Tech4Africa, an event which will bring together some of the most respected people in technology to share, teach and interact with Africans, in Africa. Held in South Africa this October 27-28, 2011, Tech4Africa’s finalists have just been announced:
The Artist Project: ARTIST (Adaptive Real-Time Internet Streaming Technology) is a project focused on introducing an appropriate technology for low infrastructure regions (developing countries) to broadcast minimum-delay live video streams over the Internet with improved perceived picture quality than is currently possible with ‘off the shelf’ solutions.
iDRIVE.co.za: Helping to reduce the high number of road deaths in South Africa, iDRIVE.co.za is a digital platform which connects learner drivers with accredited and verified driving instructors.
Project Masiluleke: Project Masiluleke employs mobile phones and other technologies as high impact, low cost tools, in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
PayU Computing: PAYU aims to increase the availability of computing devices and Internet to the masses in East Africa by providing affordable access to these services.
Sentigol [Tendersure]: TenderSure is a web based tendering tool, designed to combat corruption and high costs often associated with the tender process, whilst offering free and fair competition.
Powertime: Powertime offers prepaid electricity users in South Africa the convenience of buying electricity on their mobile, whilst providing useful information on their energy usage and smart ways to contribute to more efficient use.
MISS: MISS (Mobile Information System Services) is an online (mobile and web) based public transport integrated communication system. It aims to provide a simple answer to the question: how do I get from A to B using public transport?
Evalunet: EvaluNet, an education software developer, creates simple educational software products that solve real problems that South African teachers and children face daily.
Snapbill: SnapBill is an automated billing system that allows you to easily sell your services online.
Whive: Whive, Social Media Platform, aims to enhance access of information to Africans including millions of mobile phone subscribers across Africa by using SMS technology to provide content in their local languages on their mobile phones.
TxtAlert: TxtAlert is a mobile techology platform designed to improve adherence to Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART). The system alerts ART patients about their next visits to the clinic. It also allows a patient to send a “please call me” message, free of charge, when they want to re-schedule their next clinic appointment.
For more information, here are links to the schedule, the speakers and their partners.
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
