Contador Harrison

Digital economy which covers a range of economic and social activities that are enabled by information and communications technologies is growing very fast in most parts of Africa according to the latest data available. In more than ten countries I analyzed their data in various sectors like banking, buying and selling, and accessing education or entertainment using the internet and connected devices, there is clear evidence the continent isn’t being left behind by the rest of world. Actually if you ask me, digital economy is not separate to the economy. Of cause it impacts all industries and business types, and influences the way we interact with each other every day. I do know very well that rapid developments in technology and science are changing the way Africans live, work and do business . These changes come with challenges for our industries, jobs and communities. They also present opportunities to increase wellbeing and secure African jobs and prosperity. Digital technologies ...

Dr Makhosi Khoza has resigned from the ruling ANC party in what your blogger can only describe as sad loss to South Africa’s political environment. Last month, i wrote about how Dr Makhosi Khoza is a role model for so many people. When a South African friend called me yesterday saying that ‘your favorite lady’ has quit, i wasn’t surprised as such . Dr Makhosi Khoza strongly believes in genuinely democratic system of government which is not just about elections, numbers and power but accountability as well and her views have been that all those involved in South Africa’s executive arm of government, legislatures and judiciaries to act in the public interest and not just their own private, parochial or party interests. That is what brought Dr Makhosi Khoza into disrepute with ANC. In South Africa’s system it is an obligation, a duty, that they do so. It’s not just a matter of choice, it’s the law according to what Dr Makhosi Khoza has been saying.She however feel that the existing agenci...

It's eSports generation where some things are a little different from a lot of teenagers, computers, headsets, and the action taking place inside a video game, welcome to eSports in African schools.Teenagers play action and adventure games usually Defense of the Ancients or League of Legends. In some cases, a panel of teenage analysts gives the pre and post game assessments, a panel of teenage commentators gives the play by play throughout the game and sometimes, there are even cheerleaders. Oh you still doubt me? You better believe there's a pro level. Take two seemingly different concepts, that is School and eSports. Until social media came, few of us would have ever thought that we would ever interact with each other positively.The idea of eSports having a place in schools has been gaining more and more traction. Already in countries like Finland and Norway, high schools have already integrated it into their curriculum. In Asia, South Korea is offering undergraduate de...

eSports betting in Africa is taking shape. eSports, basically, is the professional world of video gamers . Few days ago, I had a chance to discuss with an industry insider about the opportunities eSports betting presents in African market and the world in general. She gave me a better idea of where to find the best markets, how to find the markets, and what to look out for when having a punt on the professional video gamers. In fact it’s been around for several years now but most people may have started to hear about eSports more and more in the public limelight in the last two years.With increasing amounts of money being poured into the video games each year, it is only natural to expect that there were options to start betting on it. For those who are keen eyed punters, they realize how much value there is in it as the bookies.eSports players are paid higher than some major sports stars around the world and for those who doubt what I’m talking about, it’s here to stay, and will o...

New data shows that online advertising in Africa has grown by 30% between January and June this year. Leading brands including banks, retailer chains, airlines and telcos have increased their spending significantly.  With digital advertising, marketers can specify the viewers they want their digital ads to be shown to . Google and Facebook combined are said to soak up about 60 per cent of Africa’s online advertising spending and are able to allow such targeting as they have a detailed profile of almost every Internet user on the planet. The profiles have been built up over time using cookies which are basically defined as computer programmes embedded in the Web browser or smartphone app to track people's location and surfing patterns. Digital advertising also offers marketers a more precise measurement of the success of their campaigns. This is done using metrics such as page views and click-throughs. The former logs the number of times someone is looking at a webpage where an ad ...

Contemporary Nigeria is home to a wide range of creative arts and industries, from world-class films, visual and performing arts, to publishing industry.  Those of us familiar with the industry across Africa know Nigeria has a vibrant arts, culture and entertainment community which is known internationally for its unique cultural style and enriched tradition history . Nigeria also plays a key role in the education, training and development of future leaders across all arts and creative industries. As the global contemporary art market seems to be becoming saturated with art fairs, thats not the case with Nigeria.There is a clear pattern which shows Nigerians have been careful not to create a market that is bigger than the demand and carefully integrated art stage into the Nigerian environment. Many local events are supporting and bringing up the market and are contributing through education. There’s however signs that market will eventually be flooded and the problem wil...

Back in the days, tattoos in Africa  were associated with criminals and to this day people with tattoos still suffer from negative associations with troublemakers and the criminal elements . People with tattoos often find it hard to get a decent job and its almost impossible to become a civil servant even if the individual is well-qualified.According to industry sources data that your blogger has obtained shows there are now more than 100 tattoo shops in capital cities in Sub Saharan Africa, and one on almost every major town.  Across Africa it's the same and towns that have watched their old telephone booths disappear have gained a tattooist or two. The main cities are Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cairo, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Accra, Tunis and Casablanca among others with each having more than a hundred tattoo joints.The researcher found that 14 per cent of all people aged 16 to 25 are now sporting tattoos and for women in their 20s that nu...

South Africa  video game industry is growing fast and games are finding their way into almost every  South African family, and parents and grandparents are increasingly joining children for a slice of gaming action either through their console, mobile or PC.New research in your blogger’s possession has found that 45 per cent of households with children have a video game device and six out of 10 have more than one. Games are found in 53 per cent of households overall. Spending on video games is expected to surge past $200 million this year as new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality increase their foothold . Over-50s are the fastest growing group of users, with 31 per cent of seniors now playing video games, according to the report.The data also shows that two third of South Africans play video games either through traditional consoles, PCs, handheld or mobile devices.In main cities gamers spend an average 49 minutes a day playing and only 17 per cent of ...

Is it possible that in the next decade African countries will be cashless? My answer is a firm NO but most of transactions will be cashless. Africans were so used to paying by cash but now some people legitimately get mad when a supermarket or retailers doesn’t have mobile money payments options in countries like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania .Africans are making paying for things extremely efficient and thoughtless across the board. It’s already so easy to blow heaps without saying a sad goodbye to those old bank notes, and in the next ten years majority of people will probably have chips in their hands that they’ll just wave over the counter.Africans currently withdraw more than $50 billion from ATMs each month according to 2016 data, however new research has revealed that cash will be obsolete within the next ten years, with smartphone and tablet transactions becoming the norm. So although most of Africans grew up learning the value of cash through pocket money made up of notes and co...