If you were given the word ‘Africa’ in a word association game, how would you respond? Words such as ‘poverty’ and ‘underdeveloped’ would probably come to mind. I doubt that many people would mention ‘technology’ or ‘mobile phones’. But mobile phone technology is revolutionising the lives of many people across sub-Saharan Africa. The spread of mobile phones across the continent has been a surprise to many commentators and in this column I will look at the ways in which this is affecting development.
The reputation of sub-Saharan Africa as being underdeveloped and poor is not based upon myth. For many years countries across the continent have languished, stagnating, while countries in southeast Asia and elsewhere were going through a process of rapid growth and development.
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