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Showing posts from August, 2017

Time is ripe for Australia’s Same Sex Marriage

Starting this week, Australians will be treated to bare knuckle campaigns for and against same sex marriage if Government is granted the go ahead by the High Court for survey to go ahead.The question seems all the more perplexing because the Australian government has made its intentions clear to introduce same-sex marriage. That means implementing same-sex marriage is a relatively simple matter in Australia and the ongoing debate against the survey is work of buffoons.  There is no marriage clause in the Australian Constitution that requires changing and people should therefore support same sex marriage without a fuss .The answer to why Australia is going to introduce same-sex marriage lies in the way in which the issue has been exploited in Australian electoral politics and this time round Malcolm Turnbull has got it right unlike his predecessors.Maybe in many Australians mind they already made up and they’re just waiting for the ballot to land in their mailbox. Some may not be sure

I support same-sex marriage in Australia

Australia’s upcoming same-sex marriage survey will be a defining moment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities who’ve seen their issues dominating national debate.  Most conservative opponents argue that homosexuality is contagious and have accused the same sex community, alongside the media, of converting young heterosexuals . Some are very afraid of the possibility of Australians demanding the legalization of same-sex marriage after the survey. However, these arguments neglect both the historical and cultural context of the Australian same sex movement and assume that all same sex movements worldwide share the objective of legalizing same-sex marriage.In Australia, the same sex marriage movement assist a psychologically and socially disabled€ community, in the eyes of conservative.  Australian media has published articles on the gay liberation movement in countries like US and Ireland, playing a crucial role in helping Australian gays and lesbians identify their

Imagining 5G network in Africa

Several telecom operators in Africa are scheduling their 5G network launch for the next five years. In South Africa,  launch date for 5G varies depending on operators. More importantly at the moment, the regulator, needs to ensure that spectrum is available for South African operators to launch the improved 5G service . In other countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, regulators are now looking at what spectrum can be used for 5G and when it could be available. Only when it is available, will operators invest and launch the service.In South Africa, someone familiar with market told your blogger couple of days ago that one of his client has already rolled out a trial using a pre-commercial system, and would have a commercial system available very early for the market in 2022 at the very latest.Come 2023, South Africans  will have access to an internet service 100 times faster than the current 4G network and also faster than existing broadband .Regardless of the specifics, the 5G network

Jobs that will be replaced by technology

As  universities continue to graduate increasing numbers of students, there are many obvious question on where will these new graduates work in the future . I had a convo with a friend two days ago and it was all about artificial intelligence and its impact. One which we picked out comprehensively was about medical profession. In our chinaware we wondered whether there will be an expanded role for medical professionals due to ageing populations and concerted efforts to reduce costs while improving outcomes is likely to force the adoption of new technology which will then likely erode the number of roles currently performed by medical experts.My friend argues that globally, governments, patients and doctors know that healthcare costs will need to reduce if treating of more people is to be achieved.  It’s clear that driving the cost down is what needs to happen.The use of medical robots to assist human surgeons is becoming more widespread . At the moment, the cases your blogger is famil

Rwanda’s digital economy

In recent years, the Rwandan government launched the vision 2020 digital economy campaign to boost the country’s digital economy. Among key targets are helping farmers and fishermen to go digital, creating local tech startups valued at a total of US $100 million, and becoming the largest digital economy in East Africa by 2020 .In a report titled unlocking Rwanda’s digital opportunity, authors predict that digital economy would contribute to the national economy to the tune of $600 million annually by 2020. The digital economy has been defined by the Rwandan Government as the network of economic and social activities that are enabled by information and communications technologies, such as the internet, mobile and sensor networks. This includes conducting communications, financial transactions, education, entertainment and business using computers, phones and other devices. Rwanda has made a commitment to becoming a leading digital economy, and faces competition from comparable countrie

How blockchain will shape Africa

Africa’s  growing realization that blockchain technology has the potential to completely transform the structure of financial services has created significant interest, and I foresee exciting times ahead for Africa’s potential .As such, Africa need a very clear statement of intent not just around innovation and fintechs, but around the purposes of blockchain and how African countries can take a position. Also, there’s need to enable forums for collaboration with the regulators, incumbents, innovators and technologists. In addition, demystify the language of blockchain is important.  Once the jargon is removed its value can extend beyond financial services to the rest of the economy, so Africa as a whole, can discover how blockchain will benefit the nation . But how about African cities? You can think of blockchain as the second generation of the internet, a transformation from an internet of information to an internet of value. Blockchain allows suppliers and consumers even competitor

South Africa is getting ready for Fourth Industrial Revolution

South Africa, is the Africa’s most developed country and that is helping the country to be at the forefront of new technologies and new ways of working that are transforming the nature of work and reshaping the South African economy . While the pace and magnitude of change varies significantly from industry to industry and often from player to player in those industries, in each sector across South Africa, there are fundamental changes underway. These changes are in the way organizations engage with their customers, the way they develop and deliver products and services, as well as how they plan and shape their future workforces. There is a window of opportunity for South African consumers, businesses, and governments alike to profit from the wave of change being driven by the so called “Fourth Industrial Revolution” or industry 4.0. It is described as a marketplace in which machines offer their services and exchange information with products in real time. While some South African man

How Internet is changing African economies

Infamously,  Economist  magazine at the turn of this century described Africa as a hopeless continent, now the same publication hosts multiple of events across the continent and has been instrumental in the so called ‘Africa Rising’ narrative. Am not a firm believer of the narrative ingredients but i strongly believe in Africans and Africa potential. One of the ingredients that makes me hold the region high is Internet and the benefits aren't limited to the people who operate it like ISP providers. Instead, like minerals, like electricity, it is shifting every industry into a different gear. Measuring that move, however, isn’t hard. The internet growth has provided statistics agencies to track the contribution of the industry as they do for others in the growth of African economy. And all too often critics and haters cite self-serving statistics that are impressively large but hard to compare with what happens in other industries with South Africa being a prime example. To this d