8KzsOlAGvgA6hdGI4v02U_XLiES0sR51Zca0yIy4&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;r=fnb6sKq7SKN8iiAQiVc8NQSbL93Ztb9TeGwNUoj2-0Y&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;m=P_Ys4FkTrXS6d3lDujeEcG0RASS_Te__ciXliHG8uo0&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;s=MAZG4XFe5vj2XGn8I5ATujLEG6mysjDhAM2R5QnyNpQ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;e=" target="_blank">Massive Alliance</a>. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc. and The Washington Post. In 2014, Tom was named one of the “40 Under 40” by the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/" target="_blank">Baltimore Business Journal</a>. Follow him on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpopomaronis/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/tpopomaronis" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.



This article was first published on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/28/billionaire-elon-musk-this-is-a-powerful-way-of-thinking-but-hard-to-do-how-it-works.html?forYou=true">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/28/billionaire-elon-musk-this-is-a-powerful-way-of-thinking-but-hard-to-do-how-it-works.html?forYou=true</a> and is republished with its permission.

Elon Musk At SpaceX Headquarters

Billionaire Elon Musk calls this a ‘powerful, powerful way of thinking’—but is ‘hard to do.’ Here’s how it works

By Zandre Campos, CEO of ABO Capital 



It was less than 10 years ago that the
world’s most valuable resource was oil.&nbsp;
States would do all they could to ensure some sort of control over a
portion of the oil economy. Some even went to war for it, and those that
controlled the oil industry controlled the world. 



However, as our society becomes more
technologically driven, a new resource has taken oil’s place as the world’s
most important commodity, and it does not exist in the physical plane. I am
talking, of course, about data. 



Data is reshaping the way we think and
approach our world. It impacts every business and industry, from marketing to
agriculture to health care. We see it in action every day in our lives. Did
Amazon just recommend a product to you? They did that through your browsing and
shopping data. Did you recently watch an ad on YouTube? Well, YouTube chose
that ad based on its data analysis of your interests. 



As data becomes more significant to our
economy and a general state of life, it is essential for Africa to take the
lead in this new data economy. Data is the key to unlocking the future
potential of Africa. Luckily, Africa already has two of the most important
pieces of any data set. 



The first is its population. Africa has a fast-growing population that skews young. Africa is a very young country, with 60% of its population under the age of 25. That number is expected to go up by 42% by the year 2030. Currently, Africa constitutes about 20% of the world’s youth population, coming in at around 230 million people. 



Perhaps more importantly, Africa’s middle-class population is also growing in both numbers and wealth. Consumer expenditures are expected to rise to $2.1 trillion in 2025 and $2.4 trillion in 2030. That is more than double the 2015 rates. Current household consumption is growing at a faster rate than average annual GDP, and Axios estimates that by 2020 more than half of all Africans will have discretionary income. 



A rising, young middle class means more
data and information will be available, creating a wellspring of untapped
potential just waiting to be harvested. At the same time, these young minds can
bring new ideas and inspirations to the African economy, spearheading an
economic growth never seen before. 



As more Africans have the income to spend,
an increase in the use of personal electronic devices is expected as well. More
will be using computers, smartphones, and other technological devices, all of
which will contribute to the data that can be gathered.



The second piece of the puzzle is energy. Data management is expensive, requiring massive data centres that rely on significant portions of energy to sustain themselves. And they will need all the help they can get. The African data centre market is expected to grow more than 13% between 2018 and 2014, meaning the continent will need a massive increase in energy to match up with their data growth. Luckily, Africa is on the right path towards a cheaper and greener energy solution. 



<a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/africa-energy-outlook-2019">According to the
International Energy Agency (IEA),</a> Africa is poised to lead the world in
solar energy over the next 20 years. Solar energy is cheaper and more reliable
than other forms of energy. Combined with the sunny conditions and growing
energy need that comes with a massive population growth, the stage is set for
an African energy boom that will give people across the continent electricity
for the first time. 



But it is not just private individuals that
will benefit from this energy boost. Data companies will also be able to take
advantage of this energy surplus. This will lead to new innovations and
projects on local, national and international scales. From improving taxi
services in South African cities to monitoring African climate change, data
will pave the way for a smarter economy.



Some in Africa are already taking the
necessary steps to ensure their spot at the top. Africa Data Centres, a
pan-African company that provides data services, has already installed solar plants
in Nairobi, Cape Town and Johannesburg. 



Data alone will not solve the issue. Africa
needs to invest in data science too, in order to work with the data they
compile. While Africa may be behind other nations in terms of data-analysis,
those who adopt these practices will be able to catch on to the lessons learned
from others soon enough. Africa is in need of more leadership development, key
to which is the decision-making that lies in information analysis. 



Of course, challenges await anyone that
embraces the data economy. The balance between privacy and convenience must be
maintained to secure public support, and international bodies must be set up to
regulate the distribution and use of data in a globalized economy. However,
with a young and eager population, I have no doubt that Africa will be able to
rise to the challenge and fully embrace the new data economy.

Op-Ed: How data can unlock the future of Africa

By Derek Cikes, Commercial Director at Payflex



South Africans are desperate for innovative payment solutions that don’t involve credit traps. In response to a soaring debt crisis due to the miseducation of credit and lending terms and conditions &#8211; both on credit cards and store cards &#8211; philanthropic South Africans in their hundreds have been paying off other people’s store lay-bye debt, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.co.za/pep-lay-bye-2020-1">businessinsider</a>. 



It begs the question though, what is available for online
shoppers and is there a way to avoid credit in all its disguises entirely? The
answer is yes and they’re called ‘Buy-Now Pay-Later’&nbsp; solutions (BNPL)
that offer interest-free, zero-fee shopping with no catches, are going to war
with SA’s debt problem on behalf of online consumers.



“There is a way that shoppers can avoid debt all together,
shop responsibly and get ownership of their goods immediately,” explains <a href="https://www.payflex.co.za">Payflex</a>
CEO, Paul Behrmann. Payflex is leading the charge in disrupting the way
shoppers buy online. The company, based in Illovo Johannesburg, already has
thousands of South African customers and over 100 stores signed up for Payflex.




The problem with store Lay-byes is that you never really own
the goods until you’ve paid in full. Online solutions such as Payflex, allow
you to own the goods immediately while they pay the merchant directly and take
on all the risk. 



“This is a solution where everyone wins. The merchant can
boost their sales by 20 to 30% through larger baskets and improved conversion
while the buyer gets to own their goods right away while shopping responsibly
and avoiding any debt whatsoever,” explains Behrmann.



In other countries, millions of people are already using
BNPL solutions like these such as <a href="http://klarna.com">Klarna</a>, <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/">Afterpay </a>(global giant in this industry) and <a href="https://zip.co/nz/">Zip Payments</a>.
Behrmann believes it’s not a question of if but when South Africans will
turn their backs on destructive interest rates and choose more responsible
solutions instead.



Payflex is available on leading online stores across South Africa including South Africa’s largest fashion online retailer, Superbalist.com



Content provided by Talking Point Communications

Fintech innovations offer alternative to credit traps

By David S. Levin, writer from New York  



All of these new, high-tech gadgets out there are making me a little uneasy lately. People walk around forever plugged into their iPhones looking like vacant cyborgs from one of those futuristic science fiction movies. Sometimes, I think we’re actually starting to merge with them into some kind of a highly evolved, all-knowing cyber life form.



Apparently,
I haven’t been spared from this destiny either. It occurred to me recently that
the human me is slowly being subsumed by the digital one. My iPhone has essentially
become my proxy. My alter-ego. My very own super-charged, high-tech magic wand
with a 1.4 gigahertz quad-core processor. The truth is, without it, I really can’t
do much of anything anymore. I’ll bet you can’t either.



I
know the argument though. Technology means progress. New advances and
efficiencies. Cheaper, better, faster. Yada, yada, yada&#8230; 



I get
it. But honestly, I don’t want it anymore. 



Because
I’ve decided that I’m done with my iPhone. Finito. I’m shutting it off for good.
That’s right, hasta-la-vista baby. I will be a cyborg no more!



OK,
obviously, I’m the outlier here. The rebel. A dissenter. I mean, who actually chooses
to go off the grid these days? Because, smartphones are no longer a
nice-to-have. They’re mission critical. They’re like having a Formula 1
cyber-Ferrari right in the palm of your hand. And in today’s hyper-wired world,
they’re nearly impossible to live without.



But
I’m going to try. Because I want my damn life back. The old one. The original
me. You know, pre-iPhone. I want to be inefficient again. Imprecise. Out of the
loop and disconnected. Tardy. Off-schedule. Slow to respond and out of touch.



And
enough with the never-ending connectivity too. Sorry, but I’m not open 24/7. I don’t
want to hear all the beeping and dinging anymore. Or the buzzing and vibrating.
It’s maddening. And the never-ending flood of text messages and weather updates.
Those infuriating ringtones. The endless pop-up advertisements. The real news
alerts. The fake news alerts. And those galling friend requests from people
who know someone who knows someone else who I worked with twenty years go. Stop
it already!!! I don’t want any more faux friends on Facebook and LinkedIn. I
already have 1,627 of them, most of whom I don’t even know. &nbsp;



So,
I finally did it. I’m done. I’m iPhone free. That’s right, out to pasture. Down
the drain. Out the window. I’ve disconnected from the broader digital
collective. And I’m ditching the rest of my technology too. Like the two Smartwatches,
and three iPads I couldn’t live without. My Surface Pro 7. The Amazon Echo and
Facebook Portal in my living room. My Fitbit and Air Pods. All of it. A full
digital detox. So, go ahead, look down on me. Call me a pariah. You wouldn’t be
wrong.&nbsp; 



Of
course, I’ll miss all the cool things I can do with it. Like being able to shop
for a new 55-inch smart television on my Amazon app while I’m in-between sets
at the gym. Or how I can reminisce and flip through any of my 3247 photos as I
take the subway downtown to work. And how I can do all my banking without ever
setting foot into even one of their branches. 



What
finally sent me over the edge though was that my reliance on my phone had far
surpassed any level of normalcy. My behaviour started to change, and it became impossible
for me to put it down for even a few minutes. My iPhone had basically become
“mini-me.” 



Obviously,
something had to give. So now, after more than ten uber-efficient years with my
iPhone faithfully toiling by my side, I’ve gone back to my roots. I’ve broken free.




I’m
analog again. 



Now,
it’s buried deep in my sock drawer under 15 pairs of multi-colored argyle socks,
some old business files, and a few worn out wallets that I no longer carry. 



And
at last, I’m me again. The original version. The human me. 



It’s
great to be back.

Op-Ed: Why I dumped my smartphone

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/kate-rooney/">Kate Rooney</a> <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Kr00ney" target="_blank">@KR00NEY</a> 





KEY POINTS



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The Square and Twitter CEO says he plans on spending up to six months in Africa and that “Africa will define the future.”</li><li>Microsoft, Facebook and Google are all involved in the continent with accelerator programs — Visa, Mastercard and Salesforce are making venture investments in African start-ups.</li><li>Early Facebook investor Jim Breyer says Africa “presents some fundamental leapfrog opportunities” that have been unlocked through the rise in mobile phones and other platforms.</li></ul>



Jack Dorsey is in good company when it comes to Africa.



The CEO of <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=TWTR">Twitter</a> and <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=SQ">Square</a> <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/02/jack-dorseys-move-to-africa-raises-questions-for-investors.html">announced</a> in November that he would spend up to six months in the continent in 2020, with few specifics. But he’s one of dozens of U.S. CEOs and global venture capital investors seeing potential for technology disruption — and returns — throughout the continent.



“We’re seeing a lot of the investment opportunity and growth happening in the tech sector,” said Witney Schneidman, a Brookings fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative and former deputy secretary of state Clinton administration.



“Jack Dorsey is in the right place at the right time and investing the appropriate amount of time to begin to understand the complexity of the African market.”



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://twitter.com/jack"><img decoding="async" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1115644092329758721/AFjOr-K8_normal.jpg" alt=""/></a></figure>



<a href="https://twitter.com/jack">jack&nbsp;✔@jack</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jack/status/1199774792917929984"></a>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f30d.png" alt="🌍"/></figure>



Sad to be leaving the continent…for now. Africa will define the future (especially the bitcoin one!). Not sure where yet, but I’ll be living here for 3-6 months mid 2020. Grateful I was able to experience a small part. 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://twitter.com/jack/status/1199774792917929984/photo/1"><img decoding="async" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EKZ0osqXYAcLsMk?format=jpg&amp;name=small" alt="View image on Twitter"/></a></figure>







Africa has a young and booming population, which Schneidman said makes it a “natural market for any tech entrepreneur.” The 54 countries in Africa have a combined population of 1.3 billion people with an average age of 19, and more than half of global population growth over the next 30 years will happen there, according to a recent UN report. Africa also has the largest population of underbanked and unbanked people in the world, making it appealing for companies in financial tech and payments.



Jim Breyer, an early Facebook investor and partner at Accel Partners, likened the investment opportunity to China in the early 2000s. Breyer, who’s now the founder of Breyer Capital and Co-Chairman of IDG Capital based in Beijing, said promising businesses in Africa haven’t necessarily invented something new — they’re finding “novel ways to leverage technology.”



“Africa similarly presents some fundamental leapfrog opportunities that have been unlocked through the use of mobile phones and other technology platforms,” said Breyer. “We’re seeing some of the smartest individuals from top academic institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere return to the African continent, thereby contributing to a growing talent pool of entrepreneurs and developers.”



<iframe width=560 height=349 src=https://player.cnbc.com/p/gZWlPC/cnbc_global?playertype=synd&#038;byGuid=7000112641 frameborder=0 scrolling=no allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen ></iframe>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Venture bets</h2>



Major tech companies are taking notice and have launched start-up accelerator program to help get more companies off the ground.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=MSFT" class="">Microsoft</a>&nbsp;said in May that it will spend $100 million over five years on its first African development center, starting in Kenya and Nigeria.&nbsp;<a href="https://cchubnigeria.com/fbstart/" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=GOOGL" class="">Google</a>&nbsp;both have African accelerator&nbsp;<a href="https://developers.google.com/community/launchpad/accelerators" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">programs</a>&nbsp;for local start-ups.



Chinese conglomerate Alibaba has a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alibabacloud.com/startup" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">program</a>. In December, Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma published an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/opinion/jack-ma-africa-digital-economy.html" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">op-ed</a>&nbsp;in the New York Times outlining the “next digital revolution” driven by African entrepreneurs.



Some companies are going the venture capital route and placing strategic investments in African start-ups. Visa, for example, announced a 20% stake in African consumer-payments product PalmPay.



Online payment processor Flutterwave, based in Lagos and San Francisco, is another popular bet. It has partnerships with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=UBER" class="">Uber</a>&nbsp;and Alipay and has raised money from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=CRM" class="">Salesforce</a>&nbsp;Ventures, Mastercard, and Google Developers Launchpad, among others, according to Pitchbook.



Breyer backed Ghanian healthcare company mPharma in 2017, which earlier this year acquired Kenya’s second-largest pharmacy chain. He has also backed e-commerce company Sokowatch, Africa Health Holdings, Jetstream, and Apollo Agriculture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Infrastructure opportunity</h2>



Part of the opportunity is a lack of existing, legacy systems. Ben Lynett, another early investor in Sokowatch and founder of Lynett Capital, said that’s often an opportunity, not an obstacle.



“What we’re now seeing is missing infrastructure that tech can solve,” said Lynett, who began investing in Africa in 2016. “You have a lack of infrastructure and a potential leap-frog effect where things haven’t been build, but 2019 technology can come in and figure out what makes sense and apply it in a unique way.”



Valuations are also more “reasonable,” Lynett said. Of the more than 400 start-ups worth $1 billion or more only two are based in Africa, according to CB Insights.



Chinese venture investors have been upping their bets in the region. Two Nigerian fintech firms — Opay and PalmPay — raised more than $220 million from Chinese venture capital investors in the fourth quarter of 2019.



With those opportunities come headwinds. Lynett said scaling and finding enough technology-focused talent can be a challenge. Brookings’ Schneidman said knowing the rules and “ensuring the rules are consistent” across the 54 countries in Africa “can be a challenge” as well as finding local partners in that market can also be a headwind. But as valuations skyrocket in the U.S., there may be increased interest abroad.



“The venture capital world and Africa are still working hard to find each other,” he said. “The returns aren’t what investors are used to in the U.S. and Western Europe so we don’t see a flood at this point — but we do see people who understand the market.”



This article first appeared on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/30/jack-dorsey-follows-tech-companies-investors-in-africa-interest.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/30/jack-dorsey-follows-tech-companies-investors-in-africa-interest.html</a> and is republished with its permission

Why Twitter’s co-founder Jack Dorsey and other major tech figures are suddenly interested in Africa

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jo-tondeur-903360">Jo Tondeur</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/vrije-universiteit-brussel-2958">Vrije Universiteit Brussel</a>

Kenya’s education ministry has <a href="http://vision2030.go.ke">proposed that</a> information and communication technology (ICT) – such as computers, laptops, tablets and cameras – be used to help teach certain subjects and improve how students learn. The technology can, for instance, stimulate creativity, help children understand complex topics and give them tools to learn more independently. 

In 2011 the ministry created an integration team to coordinate and harmonise all initiatives. The team worked with a Flemish and Belgian non-profit organisation – <a href="https://www.vvob.org/nl">VVOB (education for development)</a> – dedicated to improving the quality of education in developing countries. 

Part of the plan included a professional development programme which was carried out in four pilot schools and lasted two years. It was designed to help teachers learn how to integrate technology into the curriculum. Because teachers are in control of the classroom settings, it was crucial that they were part of this collaborative experience.

My colleagues and I <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1475939X.2015.1091786?journalCode=rtpe20">evaluated</a> the programme. Our main focus was on how many teachers continued to use technology in their lessons after the programme ended in the four government-funded secondary schools. None of these schools had previous experience with ICT. 

We found that teachers faced a wide range of challenges when it came to 
integrating technology into their classrooms. These included a lack of electricity, infrastructure and connectivity. Moreover, the training needed was complex and the resources required to deliver it were scarce. 

At the start of the intervention, teachers didn’t know how to integrate technology in their classes. They also didn’t have enough time to develop new lessons and had too many pupils to teach. 

Our findings support the view that integrating technology into schools does’t automatically follow a simple placement of hardware and software. It involves understanding the dynamic relationship between technology, how it’s used in the classroom and the content of the curriculum. 

Our research also suggests that the professional development of teachers is a long term project. It needs constant reiterations of learning about emerging technologies and how to use them. This must be in balance with the national ICT initiative but also, more importantly, be sensitive to the different school cultures and communities. 

<h2>Integration is key</h2>

In the schools we evaluated, technology training sessions were developed under a professional development programme. These were designed to encourage teachers to identify challenging areas in their teaching and then brainstorm about how technology could offer an advantage in the classroom. For instance, how technology could help them overcome the challenge of scarce or outdated textbooks. Trainers in the workshop would then train the teachers in teacher design teams on the skills they would need to accomplish the task. 

We conducted teacher questionnaires and focus group discussions with a total of 64 teachers. The aim was to see how many teachers used technology in their classrooms two years after the programme had ended. Based on the results it appeared that some teachers were just beginning to use technology to present information. But most were using it to support their educational practice outside the classroom. For example, they used technology to prepare lessons or to email with colleagues. 

This was due to a number of challenges, including:

<ul>
<li>Schools kept hardware, like computers, in labs. This physical separation of technology and the actual classroom meant that it was harder to integrate technology in learning activities. But labs were used because of poor security, power breakdowns and a lack of space in the classrooms.</li>
<li>At the beginning of the project, the schools didn’t have clear goals on how to support technology integration after the professional development programme. This could be because a large number of people – from the principal to integration teams – were involved in decision-making processes. Also, participants only felt more clear about the role of ICT in education towards the end of the programme.</li>
<li>The teachers also needed additional support from administrative school leaders, like the headteachers. These leaders would have the authority to demand the installation of electricity and connectivity in each class. But in one school, the teachers said that they didn’t feel they had support from the leadership, or good direction. </li>
</ul>

We also found positive outcomes. 

For example, there was collaboration at the school as well as the regional level. In some schools, the teachers worked with others in different schools and passed on ideas. In turn, this contributed to the promotion of professionalism. 

We concluded that the gains of the programme could only be sustained if schools and teachers felt a sense of ownership and were part of a process of evaluation so that they could understand what they’d learnt, and what goals they wanted to set. This stresses the importance of professional development as a permanent process, aimed at extending and updating the professional knowledge of teachers in the context of their work.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127929/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jo-tondeur-903360">Jo Tondeur</a>, Assistant Professor, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/vrije-universiteit-brussel-2958">Vrije Universiteit Brussel</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-kenya-is-failing-to-integrate-technology-into-secondary-schools-127929">original article</a>.

Why this East African country is failing to integrate technology into secondary schools

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clement-prince-addo-905035">Clement Prince Addo</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-electronic-science-and-technology-of-china-4235">University of Electronic Science and Technology of China </a>

All over the world, the internet has provided extraordinary socioeconomic opportunities to businesses, governments, and individuals. But less developed countries still face numerous obstacles to maximise its potential. The problems range from obsolete infrastructure, the nonavailability, non-accessibility, cost, power fluctuations, policies and regulation.

Many countries on the continent still have <a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/internet-speeds-by-country/">bandwidth</a> as low as 64 kilobits. This is in contrast to the 270,000 megabits per second in the US. <a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/internet-speeds-by-country/">Data</a> also shows that downloading a 5GB movie took 734 minutes in the Republic of Congo, 788 minutes in Sao Tome, 850 minutes in Ethiopia, 965 minutes in Niger and 1,342 minutes in Equatorial Guinea. Singapore is the fastest, taking about 11 minutes and 8 seconds to download a typical 5GB high-definition movie. In certain situations, bandwidths for the entire country is less than what is available to an individual residential subscriber in the US. 

Similarly, African countries are listed among those with the lowest internet speed yet with the most expensive communication and <a href="https://a4ai.org/extra/mobile_broadband_pricing_usd-2019Q2">internet cost</a> in the world. 

Africa is on <a href="https://www.gsma.com/r/mobileeconomy/sub-saharan-africa/">record</a> to have had the fastest growing mobile telecommunication market over the years. But the continent still has the lowest mobile penetration. And developments in Africa’s telecommunications sector happen in cities and urban centres. Service providers argue that it’s not economically feasible to roll out a network to cover an entire country .

But various advanced technologies are emerging to reduce the cost of internet provision and to increase accessibility. They also offer the possibility of developing communication networks in a way that does less harm to the environment. 

The approach is called resource <a href="https://www.cse.wustl.edu/%7Ejain/cse574-14/ftp/virwn.pdf">virtualisation</a>, where multiple telecommunication services can be provided by less physical infrastructure. Since the chunk of the cost transferred to the end-user comes from the cost of power and infrastructural management, this approach can reduce the operational cost, improve accessibility and cut the cost to the end user. 

<h2>Rethinking how masts are sited</h2>

Like every architectural work, telecommunication masts must meet specific constructional requirements, including choice of location and risk analysis. But unregulated construction is typical in many parts of Africa. Even where regulatory bodies exist, many media and communication masts are sited within very short distances and hilly grounds in big cities. 

This is true in Ghana too where in an urban environment it’s possible to see 10 masts within close proximity to one another. This does not necessarily guarantee quality service. In addition, it poses a severe environmental and physical risk. 

<figure class="align-center ">
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Masts are also expensive to put up.

It stands to reason, therefore, that having fewer masts, hence using less energy and doing less damage to the environment would be the optimal way forward.

I have been involved in developing a <a href="http://itiis.org/digital-library/manuscript/2192">framework</a> along with other colleagues that can help policymakers demarcate, and zone major cities – or the whole country into zones. Each zone takes only one mast, owned by an infrastructure provider and shared by multiple service providers. 

I focused on telecommunications, but the principle can be applied to TV and radio signal towers too.

<figure class="align-center ">
 <img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306318/original/file-20191211-95115-15l8frk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306318/original/file-20191211-95115-15l8frk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306318/original/file-20191211-95115-15l8frk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306318/original/file-20191211-95115-15l8frk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306318/original/file-20191211-95115-15l8frk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306318/original/file-20191211-95115-15l8frk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306318/original/file-20191211-95115-15l8frk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 <figcaption>
 Proposed mast deployment.
 Clement Prince Addo
 </figcaption>
 </figure>

My proposal involves a three-level architecture that includes a provider who owns and manages the infrastructure. 

At the upper level is a Cloud-RAN macro-base station. A provider like the state regulator, can own and manage the data from the base station. 

The macro base station is responsible for managing the system’s energy, bandwidth allocation, and flow management, including the handover in intra and inter mast zones. At the middle level, service providers focus on providing tailored and quality of service to their users. The service providers will not have to spend their resources on managing the infrastructure they only have to deal with how to satisfy users. The user on the third level has to only deal with the service providers.

<figure class="align-center ">
 <img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306319/original/file-20191211-95165-18t4pb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306319/original/file-20191211-95165-18t4pb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=701&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306319/original/file-20191211-95165-18t4pb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=701&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306319/original/file-20191211-95165-18t4pb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=701&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306319/original/file-20191211-95165-18t4pb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=880&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306319/original/file-20191211-95165-18t4pb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=880&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306319/original/file-20191211-95165-18t4pb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=880&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 <figcaption>
 Association between service providers and users.
 Clement Prince Addo
 </figcaption>
 </figure>

This framework will bring an end to uncontrolled mast deployment seen in many African countries. It would allow for power and bandwidth sharing among multiple service providers and would reduce the need for multiple masts. Traffic would be scheduled over limited masts or access points that reduce the system energy consumption and improve efficiency. The general impact on the environment would also be reduced. 

Service providers could then focus on end-users and not on infrastructures.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128474/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clement-prince-addo-905035">Clement Prince Addo</a>, PhD Researcher, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-electronic-science-and-technology-of-china-4235">University of Electronic Science and Technology of China </a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-price-of-bandwidth-can-be-cut-in-african-countries-128474">original article</a>.

Here’s how the price of bandwidth can be cut in African countries

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/tom-popomaronis/"> Tom Popomaronis, Contributor</a> <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/tpopomaronis" target="_blank">@TPOPOMARONIS</a> 



The holiday season is a perfect time to focus on gratitude and giving, but choosing&nbsp;what&nbsp;to give your loved ones can be stressful (even with the vast amount of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/25/best-gift-for-millennials-according-to-therapist-and-its-not-money.html" class="">gift guides</a>&nbsp;out there).



But you can’t really go wrong with books — especially the ones <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/10/billionaire-bill-gates-favorite-books-in-2019-and-list-of-top-recommended-books-this-decade.html">recommended</a> by <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/why-billionaires-warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-this-is-the-best-business-book-of-all-time.html">Bill Gates</a>. And while the Microsoft co-founder has <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/10/billionaire-bill-gates-favorite-books-in-2019-and-list-of-top-recommended-books-this-decade.html">shared hundreds of his favorite reads</a>, there’s one in particular that has been given the ultimate seal of approval: <a class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Rosie-Project" target="_blank">“The Rosie Project,”</a> by Graeme Simsion.



Gates was introduced to the book by his wife Melinda, who “kept stopping to recite parts of it out loud” to him, he said in a 2016&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/fashion/bill-gates-gates-notes-books.html?_r=0" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">interview with The New York Times</a>. “Eventually, I decided to take a look. I started it one night at 11:00 p.m. and stayed up with it until 3:00 a.m.”



Simsion’s debut novel centers around Don Tillman, a geneticist who may or may not have Asperger’s Syndrome. Determined to find a suitable wife, he creates a double-sided, 16-page questionnaire to help complete the mission.



I must have given ‘The Rosie Project’ to at least 50 friends.- Bill Gates PHILANTHROPIST AND MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER



“The book is less about genetics or thinking too logically or the main character’s hilarious journey than it is about getting inside the mind and heart of someone a lot of people see as odd — and discovering that he isn’t really that different from anybody else,” Gates wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Rosie-Effect" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">his review</a>. “It’s an extraordinarily clever, funny, and moving book about being comfortable with who you are and what you’re good at.”



Gates also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Rosie-Project" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">called it</a>&nbsp;“one of the best novels” he’s read in a long time, which is quite the praise coming from someone who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/fashion/bill-gates-gates-notes-books.html?_r=0" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">doesn’t read a lot of fiction</a>. In fact, Gates thought it was so good that he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Rosie-Effect" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">gifted it to at least 50 friends.</a>



So if you’re looking for a way to simplify your holiday shopping plan this year, taking a cue from the successful billionaire and sending a copy of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Project-Novel-Graeme-Simsion/dp/1442370904" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">“The Rosie Project”</a>&nbsp;to everyone on your list might not be such a bad idea. (Gift-givers who want to go the extra mile should consider throwing in Simsion’s sequel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Effect-Novel-Graeme-Simsion/dp/1476767327" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">“The Rosie Effect,”</a>&nbsp;which Gates and his wife&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Rosie-Effect" class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said they&nbsp;also enjoyed</a>.)



According to Gates, not only will “The Rosie Project” make readers laugh, cry and think, but its main character offers something that virtually anyone can relate to: “We all have powerful fears, and seeing them in Don makes you feel like you’re not the only one.”



<a class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_tpopomaronis_&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;c=LO_8KzsOlAGvgA6hdGI4v02U_XLiES0sR51Zca0yIy4&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;r=fnb6sKq7SKN8iiAQiVc8NQSbL93Ztb9TeGwNUoj2-0Y&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;m=P_Ys4FkTrXS6d3lDujeEcG0RASS_Te__ciXliHG8uo0&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;s=rHzz9dkDjfkID7To9v-Lu83SKuT7yQyc4bQT7r89G-o&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;e=" target="_blank">Tom Popomaronis</a> is a leadership researcher, commerce expert, cross-industry innovation leader and VP of Innovation at <a class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.massivealliance.com&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;c=LO_8KzsOlAGvgA6hdGI4v02U_XLiES0sR51Zca0yIy4&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;r=fnb6sKq7SKN8iiAQiVc8NQSbL93Ztb9TeGwNUoj2-0Y&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;m=P_Ys4FkTrXS6d3lDujeEcG0RASS_Te__ciXliHG8uo0&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;s=MAZG4XFe5vj2XGn8I5ATujLEG6mysjDhAM2R5QnyNpQ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;e=" target="_blank">Massive Alliance</a>. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc. and The Washington Post. In 2014, Tom was named one of the “40 Under 40” by the <a class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/" target="_blank">Baltimore Business Journal</a>. Follow him on <a class="" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpopomaronis/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.



This article was first published on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/13/billionaire-bill-gates-loved-this-book-so-much-he-gave-it-as-a-gift-to-50-friends.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/13/billionaire-bill-gates-loved-this-book-so-much-he-gave-it-as-a-gift-to-50-friends.html</a> and is republished with its permission

Bill Gates: This book was so good, ‘I stayed up with it until 3 a.m.’—then gifted it to 50 friends

By David S. Levin, writer from New York 



For what it’s worth, I’m not an alarmist. I write what I see in an attempt to make sense of the bedlam swirling all around us. But frankly, a lot of what’s happening lately is actually pretty damn alarming. Today, there are vital freedoms like privacy that are under attack from anxious governments all over that see it as a threat to their dominion and sovereignty. And they’re using bleeding-edge technology as their weapon of choice. 



Thanks to a burgeoning electronic surveillance
industry, a grim high-tech future is slowly unfolding that could’ve been
written by George Orwell himself. But, instead, it’s being written by
technocrats and politicians. And you can bet your last bitcoin that if Big
Brother isn’t snooping around your country yet, they will be soon enough. 



Enter China. The 800-pound dystopian
gorilla in the room and the poster child for mass public surveillance gone mad.
To the Chinese, privacy is the enemy of the state. So, the government, not known
for its delicate touch, rolled-out the Skynet Project and put up 200 million
CCTV cameras across the country that feed directly into local and regional law
enforcement agencies. That basically works out to one camera for every seven
people there; watching, identifying, recording and analysing every move they
make. 



Cleverly wrapped in the guise of “public
safety,” the literal Chinese translation of the word Skynet is “Tianwang” which
is part of an idiom that means “justice is always done.” This way, none of
China’s 1.4 billion citizens will ever have to think too hard about who’s in
charge. 



But that’s just the prologue. By some
estimates, they’re expected to reach a staggering 625 million CCTV cameras, all
outfitted with artificial intelligence and video analytics, within just a few
years. And there are some projections showing numbers that are even higher. The
saying “you can run but you can’t hide” has taken on an entirely new meaning
there. 



In today’s China, everyone’s a suspect.



And here’s the punchline.
Despite all the moral outrage about this in the West, not to mention the
fallout from Donald Trump’s punitive trade war with China, much of the
technology used there is still developed and sold by top American tech
companies like Hewlett Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Intel, and Seagate
Technologies. And not just to the Chinese. Silicon Valley companies have an
active presence in 32 countries around the world.



Last year, the worldwide
market for video surveillance stood at $36.89bn of which China accounted for
nearly $18 billion. And according to IHS Markit, by the end of 2021 the number
of surveillance cameras deployed worldwide is expected to top one billion. 



Suffice it to say, Big Tech
is all in on the global surveillance boom. No matter who buys it. 



China’s President, Xi Jinping, is
busily building a digital authoritarian empire in his own image. And just to be
sure he’s around long enough to see the completion of his grand masterpiece, he
removed term-limits to China’s constitution and is now president for life. Nice
touch.



His cutting-edge surveillance state is
tracking China’s resident’s day and night with sophisticated facial recognition
technology, zeroing in on criminals and people whose
“tendencies” go against the state. With hundreds of citizens displayed in a
single video frame, cameras place thin yellow squares around people’s faces
with unique identifying numbers on top as they walk the streets in cities like
Beijing or Qingdao. Fed into massive government databases, complex algorithms
crunch and analyse the images, tracking and identifying people who might be
considered suspicious for any number of reasons and then notifying law
enforcement or other agencies. 



In Xinjiang
recently, which is a semi-autonomous, largely Muslim region in northwestern
China, their provincial surveillance system recently identified 24,000
suspicious persons in a single week using facial recognition technology. Of
those, 15,000 were sent to re-education camps to be “standardized.” Clearly,
the Chinese have figured out that combining Mao Zedong-style repression with
unrelenting electronic surveillance is the perfect digital stick to regulate
the masses. 



But now, they’re getting really creative.
They’re using their sprawling web of closed-circuit cameras, database
technology and artificial intelligence to feed directly into a scoring system
that assigns “social credit scores” to each of their citizens. It is designed
to rate their trustworthiness and “public desirability” by analyzing their
social behavior and then determining what they can do, what they can buy, and
even if they can travel. 



And as part of a broader
surveillance push, and in the name of national security, they’re even
“encouraging” people to use <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_app">mobile phone apps</a>
developed by the government that allow civilians
to report violations against the state. In the old days, it was just called
ratting out your friends and neighbors. Now, thankfully, like everything else
these days, there’s an app for that.



In China, Big Brother has arrived with a bang.
Call it Mao 2.0&nbsp;&nbsp; 



So, here’s the question. How
long will it be until other governments start pushing the line like the Chinese
have? Try imagining this in the U.S. or the UK.
Maybe in Brazil or Canada. “That would never happen here” you’re probably
thinking to yourself.&nbsp; Well, don’t think
too hard. Because much of the technology being used in China is already in use
in other countries around the world. Just not quite in the same way. At least
not yet.



The West has been watching
the Chinese develop their digital web since they first laid out the blueprints
for the wholesale surveillance of its citizenry. The United States already has
over 60 million CCTV cameras feeding into law enforcement around the country.
In the UK, there are an estimated 6 million of them. According to some
estimates, the average Londoner is caught on camera roughly 300 times a day. And
in the U.S., cities like Washington, Orlando and Denver are openly testing
facial recognition and other AI technologies in their policing. As expected, the
lawsuits are flying fast and furious.&nbsp; 



What’s happening in China today
should be viewed as a cautionary tale for the U.S. and other democracies. Mass electronic
surveillance has serious implications for the way urban life will play out in
the decades ahead. And there is nothing the Chinese are doing that couldn’t be implemented
anywhere else given the right, or more accurately, the wrong political conditions.




If this potential dire future
isn’t halted through the use of a strong judicial system and hardened grass-
roots activism, what’s happening in China today could be a preview of the way
order is established and maintained in the 21st century.



And George Orwell could wind
up being even be more prophetic than any of us ever dreamed.

Op-ed: Why China’s video surveillance should be viewed as a cautionary tale for democracies around the world

<h1 class="legacy">Kenya&#8217;s tax on digital trade and services: what&#8217;s known and not known</h1>

 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305134/original/file-20191204-70101-8jehr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&#038;q=45&#038;auto=format&#038;w=754&#038;fit=clip" />
 <figcaption>
 Digital traders will not escape taxation.
 Create Jobs 51/Shutterstock
 </figcaption>
 </figure>

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mercy-muendo-331635">Mercy Muendo</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/daystar-university-3209">Daystar University</a>

Kenya will start levying new tax on digital markets <a href="https://www.rsm.global/kenya/insights/tax-insights/kenya-finance-act-2019">under a new law</a> signed by the president early in November. The Finance Act seeks to broaden the Income Tax Act net to include income accruing through a digital market place. The law <a href="http://www.kpda.or.ke/documents/Policies/Finance%20Bill%202019.pdf">defines</a> the digital marketplace as

<blockquote>
a platform that enables direct interactions between buyers and sellers of goods and services through electronic means
</blockquote>

In addition, a similar change has been made to the <a href="http://www.kenyalaw.org/kl/fileadmin/pdfdownloads/AmendmentActs/2019/FinanceAct_No23of2019.PDF">VAT Act</a> making digital market services subject to value-added tax.

It’s not clear yet who will be affected – or how the tax will be imposed. The treasury still has to issue new guidelines on how the tax will be implemented. But it appears that potential targets include online taxi-hailing platforms. If experiences elsewhere are anything to go by, Kenya’s move to tax online commerce could put it on a collision path with Western governments and multinationals. One of the market leaders – Uber – has already <a href="https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/Uber-seeks-clarity-on-taxing-online-firms/4003102-5256592-kdrbuyz/index.html">warned</a> the government that such a move could result in trade wars and retaliatory tax actions by the US.

<h2>Taking on giants</h2>

Like France and India before it, Kenya is trying to get its cut of every digital transaction within its territory. The argument is that it is only fair to <a href="https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/Uber--Bolt-owners-and-drivers-face-KRA-tax-bills/4003102-5233472-154si91z/index.html">tap into the revenue</a> accrued from the digital economy taking place within their territory. Companies registered elsewhere and operating in their territory earn income from the same but do not pay taxes, the argument goes.

But this is easier said than done. In 2016 India <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/google-facebook-twitter-may-be-affected-framework-to-tax-big-tech-companies-being-finalised/articleshow/70458378.cms?utm_source=twitter_app&amp;amp;utm_medium=social&amp;amp;utm_campaign=socialsharebuttons">imposed digital taxes</a> on technology companies involved in digital advertising. In 2018 the country introduced a provision requiring companies to pay tax on domestic income accrued from a digital platform. The provision requires non-resident big tech companies to pay direct taxes on domestically earned income.

In retaliation, the US conducted an inquiry and capped the number of <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visa-and-immigration/trump-administration-to-propose-major-changes-in-h-1b-visas/articleshow/66269711.cms?from=mdr">Indian foreign workers</a>. The move was detrimental to India.

Earlier this year France imposed a digital tax on big tech multinational companies. It required them <a href="https://home.kpmg/us/en/home/insights/2019/07/tnf-france-digital-services-tax-enacted.html">to pay a 3% tax</a> on total annual revenue generated . This sparked <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/12/03/nato-trump-europe-trade-war-digital-tax-google/">a trade war with the US</a> which saw this as double taxation of its companies and their partners. But two months later, the two countries agreed on a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/26/us-and-france-reach-a-compromise-on-frances-tax-on-tech-giants/">compromise</a>. France said it <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/11/20690253/france-digital-services-tax-google-facebook-tech-companies">would tax big tech companies</a> but scrap the tax as soon as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development comes up with a way to properly tax tech companies. And it agreed to refund any over-payments that might occur in the meantime.

<h2>OECD’s proposed model</h2>

The OECD is an <a href="http://www.oecd.org/">intergovernmental economic organisation</a>, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. Countries use its model convention on taxation as a template for allocating taxation rights between them. 

The model allocates the primary right to tax to the country from which capital originates (the home, or resident country) rather than the country in which the investment is made (the host, or source country). 

Challenges arise when two or more countries claim rights to tax a party – what’s known as double taxation. The OECD has tried to get states to agree on a harmonised form of tax and processes in the case of cross border transactions. Its convention addresses double taxation – but not conclusively. And when e-commerce took root, new challenges arose, including jurisdiction issues, conflict of laws among nations and double taxation. 

On top of this, easy loopholes developed that helped in tax evasion especially by companies dealing with intangible goods and services.

The OECD agreement proposed the concept of significant economic presence. This states that a non-resident is liable to tax in the country of sales even if the taxpayer has no fixed place of business within the geographic boundary of the country of sales. 

In the case of the European Union tax kicks in if:

<ul>
<li>The non-resident exceeds €7 million in annual revenues from digital services in a European Union member state, and </li>
<li>it has more than 100,000 users who access its digital services in a member state in a tax year, or </li>
<li>it enters into more than 3,000 business contracts for digital services in a member state in a tax year. </li>
</ul>

The other proposal is described as an “interim” 3% digital services tax on gross revenues derived from activities in which users are deemed to play a major role in value creation.

<h2>Jurisdiction challenges</h2>

The United States exercises personal and territorial jurisdiction which can be termed as the <a href="https://www.usa.gov/taxes">legal power and authority</a> by a state to impose a tax. 

The US relies on the OECD model law requirements to exercise jurisdiction on a tax subject that has physical offices within a region. If the company is not incorporated – or has no physical office – the government gains territorial jurisdiction by establishing substantial minimum contracts with the state. Minimum contacts include systematic and continuous action within the state. Such action results in a large volume of interstate business, in the course of which subject received benefits and protection of the <a href="https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/casebrief/p/casebrief-int-l-shoe-co-v-washington">laws of the state</a>.

India’s rules on jurisdiction are similar. It claims to acquire authority over a subject through territorial and personal jurisdiction. It introduced a digital tax known as a<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/google-and-other-digital-service-providers-generate-over-rs-560-cr-in-equalisation-levy/articleshow/63933584.cms?from=mdr">n equalisation levy in 2016</a>. This imposed a levy on any business to business transactions, including the digital advertising transactions famously known as the Google tax.

It has also introduced another digital tax similar to the OECD proposed model. And it has released guidelines on what constitutes a significant economic presence similar to the OECD’s proposals. It used this law to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/itat-gives-partial-reprieve-to-uber-in-tax-demand-case/articleshow/66155341.cms?from=mdr">sue</a> Uber for failure to comply with the taxation law.

Kenya might trigger a trade war with the US if it goes ahead and imposes a digital tax. But it would be complying with the international guidelines proposed by the OECD. 

In my view it should come up with guidelines that bring about clarity on exactly who and what is been targeted.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127366/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mercy-muendo-331635">Mercy Muendo</a>, Lecturer, Information Technology and the Law, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/daystar-university-3209">Daystar University</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kenyas-tax-on-digital-trade-and-services-whats-known-and-not-known-127366">original article</a>.

What you need to know about Kenya’s tax on digital trade and services

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; Online retailer Jumia Technologies, often called “the Amazon of Africa,” has closed its e-commerce business in Tanzania, it said in a statement on Thursday, less than two weeks after shutting down in Cameroon.



“As part of our ongoing portfolio optimisation effort, Jumia has come to the difficult decision to cease our operations in Tanzania effective on November 27,” the company said in a statement.



Reporting by Joe Bavier; editing by Jason Neely

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Jumia closes e-commerce business in Tanzania two weeks after shutting down in Cameroon

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<script src="https://players.brightcove.net/1571595826001/default_default/index.min.js"></script>
Zenith Bank says it is prepared to support Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and creative ecosystems with funding, which the bank calls a critical tool for participating in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). GMD and CEO of the bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu discussed this with CNBC Africa’s Christy Cole at the bank’s Tech Fair in Lagos.

Lagos Tech Fair: Zenith Bank’s Onyeagwu: Funding is critical for the 4IR

<div style="max-width: 700px;"><video-js data-account="1571595826001" data-player="default" data-embed="default" controls="" data-video-id="6110035877001" data-playlist-id="" data-application-id="" class="vjs-fluid"></video-js></div>
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Chairman and Founder of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia says Nigeria&#8217;s economy is becoming digitised as many Nigerian youth are creating solutions to solve local problems. CNBC Africa&#8217;s Christy Cole caught up with him at the Zenith Bank’s Tech Fair in Lagos.

Lagos Tech Fair: Zenith Bank’s Jim Ovia on how digitisation is helping solve local problems

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/victor-odundo-owuor-460341">Victor Odundo Owuor</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-boulder-733">University of Colorado Boulder</a>

When one talks about young Africans using smartphones, the dominant narrative is that these gadgets serve mostly as platforms for connection so that users can communicate and share greetings and information via text and images. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp and Signal take pride of place in that description, despite their <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2019/11/13/can-social-media-targetcasting-and-democracy-coexist/?utm_campaign=Brookings%20Brief&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=79382557">murkier side</a>. What has perhaps been overlooked is how smartphones are also affecting other facets of young people’s lives. One area is the ever-growing community of sports betting in Africa. 

The phenomenon of sports betting among African youths has taken the region by storm. Recent polls and anecdotal reports point to a grim scenario, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. A 2017 <a href="https://www.geopoll.com/blog/the-spending-habits-of-youth-consumers-in-sub-sahara-africa/">GeoPoll</a> survey found that up to 54% of sub-Saharan African youth between 17 and 35 years have engaged in sports gambling. Kenya, with 74% participation in sports betting, had by far the largest percentage of youth involvement in this activity. The survey of some 2,726 African millennials was conducted in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. 

A core driver of this trend has been the growing ubiquity of mobile telephony around the continent combined with the availability of smartphones. Added to this has been greater connectivity – including satellite access to sport matches – and a ballooning population of young people with high levels of unemployment.

In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5811642/">research</a> on the subject we see that sports betting has brought many <a href="https://theconversation.com/ugandas-ban-on-sports-betting-was-the-right-thing-to-do-110728">ills</a> to young people in sub-Saharan Africa. These include severe gambling addiction and money laundering. Some of these concerns are also experienced in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563216302126?via%3Dihub">other</a> parts of the world. These include <a href="https://akademiai.com/doi/10.1556/2006.7.2018.49">smartphone addiction</a> and a closely related phenomenon: internet addiction. These ills in turn lead to heightened levels of social anxiety and loneliness among the affected population.

<h2>The drivers?</h2>

<a href="https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/assa/2018/01/22/the-boom-of-smartphones-and-social-media-in-cameroon-by-patrick-awondo/">Smartphone penetration</a> around the continent has exhibited a remarkable growth rate. Cameroon, for instance, had 72% registered users of social networks among those aged 15 to 24 in 2016. This grew to that level from 43% in the first half of that year. The most popular social networks for that community was Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Twitter. This development has come at a time when there is growing interest in sports betting &#8211; the most popular gambling option for African youth. Mobile phones are the preferred avenue for sports betting.

Of course the increasing availability of smartphones is unleashing the innovative potential of many sub-Saharan African youth. The plethora of social media platforms have the potential to change lives around the continent. Many social media adaptions are the result of the ingenuity of sub-Saharan youth, like M-Pesa, Ensbuuko and WorldRemit (financial services); ButterflyiQ, Momconnect, Usalama (health and security); Cityaps, Musanga and Twiga Foods (supply chain platforms); and Ushahidi, tajirat al-Facebook and Kano’s WhatsApp entrepreneurs (to strengthen social cohesion).

<figure class="align-center zoomable">
 <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302894/original/file-20191121-491-1f0dnv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
 <figcaption>
 A Kenyan man checks out the Football World Cup fixtures. Matches are often screened in small viewing centres.
 Daniel Irungu/EPA
 </figcaption>
 </figure>

Another driver is clever marketing and advances in technology &#8211; the digital satellite television space across the continent broadcasts sports events of African clubs and popular European soccer leagues. In Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and across much of sub-Saharan Africa, the advent of <a href="https://www.dstvafrica.com/en-ng/browse-compare-packages">DStv</a> (Digital Satellite Television) and other broadcast platforms have brought foreign league matches to viewing centres and hence to the doorstep of individuals who on their own who be hard-pressed to afford watching prized league games in their respective homes.

These viewing centres are in the nooks and crannies of urban centres in all these countries. In turn self-acclaimed fans of some of the biggest clubs in the world like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Juventus and Paris Germain can keep up with the performance of their teams without ever visiting the homes of these clubs.

A third driver is the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/youngest-populations-africa/">youth bulge</a> in Africa. The continent has the <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/">youngest population in the world</a>, with an estimated 60% of people under the age of 25. Of the 420 million youth in Africa today, the majority are unemployed, have insecure jobs or are in casual employment. For many on the continent, the slick advertising of sports betting firms provides an irresistible proposition.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127251/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/victor-odundo-owuor-460341">Victor Odundo Owuor</a>, Senior Research Associate, One Earth Future Foundation, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-boulder-733">University of Colorado Boulder</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-smartphone-gambling-is-on-the-up-among-african-millennials-127251">original article</a>.

gettyimages-1165324563-170667a

Here’s why smartphone gambling is on the rise among African millennials

By Strive Masiyiwa*



How best can governments, business, and civil
society ensure the extraordinary power of digital technologies is marshaled to
grow prosperous economies that uplifts lives for all citizens? And how can they
avoid what some fear will be socio-economic catastrophe due in part to
automation replacing jobs currently done by human beings?



This is the pressing global challenge that
inspired the launch of the <a href="https://pathwayscommission.bsg.ox.ac.uk/">Pathways
for Prosperity Commission on Technology and Inclusive Development</a>, which I co-chair with
Melinda Gates and Hon Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Indonesia&#8217;s Minister of Finance.&nbsp;



As an entrepreneur who has founded several
technology companies over the past two decades, I can say from experience that
whilst the digital age undeniably presents new challenges, it also offers
amazing new tools for both nations and citizens to create new wealth in new
ways. For instance, innovations in areas such as healthtech and edutech show
great potential to bridge divides of opportunity and equality that have plagued
the world since time began.



It is at this defining moment in the “early” digital age (because we’ve only just begun) that the Pathways for Prosperity Commission released <a href="https://pathwayscommission.bsg.ox.ac.uk/">The Digital Manifesto</a>, a 10 step guide for developing countries – based on its final report <a href="https://pathwayscommission.bsg.ox.ac.uk/digital-roadmap">The Digital Roadmap</a>– at our final Commission meeting recently held in Nairobi. Based at Oxford University’s <a href="https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/">Blavatnik School of Government</a>, the Commission&#8217;s work was led by a global team of experts who spent two years carrying out extensive research, engagement and analysis. Their findings were not doom-saying but cautiously optimistic:



The future wealth and health of all the
world’s 7.7bn+ citizens demands urgent people-centered policymaking, visionary
action and country-level collaboration, especially in developing nations where
populations tend to be younger and unemployment is already a crisis. It is here
that the stakes are highest, but in my view, also where the opportunities of
the digital age can be the greatest – if the right decisions are made without
delay by leaders across all sectors.



That digital technology is rapidly
transforming the world is well known by now. “But for better or worse?” is what
people increasingly ask. The Digital Roadmap and The Digital Manifesto
highlight several key priorities, all focused on ensuring the answer is: “For
the better”.&nbsp;



I will only mention one of the Commission’s
final recommendations, one that is close to my heart and where our companies
have launched some social ventures over the years. This is the critical
importance of equipping people of all ages and walks of life with 21st&nbsp;century skills, both through online
courses but also changing national educational curricula urgently to ensure our
schools teach both the digital skills and the soft skills that the world needs,
and automation can never replace. We have to ensure that education both for
young people and those who need upskilling and reskilling is available,
affordable, inclusive and focused on jobs of the future.



The young people I know are especially ready
and eager to seize the opportunities of the digital age. Our role is to not to
give them hand-outs but rather the tools and opportunity to learn, so they can
invent new and better tools for future generations. This is something that they
are already doing! This is how best to build pathways for prosperity that
include everyone.



I know this firsthand because every week for
the past six years I have written a Facebook blog post which now reaches 4m+
young entrepreneurs across Africa. In my posts, I often pose the question:
“What is in your hand?”By this they know that I mean their smartphones, which
several have already used to launch their own digital-era businesses. And as an
online mentor I demand their businesses have an online presence like a website.
This is not the future. This is the reality of now.&nbsp;



There are so many digital age success stories
the world needs to hear about. Ivy Barley, for example, is one of the young digital
age stars I met on my Facebook platform. She is a social entrepreneur who a few
years ago founded a technology company in Ghana called “<a href="https://developersinvogue.org/">Developers
in Vogue</a>”
(or “DIV”) specifically to train women coders and developers. Her website
proudly proclaims: “Innovation starts here!” #LetASisterKnow



DIVs mission? To use technology to
revolutionize not just the lives of the techpreneur women who go through her
coding boot-camps and then get jobs at places like Microsoft and Google or
launch their own tech ventures, but to reach out and positively transform the
entire African continent, maybe even the world. 



Sometimes innovative success stories such as
Ivy’s get lost in headlines that are focused on the negative uncertainties of
the digital age. The fact is, throughout history, new technology has always
been greeted with caution. Look at the people barely a century ago, with
businesses built around horses and buggies, who feared the combustion engine
would take away jobs. It did. It also created exponentially more new
ones.&nbsp; That is the way we must look at the digital age!



What is critical, as the Digital Roadmap and The
Digital Manifesto points out, is not just to talk about the challenges ahead,
but to take decisive actions now to ensure our nations and citizenry are
digitally ready, protected and empowered to get ahead, far ahead, in the 21st
century.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The future of humanity always depends on us, but the stakes at this point in history are indeed very high. Let’s do the needful without delay.



 *Strive Masiywia, co-chairs, The Pathways Commission

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