Why We Love Tech
Ever thought how strenuous it would be to strike 2 stones whenever we needed fire? That will really delay the process; especially for me, I don’t think I would have mastered that. Inventions as simple as a match are some of the reasons we love tech.
Tech exists around us, and without really telling these innovations what they mean to us, we’re usually addicted to the services they provide. Personally, I can’t do without my phone, it means so much to me and I feel disconnected when I am not with it. Pretty certain it is the same for most people.
Across the African continent, the relentless spread of networks, sensors, artificial intelligence, and automation is driving a revolution to an unknown destination. Technologies such as facial recognition systems, drones, robots, and “smart cities” are proliferating. Digitization is improving government revenue collection and curbing corruption.
Africa facing a choice between harnessing emerging technology to improve government effectiveness, grow the business, and standard of living, and foster inclusion, or as a tool of repression, division, and conflict is obviously tilting to the former.
The many successes of tech in Africa comprise a fast-growing startup space across the continent and the creation hopes for more fantastic feats in years to come. And as startups keep enabling several tech solutions, our love for tech increases, creating the demand for more tech-enabled solutions. So as the world celebrates love today, we at the Ouut look at why we love tech.
Efficiency
Efficiency is probably the first concern that comes to mind when we are introduced to a new method. Does it save time, money, and strength? If it doesn’t meet all or most of these, then the new method is inefficient. This is not tech. Tech observes a traditional process or an existing tech process, builds on it, and offers a more reliable process capable of disrupting the existing process.
Technology can help you improve the way you carry out tasks. It can either speed up existing processes or allow new, more flexible ways of carrying out the job.
Recall how traditional processes demanded that we needed to get to the bank or carry cash around to make payments. Tech came on and changed how transactions are made. Sales and purchases are made without cash and people do not run the risk of carrying cash around.
How about in communication? Technology helped us stay together by living apart. The most interesting part thing here is that it keeps evolving to provide more advanced features, moving from regular phone calls to instant messaging and FaceTime. If I still needed the mailman to pass a message to my granny, I wouldn’t like it much. So yeah, we love tech.
Throughout history, societies have undergone significant changes with technology at the helm. The way people act and function in the world has been greatly influenced by technology. Emerging new technologies are undoubtedly affecting our way of life. Thanks to technology, our lives are now drastically different from those of earlier eras.
Employment
Don’t let the recent reoccurring layoffs fool you, tech has employed more than it has laid off. Beyond the massive wave of employment that tech offers, the sector is also responsible for the most lucrative salaries. Let’s not forget how the surge in global startup space has led to a rise in the demand for young, talented workers. Africa is emerging as a significant source of software engineering talent and is home to the fastest-growing population of developers.
Coding is not everything, several high-paying non-coding tech jobs offer employment in the tech space. Product marketing Manager, tech writing, content marketing, data analysis, graphic design, and so many others have been able to offer Africans employment outside the traditional sector.
Food System and Security
In the fight to increase agricultural output and lower poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, African nations have achieved significant progress. However, factors such as ongoing population expansion, urbanization, shifting dietary patterns, and climate change are putting pressure on food systems to produce not only more food but also a wider variety of nutrient-dense foods that are available and accessible. However, the production, processing, marketing, trading, and consumption of food across the continent are already being impacted by new digital technologies and services.
At a time when many factors, including population growth, climate change, shorter fallow periods, and rural-urban migration threaten food security, digital technology advancements in agriculture offer enormous potential for farmers, entrepreneurs, and investors to improve the productivity and efficiency of agriculture in Africa.
The use of new and advanced technologies in Africa’s agricultural sector has improved and expanded over time the scale, speed, and productivity of farm equipment, resulting in more effective land cultivation and food production.
Economic Growth
The current digital revolution is reshaping economies and spurring innovation in all spheres of the economy. The continent is experiencing the desired growth in a number of macroeconomic variables thanks to access to digital tools and technologies and operation within a legal framework that safeguards the security and interests of all people.
Today, the number of mobile service subscribers in Africa is surging. By 2025, 615 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are anticipated to use mobile services. This is a tremendous opportunity and a testament to Africa’s inventiveness.
Tech in the continent has been about empowering everyone regardless of their economic background and literacy level, which is necessary to realize Africa’s growth potential. To solve our growth problems, tech has acted as a catalyst to our innate creative capacities and take ownership of solving problems of the future. So why should we not love tech?