Civic Tech in Africa: Recent Episodes
VOW FM 88.1
Civic Tech in Africa is a podcast by the Civic Tech Innovation Network, in partnership with Vow FM. The podcast focuses on the profiling of civic tech initiatives, civic innovators, activists, researchers, social entrepreneurs and others working in the civic tech and other related fields in Africa.
In this episode of the Civic Tech in Africa podcast, Nathi Mcetywa discusses the African Union Civic Tech Fund (AUCTF) with Daniel Adugna and Siwe Ntombela. They explore the fund's objectives, the importance of civic tech in promoting citizen engagement, and the alignment with Agenda 2063. The conversation highlights the achievements of the first cohort of grantees, the selection process for new projects, and the training provided to enhance their capacity. The episode concludes with a look at the diverse range of innovative projects being developed by grantees across the continent.
Takeaways
-The African Union Civic Tech Fund aims to drive citizen-led transformative action.
-Civic tech connects citizens with their governments and promotes transparency.
-Agenda 2063 serves as Africa's blueprint for development and integration.
-The first cohort of grantees achieved significant networking and collaboration.
-348 applications were received for the current round of funding.
-Training focuses on advocacy, leadership, and collaboration skills.
-Diverse projects include innovations in agriculture, education, and gender-based violence.
-Civic tech is growing beyond traditional governance issues.
-The fund emphasizes youth participation in civic tech initiatives. African Union Civic Tech Fund · Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want
In this episode of the Civic Tech in Africa podcast, we talk to Edith Augustine from the Restored Heart Foundation, discussing the Teacher Bank project aimed at addressing the teacher shortage in Nigeria. The conversation explores the challenges faced in the education sector, the importance of community engagement, and the role of technology in connecting teachers with schools. Edith shares insights on the foundation's mission, the impact of their initiatives, and their vision for the future of education in Nigeria.
Key Takeaways
-The Restored Heart Foundation focuses on youth-led initiatives.
-Over 20 million children in Nigeria are out of school.
-The government allocates only 7% of its budget to education.
-Quality education is essential for poverty alleviation.
-The Teacher Bank project connects teachers with underserved schools.
-Community engagement is vital for educational success.
-Technology can bridge gaps in the education sector.
-Advocacy is needed for teacher retention in rural areas.
-Success metrics include improved learning outcomes and enrollment.
-Scaling the project can address the national teacher shortage. African Union Civic Tech Fund 2.0 · The Restored Heart Foundation
In this episode of the Civic Tech in Africa podcast, host Nathi Mcetywa talks to Ahmed Zoghlami, CEO of Idarity, about their innovative project Akram. We explore the role of civic tech in enhancing citizen engagement with public institutions, the importance of stakeholder involvement in platform design, and the challenges of data accessibility in Tunisia. Ahmed shares insights on how Akram aims to bridge gaps between data producers and journalists, making information more accessible and actionable. The discussion also touches on the future vision for Akram as a knowledge hub for Africa and the support provided by the African Union Civic Tech Fund to scale their initiatives across the continent.
Key Takeaways:
-Idarity addresses the friction between citizens and public institutions.
-The Akram project connects data producers with journalists.
-Stakeholder engagement is crucial in designing effective platforms.
-Data accessibility is a significant challenge in Tunisia.
-Public institutions often struggle with data management and transparency.
-The Akram platform aims to humanize data through storytelling.
-Partnerships with public institutions enhance data availability.
-The vision for Akram includes scaling to other African countries.
-The Civic Tech Fund supports scaling initiatives across borders.
-Language diversity in Africa presents both challenges and opportunities. Idaraty
In this episode of the Civic Tech in Africa podcast, Nathi Mcetywa interviews Thivhilaeli Madamalala from Pulego Technologies about their innovative Co-City Citizens Engagement Application. The discussion covers Pulego Technologies' origins, the Co-City app's functionality, its impact on citizen engagement, and the importance of partnerships with municipalities. Thivhilaeli shares insights on the challenges of selling to government entities, the significance of data ownership, and the future expansion plans for the application. The conversation highlights the role of technology in enhancing governance and citizen participation in Africa.
Key Takeaways
-The African Union Civic Tech Fund supports innovative civic tech solutions.
-Pulego Technologies focuses on creating impactful technologies for smart cities.
-The Co-City app allows citizens to report issues directly to the city.
-User feedback is integral to the app's functionality and improvement.
-The app has evolved since its initial launch in 2013.
-Partnerships with municipalities are crucial for the app's success.
-Monitoring and evaluation processes are built into the app for accountability.
-Data ownership is important for protecting sensitive information.
-Success is measured by the adoption and effectiveness of the solution.
-Selling to municipalities involves longer sales cycles compared to private sectors. Pulego Technologies
In this episode of the Civic Tech in Africa podcast, we explore the work of the No Taka Hub, a Tanzanian initiative focused on using geospatial technology to address climate change and migration issues. Careen Joel Mwakitalu discusses the challenges of data collection in Africa, the importance of sustainable data management, and the goals of the Geospatial Data Project aimed at informing policy and empowering communities. The conversation highlights the need for collaboration, capacity building, and innovative solutions to tackle the pressing issues of climate mobility and governance in the region.
Takeaways
- The African Union Civic Tech Fund supports innovative civic tech solutions.
- No Taka Hub focuses on climate change and migration issues.
- Data collection faces challenges of standardization and accessibility.
- Geospatial technology is crucial for mapping climate impacts.
- Local communities should be empowered to collect and use data.
- The Geospatial Data Project aims to inform policy and advocacy.
- Success means communities having their own climate adaptation plans.
- Innovators face funding and capacity challenges in Africa.
- Storytelling with data can drive awareness and action.
- Collaboration is key for scaling solutions and impact. No Taka Hub
Maai Makwa is an open data platform that aims to empower citizens in Kenya to understand and advocate for water rights. The platform provides tools and data to help individuals make informed decisions on sustainable freshwater resource management. The target audience is women-led households, who are most affected by water scarcity. The platform bridges the gap between government data and citizen-generated data, allowing users to access information on water sources, calculate the cost of water, and participate in water sector reforms. The project has conducted over 3,000 water quality tests and engaged with various stakeholders.
Keywords
water scarcity, water pollution, open data, citizen engagement, water rights, sustainable resource management, women-led households, government data, citizen-generated data, water conservation, climate change, grassroots level, African Union Civic Tech Fund
Takeaways
- Maai Makwa is an open data platform that empowers citizens in Kenya to understand and advocate for water rights.
- The platform provides tools and data to help individuals make informed decisions on sustainable freshwater resource management.
- The target audience is women-led households most affected by water scarcity.
- Maai Makwa bridges the gap between government data and citizen-generated data, allowing users to access information on water sources, calculate the cost of water, and participate in water sector reforms.
- The project has conducted over 3,000 water quality tests and engaged with various stakeholders. Maai Makwa Website · Demography Project · African Union Civic Tech Fund
The Civic Tech Innovation Forum is an annual gathering that brings together the Civic Tech community in Africa. The forum provides a space for collaboration, learning, and networking among practitioners in the field. The key takeaways from previous gatherings include the importance of call to action, addressing sustainability challenges, and building connections across the continent. This year's theme, 'Under the Hood,' aims to explore the underlying aspects of technology, community, and self within the Civic Tech space. The conference will feature speakers, workshops, exhibitions, and entertainment. The event is open to a diverse range of participants, including civic tech professionals, tech enthusiasts, community leaders, policymakers, and students. The conference is free to attend, but there is an option for paid registration to support the sustainability of the event. The conference will be held from October 28th to October 31st at Timo Lohong in Bramfontein.
Keywords
Civic Tech Innovation Forum, annual gathering, collaboration, learning, networking, call to action, sustainability, connections, Africa, #UnderTheHood, technology, community, self, speakers, workshops, exhibitions, entertainment, diverse participants, free attendance
Takeaways
- The Civic Tech Innovation Forum is an annual gathering that brings together the Civic Tech community in Africa.
- The forum provides a space for collaboration, learning, and networking among practitioners in the field.
- Key takeaways from previous gatherings include the importance of call to action, addressing sustainability challenges, and building connections across the continent.
- This year's theme, 'Under the Hood,' explores the underlying aspects of technology, community, and self within the Civic Tech space.
- The conference is open to a diverse range of participants, including civic tech professionals, tech enthusiasts, community leaders, policymakers, and students.
- The conference is free to attend, but there is an option for paid registration to support the sustainability of the event.
- The conference will be held from October 28th to October 31st at Timo Lohong in Bramfontein. Register for the Civic Tech Innovation Forum
This episode of the Civic Tech in Africa podcast continues the discussion on understanding data privacy on the African continent. The conversation focuses on the importance of data protection and the independence of data protection authorities. Dr. Lukman Abdul-Rauf, an associate professor in the Department of Public Law at the University of Illorin in Nigeria, joins the discussion. They explore the growth of the tech space in Africa, the implications of this growth, and the challenges faced in establishing independent data protection authorities. The conversation also highlights the key topics covered in the book 'Data Privacy Law in Africa, Emerging Perspectives'.
Keywords
data privacy, data protection, African continent, tech space, independence, data protection authorities
Takeaways
- Data protection is an important issue for the African continent and should be seen as a fundamental human right.
- The tech space in Africa is growing rapidly, with high internet penetration rates and a shift towards online services.
- Establishing independent data protection authorities is crucial for enforcing data privacy laws and holding both private entities and governments accountable.
- The African Union plays a significant role in ensuring compliance with data privacy norms, but more needs to be done to strengthen its enforcement mechanisms.
- Challenges in establishing independent data protection authorities include funding, political interference, and a lack of understanding of the implications of data privacy laws.
- The book 'Data Privacy Law in Africa, Emerging Perspectives' covers a range of contemporary issues in data privacy, including the intersection of data privacy and artificial intelligence, the protection of vulnerable groups, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data privacy law in Africa: Emerging perspectives
In this episode, Chenai Chair discusses data privacy from a feminist lens. She highlights the relevance of data privacy in the African context and the intersection between data and gender. Chenai emphasizes the importance of understanding data protection from a gendered perspective and the need to address the biases and inequalities in data collection and processing. She also critiques the multilateral approach to data protection laws and advocates for context-specific laws that centre communities and people. Chenai provides insights for developers to build technology that is inclusive and community-driven, and she introduces the My Data Rights Africa platform as a resource for understanding data rights from a feminist perspective.
Keywords
data privacy, feminist lens, African, gender, data protection laws, multilateral approach, community-driven technology, My Data Rights Africa
Takeaways
Data privacy is a relevant conversation in the African context, as data is essential for addressing challenges and developing solutions.
Understanding data protection from a gendered perspective is crucial to address biases and inequalities in data collection and processing.
Context-specific data protection laws that center communities and people are necessary, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
Developers should build technology in collaboration with communities, ensuring inclusivity and considering the impact on marginalized groups.
The My Data Rights Africa platform provides resources and insights on data rights from a feminist perspective. My Data Rights Africa · Shaping the Future of Multilateralism - Does data protection safeguard against gender-based risks in Southern Africa? · Mozilla Foundation
In this episode, Nathi Mcetywa interviews Matt Stempek, the founder of the Civic Tech Field Guide. They discuss the importance of the global civic tech community and the lessons that can be learned from other civic tech initiatives around the world. They explore the different categories of projects on the Civic Tech Field Guide platform, such as participatory platforms, GovTech, advocacy tech, and media engagement. They also touch on the significance of failure and the graveyard section of the platform, which celebrates and learns from unsuccessful projects. The goal of the Civic Tech Field Guide is to be a valuable resource for the civic tech community, connecting people, projects, and resources.
Keywords
civic tech, global community, lessons, Civic Tech Field Guide, categories, participatory platforms, GovTech, advocacy tech, media engagement, failure, graveyard, resource
Takeaways
- The global civic tech community is important for sharing knowledge and learning from each other's initiatives.
- The Civic Tech Field Guide categorizes projects into areas such as participatory platforms, GovTech, advocacy tech, and media engagement.
- The platform celebrates failure and encourages post-mortems to learn from unsuccessful projects.
- The goal of the Civic Tech Field Guide is to be a valuable resource for the civic tech community, connecting people, projects, and resources.
00:00
Introduction and Focus on Global Civic Tech Community
03:00
Exploring the Categories of the Civic Tech Field Guide
10:02
Different Categories of Civic Tech Projects
21:08
Celebrating Failure and Learning from Unsuccessful Projects
31:26
Building a Valuable Resource for the Civic Tech Community Civic Tech Field Guide
In this episode, Nathi Mcetywa interviews Mbali Ndandani from Lelapa AI about language models that work in the African context. They discuss the lack of representation of African languages in digital spaces and the importance of solving the language problem for digital inclusion. Mbali explains how Lelapa AI builds language models for low-resource languages and addresses code-switching and compute power limitations. They also talk about the responsible AI framework developed by Lelapa AI to ensure diversity and avoid biases in language models. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the VulaVula app and the invitation for businesses to use the VulaVula API to make their platforms multilingual. Lelapa AI
In this episode, Nathi Mcetywa interviews Dr William Derban from Opportunity International about how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to fight poverty in Malawi. Opportunity International is an international NGO that provides financial solutions and training to help people out of poverty. They have developed an AI application called Ulangizi, which is available on WhatsApp and provides farmers with information on what to plant and how to improve their yields. The app is designed in the local language, Chichewa, and is accessible to farmers through extension officers. The ongoing evaluation and consultation process ensures that the app is meeting the needs of the farmers and providing accurate information.
Keywords
artificial intelligence, AI, poverty, Malawi, Opportunity International, Ulangizi, farmers, agriculture, language, scaling, partnerships
Takeaways
Opportunity International is an international NGO that provides financial solutions and training to help people out of poverty.
Ulangizi is an AI application developed by Opportunity International that provides farmers in Malawi with information on what to plant and how to improve their yields.
The app is designed in the local language, Chichewa, and is accessible to farmers through extension officers.
Ongoing evaluation and consultation ensure that the app is meeting the needs of the farmers and providing accurate information.
Partnerships and collaborations are important for scaling and expanding the reach of technology solutions.
In this episode, Afua Bruce discusses the connection between technology and social equity and explores the factors beyond technology that contribute towards a more equitable and inclusive society. She emphasizes that technology alone cannot create equity, but it can be used to support and advance equity. Afua also critiques the current development of technology and highlights the importance of involving the people who will be served by the technology in the design process. She discusses the values that should influence the development of technology, such as inclusivity, accessibility, and recognizing the value of lived experience. The book she co-authored, 'The Tech That Comes Next: How Changemakers, Technologists, and Philanthropists Can Build an Equitable World,' provides insights and guidance on using technology to advance equity.
Keywords
technology, social equity, inclusive society, technology development, design process, values, accessibility, lived experience, book
Takeaways
- Technology alone cannot create equity; it requires human involvement and decision-making.
- The development of technology should involve the people who will be served by it.
- Values such as inclusivity, accessibility, and recognizing lived experience should influence the development of technology.
- The book 'The Tech That Comes Next' provides insights and guidance on using technology to advance equity.
Sound Bites
"I don't think that technology alone can create equity."
"Technology can be used to support and advance equity, or it can be used to take us backwards and create a less equitable world."
"What we value is what we build."
In this episode, the host, Nathi Mcetywa, and guest, Kavisha Pillay discuss the impact of misinformation and disinformation on the democratic process, particularly during elections. They explore the role of social media platforms in combatting these campaigns and the need for ethical development of AI. They also discuss the challenges of identifying and combating disinformation, the importance of digital literacy, and the role of the free press in providing accurate information. The guest shares insights on the work of CODE in exploring the intersection of technology, human rights, and democracy, and their focus on promoting ethical AI and progressive regulation.
Keywords
misinformation, disinformation, social media platforms, democratic process, elections, AI, ethical development, digital literacy, free press, CODE, technology, human rights, democracy, progressive regulation
Takeaways
Misinformation and disinformation campaigns are a significant threat to the democratic process, particularly during elections.
Social media platforms have a responsibility to combat these campaigns and change their algorithms to prevent the amplification of false information.
Developers of AI applications should prioritize ethical development and consider the potential biases and harm that their technology may cause.
Digital literacy is essential for individuals to critically evaluate information and verify its accuracy before sharing.
The free press plays a crucial role in providing accurate information and countering disinformation, but there is a need to rebuild trust and find sustainable funding models.
Progressive regulation is necessary to address the challenges posed by disinformation and ensure the protection of freedom of speech and expression.
Titles
The Role of the Free Press in Providing Accurate Information
The Role of Social Media Platforms in Combatting Disinformation
Sound Bites
"Social media can be used to polarize our societies and spread disinformation to persuade people to vote in particular ways."
"Recommendation systems and algorithms on social media platforms keep users scrolling and can amplify disinformation."
"Disinformation can have real-world consequences, and tech companies need to take responsibility for their role in creating this crisis."
Chapters
00:00
Introduction and the Impact of Misinformation on Elections
02:09
Guest Introduction: Kavisha Pillay and the Work of CODE
04:01
The Role of Social Media Platforms in Combatting Disinformation
08:30
Ethical Development of AI and the Need for Progressive Regulation
15:05
The Importance of Digital Literacy in Identifying Disinformation
35:24
The Work of CODE in Promoting Ethical AI and Progressive Regulation CODE
In this episode, Nathi interviews Paul Plantinga, a senior research manager at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in South Africa, about e-participation in governance. They discuss the landscape of participatory governance in South Africa and Africa, the use of digital platforms for public participation, and the challenges of online participation. Paul also shares insights from his work with municipalities and the importance of user-driven approaches and capabilities in e-participation. Their conversation ends with a mention of the HSRC's e-participation and policy modeling platform and the upcoming Civic Tech Innovation Forum.
In the second segment of the episode, Nathi speaks to Jono Bosman. Jono, a program manager at OpenUp, defines user-centered design and discusses its importance in the civic tech space. User-centered design is an approach to product development that focuses on the needs, preferences, and behaviors of users. It involves understanding the user through research and empathy, designing intuitive and useful tools, and constantly iterating based on user feedback. The concept of user-centered design can be applied in various ways, such as using language that is accessible to the target users and conducting interviews with diverse user groups. Co-creation and creating a feedback loop are also important aspects of user-centered design.
Keywords
e-participation, governance, digital platforms, public participation, challenges, municipalities, user-driven approaches, capabilities, HSRC, Civic Tech Innovation Forum
Takeaways
E-participation in governance is a complex and evolving field, with a mix of traditional and digital processes being used.
While there is a growing trend of government agencies using technology to engage with citizens, the majority of participation still happens through traditional methods.
Challenges in public participation include process literacy, access to information, and the over-politicization of processes.
The HSRC is working on a project to support e-participation in municipalities, focusing on user-driven approaches and specific capabilities.
The project aims to provide a toolkit for municipalities to assemble different ideas and capabilities based on their specific needs.
The upcoming Civic Tech Innovation Forum will be an opportunity for municipalities and the civic tech community to share experiences and learn from each other.
User-centered design is an approach to product development that focuses on the needs, preferences, and behaviors of users.
Understanding the user through research and empathy is crucial in user-centered design.
User-centered design can be applied by using language that is accessible to the target users, conducting interviews with diverse user
Titles
Challenges in Public Participation
Exploring E-Participation in Governance
Sound Bites
"We're talking about e-participation in matters of governance across the African continent, and more specifically about what happens when government agencies embrace digital technologies as a way to connect with their constituents."
"What's possibly more interesting in recent times is your kind of governance experimentation, your engagement experimentation more from the bottom up. So your civil society-led initiatives, those kinds of things that a number of organizations are doing in the country and that are part of the civic tech network."
"To what extent the digital processes and platforms are supporting any form of meaningful engagement. And I'm not sure there's clear evidence for that at a significant scale yet, even in any kind of specific population groups."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview
01:20 E-Participation in Governance
08:30 Challenges in Digital Participation
11:31 Chaotic and Organized Participation Processes
26:07 E-Participation and Policy Modeling Platform Human Sciences Research Council · e-participation Toolkit
In this episode, the host, Nathi Mcetywa introduces the new feature of the podcast, What in the Civic Tech?, and discusses the possibility of moving Africa's election process from a paper-based voting system to an electronic voting system. The guest, Dr. Maxwell Masago, talks about the readiness of South Africa and the African continent for e-voting. They explore the benefits and challenges of e-voting, including issues of trust, digital divide, infrastructure, and political will. While South Africa is seen as ready for e-voting, the readiness of the rest of the African continent varies.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in various fields such as agriculture, technology, and digital health, and it has now made a grand entrance into government systems. Considering the current state of democracy in Africa, African governments cannot afford to lag behind in adopting this innovation. The introduction of AI in government systems stems from the growing demand for participatory and deliberative forms of democracy, including budget tracking, social audits, and transparent online voting systems.
In today’s episode, we spoke about something that’s not necessarily new but has been grabbing the headlines for a great part of this year. We will be looking at how Artificial intelligence can be used as a tool for good governance on the African continent.
This season we spoke briefly about initiatives that have used technology to keep governments accountable, and today I want us to get into some specifics around how Artificial Intelligence can be useful as a tool for accountability and transparency in government.
Olasupo Abideen has written about how this can be done and today we talk to him about a recent article he wrote for the Civic Tech Innovation Network. The article is titled ‘Exploring Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Enhanced Deliberative Democracy’.
Yosr Jouini is an interdisciplinary researcher studying emerging technologies and their social implications in the global South. She is the director of Technoloxia, a technology & innovation centre based in Tunis. She is also the host of the 'Digitally Yours podcast', which specialises in digital rights. Technoloxia is a North African-based collective with a mission to provide community-centered perspectives on the region from the region.
Technoloxia is the newest member of the Regional Ambassador Programme (RAP). The Regional Ambassadors Programme (RAP) founded in 2022, is a programme aimed at strengthening regional connection and participation in the civic tech space.
Yosr joins Nathi Mcetywa to talk about the growth of civic tech in Tunisia and more generally in North Africa. She reflects on the impact that collaboration has had for North African civic tech organisations in Tunisia. She also reflects on another level of accessibility that innovators need to think about and what that means for innovators. Read more about accessibility from this 'Accessibility ABCs guide'. Technoloxia Website · Digitally Yours Podcast
Financing and funding civic technology activities take up a significant portion of most organisations’ worry hours. Often, when there are shortages of funds, this is viewed as an organisational failure. But instead of looking at funding and financing as a reflection of innate value, it should rather be viewed as one of the tools that allow us to reach our social impact. It is a strategic tool that should be considered alongside all of an organisation’s other strategies as well.
In this episode we spoke to Razzano and Amy Mutua about some of the best ways civic tech organisations can go about financing their initiatives.
Gabriella is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of OpenUp, a civic tech lab based in Cape Town. She is also a board member of the Civic Tech Innovation Network. Senior Atlantic Fellow in Social and Income Equality; and an Expert on AI and Democracy for the African AI Observatory.
Amy Mutua is the Research Assistant for the Tayarisha Centre for Digital Governance.
This project is the culmination of ongoing dialogues and research conducted by the Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN) which have aimed at exploring financing issues, strategies and models appropriate and applicable for the African civic tech innovation ecosystem.
African civic tech plays a significant role on the continent, but many innovators in the space still struggle with their funding and financing options. In some ways this mirrors challenges in other non-profit and social innovation work, but we think that there are also new, unique challenges.
They created this project to provide a platform for civic tech innovators and organisations across Africa with access to resources, information, and the co-learning networks they may need to help grow and sustain their practice and impact. This site is intended as an interactive, ever-growing space and we encourage you to own, engage and interact with its resources and tools.
And of course (as co-owners!), also let us know how we can improve it so that it is as useful as possible to you and your civic tech peers.
This work contributes to CTIN’s core mission by connecting people and organisations with diverse knowledge, skills, experience and expertise and providing relevant information and insights on civic tech from the African continent and elsewhere. In this way, the innovation network aims to contribute to growing the civic tech community, improving practices and outcomes.
This project was initially funded by CIVICUS – supported by the CHARM project. The microsite is developed by OpenUp.
OpenUp partners with government, organisations, industry leaders and civil society to identify, gather and make accessible information that supports open communities and an empowered citizenry.
Tayarisha is the Initiative on Digital Governance, established (2021) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It is a hub for teaching, research, policy dialogue, and outreach on the challenges and opportunities presented by digitisation in the public sector, society, and industry in Africa.
The Centre for Digital Governance (CDG) straddles the nexus of government, business, and society, and is concerned with issues of regulation, public policy and ethics. The CDG contributes to the creation of public good by conducting academically rigorous, cutting-edge action research; providing world-class education; and contributing to public debate on the challenges and opportunities presented by digitisation.
The Ushahidi Platform helps communities turn information into action with an intuitive and accessible crowdsourcing and mapping tool. By enabling the rapid collection, management and analysis of crowdsourced information, Ushahidi empowers everyone—individuals, community groups, governments, activists, organizations—to create meaningful change.
In this episode, we spoke to Daniel Odongo from Ushahidi. Daniel is the director of implementation at Ushahidi. We spoke to Daniel about their development and growth in civic tech in Africa and across the world
Parliamentary monitoring sites allow citizens to keep an eye on the people in power. They make it easy to find out who represents you, what’s being debated, and how members have voted. Mzalendo Trust, located is a non-partisan entity that keeps an eye on Kenyan Parliament with a mission to facilitate public participation in Parliamentary processes through Information Sharing, Research and Networking.
In today’s episode we are talking to Philip Gichana about this tool. We are going to look at how effective this tool is, how the public responds to it, how the media benefits from information shared on this platform, but most importantly we will talk about the interesting processes of data collection and visualisation that happen in the background.
Mzalendo Trust are one of the grantees in the Charter Project Africa initiative. The Charter Project Africa is a three-year pan-African initiative supporting civil society to promote the continental commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). This charter is a central African Union policy document that aims to advance democratic governance in African Union member states.
Website Link: https://info.mzalendo.com/ Mzalendo Trust
YouLead is Africa’s flagship Youth Leadership Program working to unlock youth leadership potential for a prosperous continent by identifying, recognizing, connecting and fostering cooperation among Africa’s vibrant and influential young leaders and their initiatives.
A joint initiative of MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation (MSTCDC) and the East African Community (EAC) in Arusha, Tanzania. H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania is YouLead Africa’s current Patron.
YouLead Africa as one of the beneficiaries of the 2022 AGA Civic Tech Fund Award implemented the upscaled ‘Africa Unplugged Series’, a convergence of social media platforms and high-definition audio-visual streaming, to provide relevant content and engagement for African youth with their leaders.
Noting the lack of civic spaces for African citizens, especially young people, to meaningfully participate in governance spaces at the national, regional and continental level, YouLead modeled Africa Unplugged as a continent-wide space for precisely that.
For African youth to plug into policy and programming processes and build solidarity on key emerging issues to create awareness on issues specific to youth participation, and voice in governance.
Website: https://www.youlead.africa/
This podcast episode is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of The Charter Project Africa and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union
The Charter Project Africa is a pan-African initiative supporting civil society to promote the continental commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) – the central African Union policy document to advance democratic governance in African Union member states. The project is led by six organisations and lasts for three years, starting in the course of 2021. It has a dedicated secretariat based in Addis Ababa which creates linkages between pan-African civil society and African Union policymakers.
SIVIO Institute (SI) is an independent organisation focused on ensuring that citizens are at the centre of processes of socio-economic and policy change. It aims to contribute towards Africa’s inclusive socio-economic transformation. It is borne out of a desire to enhance agency as a stimulus/catalyst for inclusive political and socio-economic transformation.
In this episode, we spoke to Andrew Songa, the Civil Society Secretariat Coordinator at The Charter Project Africa who outlined the Charter Project Africa's Objectives. We also spoke to Eddah Jowah from the SIVIO Institute, one of the grantee organisations participating in the Project. Eddah Jowah is currently the Programs Manager at the SIVIO Institute.
Eddah spoke to Nathi Mcetywa about what the SIVIO Institute's vision of a citizen-led democracy looks like and spoke about the measures they are taking to ensure that citizens are able to take the opportunity to get involved in democratic processes in Zimbabwe The Charter Project Africa is a pan-African initiative supporting civil society to promote the continental commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) – the central African Union policy document to advance democratic governance in African Union member states. The project is led by six organisations and lasts for three years, starting in the course of 2021. It has a dedicated secretariat based in Addis Ababa which creates linkages between pan-African civil society and African Union policymakers.
The organisations who've partnered to put this project together are the European Partnership for Democracy, Africtivistes, Code for Africa, The Democracy Works Foundation, The Gorée Institute, and the European Centre for Development Policy Management.
SIVIO Institute (SI) is an independent organisation focused on ensuring that citizens are at the centre of processes of socio-economic and policy change. It aims to contribute towards Africa’s inclusive socio-economic transformation. It is borne out of a desire to enhance agency as a stimulus/catalyst for inclusive political and socio-economic transformation.
In this episode, we spoke to Andrew Songa, the Civil Society Secretariat Coordinator at The Charter Project Africa who outlined the Charter Project Africa's Objectives. We also spoke to Eddah Jowah from the SIVIO Institute, one of the grantee organisations participating in the Project. Eddah Jowah is currently the Programs Manager at the SIVIO Institute.
Eddah spoke to Nathi Mcetywa about what the SIVIO Institute's vision of a citizen-led democracy looks like and spoke about the measures they are taking to ensure that citizens are able to take the opportunity to get involved in democratic processes in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼. SIVIO Institute · Charter Project Africa · African Citizens Watch · SIVIO Institute Annual Barometer Report
The Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), in partnership with the South Africa Centre for Evidence (SACE) invites you to join us as we launch the Civic Tech in Africa Evidence Map, where we will present key findings of the Evidence Map.
The aim of the Evidence Mapping project is to create a common, up-to-date evidence/ knowledge base about civic tech in the African context, to improve support, decision-making and advocacy in relation to civic tech (including more broadly civil society innovation, tech for good and digital governance). At CTIN, we define civic tech as the “appropriate and effective use of digital innovation in connecting government and citizens, in public participation, in transparency and accountability and in delivering public services”.
The launch event will present an opportunity for participants to engage with the map, ask questions and to provide feedback.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday 8 March 2023
Time: 10.00 AM -12:00 PM
Venue: Tshimologong Precinct and Online
To RSVP to attend the in-person launch email Yasmin Shapurjee at yasmin@civictech.africa
To join online: https://wits-za.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkdu6prDIoHtHpofEZ4BZWflxvORtyDlhV Join Launch Event Online
When the printing press was invented more than 500 years ago, it was certainly done with good intentions. However, one of the unintended side effects of that innovation was its use to incite people.
In our times, the story of the Internet may sound similar. The internet, and in particular social media, has become the main theatre of manipulation and incitement. Our online spaces are home to negative commentary and reviews, manipulation and incitement, resulting in dire consequences for individuals, corporations and even nation states.
But what if these negative features of manipulation and incitement aren’t going away and are going to stay as part of our life in the digital world?
Today’s episode look at how we can counter misinformation and manipulation, and whether there is Anything Civil Society Organisations can do?
Joining us for this conversation are Simone Toussi, Melyn McKay and Valerie Khan
Dear South Africa is a non-profit organisation that facilitates public participation to help shape legislative policy at a municipal, provincial and national level. DEARSA Website · DearSA on Twitter
Africa Data Hub seeks to lower the barriers that African journalists face to access and use data in their storytelling around health and development.
The Africa Data Hub (ADH) is a collective of data organisations operating across three African countries that work together to provide local journalists with verified accurate up-to-date data, tools, training, mentoring and support to tell the stories that matter with the data they need. We believe that access to quality data not only has the potential to challenge power and the status quo, but also to have a direct impact in addressing vulnerability, inequity and exclusion.
Pollicy is a feminist collective of technologists, data scientists, creatives and academics working at the intersection of data, design, and technology to craft better experiences for tech users Pollicy Website · Pollicy on Twitter · Pollicy on LinkedIn
The Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), in partnership with the International Civil Society Centre (ICSCentre), hosted a discussion titled ‘Making Data Accessible’ as part of its #DigitalDialogues Series.
In our current digital age and what is often termed as a ‘data-driven’ world, civic tech organisations, civil society organisations (CSOs) and similar advocacy organisations have played and continue to play an important role in either collecting and providing the public with access to data or fighting government institutions for access to open data that is accessible and comprehensible.
Considering the evolution of the data landscape, massive amounts of digital information is created daily and when analysed, has the potential to help society understand how to perform better in the future. Civic innovations have thus been leveraged as a means to access data so that we may solve social problems.
Big data is often used as the catch-all term for large, diverse sets of information and while this concept has gained traction within the civic tech field, it has to some extent generated an unintended consequence of making data less open and accessible. Without the sophisticated knowledge in Artificial Intelligence tools used to analyse big data, the use of data in communities for social impact has been significantly limited.
In this session, moderated by Tolulope, we spoke to civic actors that will share insights and lessons from their experiences in making data accessible and comprehensible through partnering with the government. This session is intended to shed light on some of the victories and challenges associated with partnerships of this nature and whether they truly are able to make data open and accessible to the public.
This year marks 15 years since the adoption of the African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG). The ACDEG is a framework whose main objective was for African States to adopt good democratic and governance principles.
In this episode, we talk about an initiative aimed at boosting civic participation in issues of democratic governance on the African continent. Justin Arenstein spoke to us about the recently launched Charter Project Africa initiative. We talk about how the Civic Tech landscape in Africa and some initiatives doing great work on the continent.
Jason Bygate joins us as co-host for this episode. Jason is the Head of Innovation, Tech, and Data for Development at Capacitate Social Solutions, and he’s recently launched the YoMobi platform in partnership with PwC and UNICEF. He spoke to us briefly about this initiative as well.
Get in touch:
Visit https://civictech.africa/
Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter
Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook
Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn
Share your civic tech initiative with us Charter Project Africa Website · CodeforAll on Twitter · The Charter Project Africa on Twitter · YoMobi Website
The global reach of international civil society organisations (ICSOs) allows these organisations to develop, scale-out, and tailor innovative approaches and novel use of technology across borders and in different countries and settings. They may also have sufficient resources to influence the policies and operational and resourcing environments for the development and adoption of innovation and technology in some national contexts. While pursuing their own broad digital innovation and transformation strategy, they invest in their operations and internal functions, and data management.
These organisations operate with technological partners and outsource the development and maintenance of specific digital functions. Data is often stored and processed by commercial partners. There are ICSOs investing in start-ups. At the same time, there is considerable digital innovation from grassroots groups, civic tech networks, local NGOs, and social enterprises, generating effective data and digital solutions and new ideas for using tech for social good in the areas and with the communities, they support and represent. Initiatives that demonstrate proven impact and innovation can attract interest for wider applicability and replication, beyond the operational or resourcing mandates and constraints of where they originated.
Get in touch:
Visit https://civictech.africa/
Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter
Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook
Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn
Share your civic tech initiative with us
In this episode, we are talking about innovation hubs and their importance as an ecosystem for entrepreneurs and innovators to build on their knowledge and be empowered while also having a societal impact in the broader sense. We also talk about the entrepreneurial nature of innovation hubs and how they help in creating sustainable tech innovations.
Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) is Nigeria’s first open living lab and pre-incubation space designed to be a multi-functional, multi-purpose space where work to catalyze creative social tech ventures take place. The HUB is a place for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies, impact investors, and hackers in and around Lagos to co-create new solutions to the many social problems in Nigeria. Co-Creation Hub
How do you use technology to get citizens involved in issues of governance? Hamid Khayar Defallah talks to Nathi Mcetywa about how Chad Innovation is contributing toward a more involved citizenry.
Hamid Khayar Defallah is the CEO & Founder of Chad Innovation. Chad Innovation represents a community of young volunteers, Chadians and foreigners, entrepreneurs, executives, and students whose objective is to raise awareness, mobilize, engage and equip young Chadians to learn and explore careers in entrepreneurship to build a resilient generation of young Chadian leaders.
Get in touch:
Visit https://civictech.africa/
Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter
Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook
Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn
Share your civic tech initiative with us Chad Innovation Website · Chad Innovation on Facebook · Chad Innovation on Twitter · Chad Innovation on LinkedIn
Many civic tech tools go largely unused because they are developed without understanding the context of the people they are meant for. Language, digital literacy, exposure, and other such factors are important things to look out for when developing a tech tool. We spoke to Al Kags about some of the factors that affect the effectiveness of civic tech tools on the African continent.
Al Kags is a marketing and communications expert, serial entrepreneur and a champion of government openness through data. Al is the founder of the Open Institute, an African organisation that works with governments and civil society organisations to promote open government and citizen engagement.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Open Institute · Barriers to citizen engagement
The Civic Tech Innovation Network and International Civil Society Centre partnered for a digital dialogue on 'Building Inclusive Communities’.
This session, moderated by malebo sephodi, unpacked the role of #DigitalInnovations in facilitating #inclusivity and #diversity within civic tech. In exploring this, the session posed these questions among others; how do we amplify underrepresented voices in civic tech? Is building an inclusive civic tech community merely about highlighting digital innovations or leveraging the same digital innovations to intentionally highlight and amplify diverse voices within the space? How do we make sure this happens?
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Digital Dialogues: Building Inclusive Civic Tech Communities · International Civil Society Centre · AAPTI Institute
In this episode, we land in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 to talk to Courtney Mukoyi. Courtney is an award-winning lawyer and innovator who founded Courtlex- a tech company that works to bring convenience in the legal space through tech solutions.
Courtlex uses easy-to-use tech to ensure convenient and cheaper access to justice.
In this episode, we land in Zimbabwe to talk to Courtney Mukoyi. Courtney is an award-winning lawyer and innovator who founded Courtlex: a tech company that works to bring convenience in the legal space through tech solutions. Courtlex uses easy-to-use tech to ensure convenient and cheaper access to justice.
Qowiyou Fassasi from the VOA in Benin 🇧🇯 talks to Nathi Mcetywa about Bon Citoyen, an application they developed as a way to promote good citizenry in Benin.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us
Dayn Amade is founder of the Community Tablet and speaks to Nathi Mcetywa about this initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide between rural and urban communities in Mozambique.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us
Grace Gichanga is a social innovator and lawyer who founded Luma Law, a platform that provides affordable access to practical, relevant, and user-friendly legal information.
Grace talks to Nathi about founding the Luma Law platform and her journey of social entrepreneurship during the Covid-19 pandemic. She also speaks about the importance of understanding your 'Why' when running a tech social enterprise.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us
Sihle Gcilitshana is an activist and social justice warrior from South Africa. She is the current Programme Coordinator at the Civic Tech Innovation Network.
In this episode she talks to us about her journey as an activist working with policymakers in South Africa. She also shares some of her highlights from the recent Civic Tech Innovation Forum. Plus some advice for social entrepreneurs and innovators on the African continent.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us
Corruption Watch (CW), in response to the many whistle-blower complaints it has received on police corruption and inspired by its engagements with communities experiencing police violence and abuse, launched an interactive open data tool – Veza (a colloquial term for ‘reveal’ or ‘expose’). The first of its kind in South Africa, Veza improves transparency in policing in the country and places the power to hold the South African Police Service (SAPS) accountable in the hands of the public.
In this episode, we are joined by Kavisha Pillay, who is a social justice activist who is the Head of Stakeholder Relations and Campaigns at Corruption Watch. She joins Nathi Mcetywa and Jimmy Maliseni from Alliance for Community Action (ACA) to talk about the anti-corruption tool, the Veza tool.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us . Veza Tool · Civic Tech Innovation Network
In this cross-over between the Civic Tech in Africa podcast and the Talking Tech for Good podcast, we are joined by co-host Jason Bygate and guest Munyaradzi Dodo to talk about how young people can get their voices in the corridors of power.
Munyaradzi shares the journey he and his team took to establish Open Parly ZW, and the influence their establishment of Open Parly had on other young people in other countries outside of Zimbabwe.
He talks to us about the challenges and opportunities that come with upscaling an initiative such as the Open Parly initiative and also delves into why #DIYAfrica is such an important concept for young people in Africa.
Thank you to Jason Bygate, Luvuyo Maseko, and Grant McPherson for helping make this crossover episode happen. To find out more about ‘Talking Tech for Good podcast visit https://techtalk.org.za/.
Don’t forget to join the Civic Tech Initiative and the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the ‘African #DIY civic tech approaches’ session on the 15th September 2021, at 15:00 (CAT).
This year, the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest conferences invite African civic tech innovators, media innovators, and stakeholders to connect around the ways in which digital innovators, innovations, initiatives, and their support structures are playing out across our continent in the spaces of journalism, media, civic activism, and public services, particularly in this pandemic era. The theme of the governance is DIYAfrica and will focus on how we can co-create meaning, identity, and solutions in and for Africa.
The conference will be hosted on Whova, an event hosting application. Download Whova to join this week-long conference.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Civic Tech Innovation Network · Open Parly ZW · Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
It’s a new season. The Civic Tech in Africa podcast takes on a different format and we welcome Nathi Mcetywa as the new host. We kickstart this new season with Melissa Zisengwe (Programme Officer at CTIN) as co-host and Geci Karuri-Sebina (National Organiser of CTIN) as the first guest of the new season.
Geci Karuri-Sebina joins us to introduce to us her various curiosities and also uses the opportunity to introduce the Civic Tech Innovation Forum 2021 (CTIF21), which will take place on 13-17 September 2021.
This year, the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest conferences invite African civic tech innovators, media innovators and stakeholders to connect around the ways in which digital innovators, innovations, initiatives and their support structures are playing out across our continent in the spaces of journalism, media, civic activism and public services, particularly in this pandemic era. The theme of the governance is DIYAfrica and will focus on how we can co-create meaning, identity and solutions in and for Africa.
The conference will be hosted on Whova, an event hosting application. Download Whova to join this week-long conference.
Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us
Financing a new venture can be a daunting task, especially if you have no to minimal experience in soliciting funding. And with the pandemic having interrupted many industries, many small organisations are to rethink how to remain sustainable in these uncertain times. In this fourth Jamlab Meet-up, in collaboration with the Civic Tech Innovation Network we ask the questions: Who are the funders? and Where does one begin looking for funding? During this conversation, we discuss funding strategies for civic tech and media innovation, and how organisations seeking funding or support from contemporary funders can better their position and prepare themselves. We also learn about interesting models and approaches on how innovators can fund and sustain their ideas or platforms.
This #JamlabMeetup conversation focuses on what the implications might be for the roles of the media and various civic tech actors who are typically involved with trying to strengthen citizen engagement, increase transparency, accountability and democratic governance. Panelists share strategies that can be implemented to help journalists and civic activists to prepare and improve on ways of empowering communities, and the diversity of voices within the public space through digital media and other social innovations.
Events Speakers: Kathy Magrobi, founder of Quote This Woman+ in South Africa Ivan Louis Pinno, co-founder of Digital Woman Uganda Dr Caroline Khene, senior lecturer at De Monfort University in the United Kingdom Daniel Odongo, director of implementation at Ushahidi
In this episode, we speak to JD Bothma and Adrian Kearns about OpenUp’s approach in implementing civic tech projects and reflect on some challenges they have faced in implementing civic tech projects in rural South Africa. They also talk about the importance of implementing user-centred civic tech projects when attempting to resolve people’s real-life challenges.
In this episode, Mmabatho Montse is in conversation with Richard Gevers. Richard is the founder of Open Cities Lab, a civic technology lab with a focus on the development of open data for application to urban challenges operating within cities in Africa. Richard is also one of the founding Reference Group members for the Civic Tech Innovation Network.
This Jamlab Meetup reflected upon work being done to decolonise African narratives, while also looking forward to resetting Africa onto a new path of solidifying its stories and futures. The session will unpack ways in which journalism, media, and civic tech communities can contribute to reshaping African narratives.
This Jamlab Meetup in collaboration with the Civic Tech Innovation Network, aims to reflect upon work that is being done to decolonise African narratives, but also to look forward to resetting Africa onto a new path of solidifying its stories and futures. The session will unpack ways in which journalism, media and civic tech communities can contribute to reshaping African narratives.
In this episode I am in conversation with Baratang Miya, who has 18 years experience as a tech entrepreneur, consulting start-ups as a content creator, product designer and visual communicator specializing in user experience and mobile product management. She is the founder of Girlhype Coders, an initiative created with the purpose of teaching young women to code and also mentoring women who are pursuing STEM careers.
In this episode we speak to Niousha Roshani. Niousha is a social scientist, serial entrepreneur, researcher and a visionary leader with a global approach and citizenship connecting change-makers in diverse sectors to opportunities around the world. In this conversation we spoke about Social innovation and technology - a global perspective.
In this episode Mmabatho Montse, Project Assistant at Civic Tech Innovation Network speaks to Zine Nkukwana, the Chief Executive Officer of Lindamahle Management Systems. Lindamahle Management Systems is a 100% woman owned ICT accredited training service provider, which was the first South African black female owned company signed as a partner to Google in the Digital Skills for Africa Programme. Nkukwana is passionate about women and youth development and has devoted her life in doing philanthropic work with these groups.
In this episode, host Mmabatho Montse speaks to Tina James. Tina has more than 35 years of consulting experience with a focus on ICTs for Development and Digital Inclusion in Africa – humanitarian assistance, SMEs, education, sustainable livelihoods, policy and strategy development, innovation, and environmental management.
In this episode CTIN Project Assistant, Mmabatho Montse, speaks to National Co-ordinator at Civic Tech Innovation Network, Professor Geci Karuri-Sebina, who will share more about the Civic Tech Innovation Network and it’s work. She was invited to be national organiser at CTIN in its first year, 2018, to support its efforts to engage with different actor-groups in SA- including local and national government officials who were relatively unaware of the emerging field of civic tech.