Decoding types, machine learning, ethics, and the thrilling future of AI.



Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to revolutionize various domains. This article delves into insights provided by Professor Ritesh Ajoodha from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and Reinard Mortlock, Founder and CEO of LIVEX, on the main types of AI, the role of machine learning, ethical considerations, job displacement, current limitations, and promising future advancements.



Types of AI and their strengths and limitations



According to Ajoodha, two prominent approaches in AI are deep learning and probabilistic approaches. Deep learning, although highly effective, is often considered a black-box method due to its enigmatic decision-making processes. It poses ethical concerns in fields like medicine, where explainability and transparency are crucial. On the other hand, probabilistic approaches, based on probability theory, offer transparency and allow for a clear understanding of the decision-making process. They are particularly suitable for applications with optimization problems and simpler business scenarios.



Machine learning&#8217;s contribution to AI development



Machine learning plays a vital role encompassing data analytics, leveraging big data for various analyses. Machine learning algorithms enable relevant product recommendations based on user preferences and search history. Additionally, machine learning aids in extrapolating data for AI models, detecting anomalies for fraud prevention, and holds significant potential for numerous other applications.



Ethical considerations in AI implementation



Both Ajoodha and Mortlock highlight the importance of ethical considerations in AI implementation. As AI technology evolves, regulations and constraints become necessary to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability. Without proper regulation, AI systems, especially black-box models, can pose challenges regarding decision-making processes, data sanitization, and maintenance. Establishing regulations that promote disclosure and transparency is crucial for addressing ethical concerns.



Potential risks and benefits of AI in job displacement



Mortlock emphasizes that AI, particularly generative AI, is still in its early stages and cannot replace human input and evaluation. While content generation and automation may increase, complex tasks requiring human judgement and creativity remain unaffected. Rather than causing job losses, AI models have the potential to create new job opportunities, especially in fields that facilitate AI development.



Current limitations and future advancements in AI research



Globally, AI research has received substantial support and funding, leading to advancements in hardware capabilities and computational power. However, bottlenecks persist, particularly in regions with limited AI backing, such as some African countries. Nonetheless, promising advancements are anticipated, particularly in healthcare, finance, and risk management. AI&#8217;s potential in cancer detection, early diagnosis, fraud detection, and enhanced number-crunching holds great promise for future advancements.



AI continues to evolve and reshape various industries, presenting both opportunities and challenges. While generative AI and machine learning algorithms offer valuable capabilities, ethical considerations must be addressed to ensure transparency and fairness. The ongoing advancements in AI research, coupled with proper regulation and ethical frameworks, can pave the way for a future where AI positively impacts society while minimizing risks.

AI, Machine learning, robot hand ai artificial intelligence assistance human touching on big data network connection background, Science artificial intelligence technology, innovation and futuristic.

AI Unleashed: Five Facts From African Experts

How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked.



“Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.”



This passage from American writer Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises perfectly summarizes the process almost every organization eventually faces. 



Or at least it did up until Tuesday, May 2. Because that was the day when ChatGPT claimed its first victim, the online education platform Chegg.



It seems gone are the days when companies could expect a death spiral of years and years before the CEOs called it a day. 



Blockbusters and Blackberry are two examples that spring to mind. But Chegg’s stock plummeted by more than 50% in just a few hours, and at the time of writing this piece, it was worth just a third of what it was prior to the launch of ChatGPT.



The reason of course, why every business ultimately fails is because the market shifts.



In Blackberry’s case, they lost out as consumers decided they didn’t want keyboards.



For Blockbusters, their customers decided to stay at home and stream.



And for Chegg, Wall Street is predicting that they will lose their students to generative AI.



What’s fascinating and scary though, is we have just entered a phase of business disruption that is exponential in nature. AI, Cloud, 5G, IoT and a host of other technologies are working perfectly in concert to allow anyone in the world to develop new products and services at a fraction of historical costs in record time.



ChatGPT is a case in point. 



On release, it registered 1 million users in one week and hit the 100 million mark within two months. That’s 5x faster than TikTok managed; 30x faster than Facebook. So with barriers falling left right and center because of technological advancements, what must boards do to improve their company’s survival chances?



If you guessed innovate, you are partially right. Boards absolutely need to impress on their executive teams the importance of doubling down on their innovation strategies.



But this will only work if boards think laterally about deliberate actions they can take to encourage their executive teams to become less hubristic.



Because leadership hubris is the catalyst of inertia, not innovation, and inertia is what ultimately kills most organizations. To be fair to executives, they operate in environments that encourage overconfidence.



When you are running a successful multi-billion dollar business, it’s not easy to consider the possibility that it could be fallible, or worse, that it might fail on your watch. I for one don’t know many CEOs who’ll admit they are fearful of being disrupted. And those that do typically fail to place the necessary disruptive business bets.



How can companies remove hubris from their executive teams? 



I humbly suggest by setting up environments that culture a certain amount of fear and a huge amount of curiosity. One of the best examples of a leadership team that encourages this is Amazon. Jeff Bezos is well-known for emphasizing the importance of staying paranoid and maintaining a sense of urgency.



In his 2017 shareholder letter he wrote: “Day 2 business is stasis. Followed by irrelevance. Followed by excruciating, painful decline Followed by death. And that is why it is always Day 1.” 



The goal?



To encourage his team to continually think like a startup, not a multi-billion dollar listed entity. And this idea then gets consistently reinforced in a multitude of ways, ranging from their choice of building names



(Amazon’s head office is named Day 1) to how they encourage executives to make decisions carefully when the outcomes are irreversible, but quickly in all other instances (the two-door/ one-door model).



These systems and frameworks were deliberately introduced to encourage healthy levels of paranoia that in turn, helped motivate a culture of curiosity.



It should not be surprising when successful innovators state that “curiosity” is mission-critical. What is surprising is how knowing this, so few boards demand their leadership teams implement systems to agitate and encourage curiosity.



Perhaps this was acceptable when we lived in a world where change was glacial. But in a world where bankruptcy may skip the slowly part and just come suddenly, boards need to stop worrying about the risks of doing business and start cultivating leaders who understand the need to adapt or die and have the curiosity and courage to attempt to do just that. 



– The writer curates thought leadership events that help executive teams transform their organizations; visit coliniles.com.

Co-workers having meeting with laptop in conference room

Adapt Or Die: What Must Boards Do To Improve Their Company’s Survival Chances?

The next boom in world football over the coming 10 years will surely be in the women’s game, largely because the potential is so great. And the impact the African sides can make.



Africa will send a quartet of teams to the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time, which includes two debutants at the tournament to be staged in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20.



It will be a month-long celebration of&nbsp;football and the great strides the women’s game has made in recent years to create a product that has a growing army of fans and admirers.



Just what impact the African sides can make remains to be seen. Nigeria have appeared at every tournament played since 1991, while continental champions South Africa will play their second finals having debuted in 2019.



North African side Morocco and southern African nation Zambia take their places for the first time, but are packed with potential.



The World Cup has been expanded from 24 teams to 32 this year, providing an extra spot for the continent.



South Africa have been drawn in something of a Group of Death that includes Sweden, who are ranked number three in the world, Italy and Argentina, who are both also well ahead of them in the global rankings.



Sweden were runners-up at the 2003 World Cup and have won bronze on three other occasions, including last time out in France in 2019. They have also won the silver medal at the last two Olympic Games.



Italy are ranked number 16 in the world and were quarterfinalists four years ago, though perhaps Banyana midfielder Refiloe Jane, who has been based in that country for the last few years, will be able to add some insight.



Argentina are appearing at a fourth World Cup but have yet to get past the group stages, so may be the team Banyana should target. They are ranked 28 in the world, still well ahead of South Africa’s 54.



“It is a tough group, we cannot escape that fact,” Banyana Banyana coach Des Ellis tells FORBES AFRICA. “But we have to believe we can advance. There is no point going to a World Cup and not believing in yourself.



“The tournament in 2019 was a big learning curve for us, but also a great experience and we will bring that into this World Cup.



“Since then we have grown as a team, we are African champions, we have four more years of experience and more players who play overseas. So we have to go there with confidence in what we can achieve.”



South Africa open their tournament against Sweden on July 23, perhaps a blessing to get, on paper, their toughest assignment out the way first.



“We know them, we have played them a few times in recent years and we have been competitive. There is no reason why we can’t be so again.”



South Africa drew their last meeting with the Swedes 0-0 in 2019 and were beaten 3-0 at home a year earlier.



Italy will be new opponents, as will Argentina, but Ellis is also adamant it is about how her side prepares ahead of the tournament.



“We have to be ready, to be in the best shape that we can be as a squad, both physically and mentally, and then make sure we execute our plans in the matches. We cannot ask for more than that.”



Zambia also have a challenging group with Spain, Costa Roca and Japan. The Asian nation were world champions in 2011 and runners-up in 2015, while Spain reached the second round four years ago. Costa Rica’s only previous finals was in 2015 when they exited in the group stage.



Zambia have announced that they will camp in Spain ahead of the tournament.



Football Association of Zambia President Andrew Kamanga says there is much to work on ahead of the World Cup.



“We need to work on the physical side of the team, we need to strengthen the analysis and bring in technical advisors. The coach [Bruce Mwape] will remain in charge of the team, but we need to reinforce the areas where they need additional support,” Kamanga says.



“We will play three friendlies within Europe before the tournament, we want everyone who has a chance to be considered the opportunity to train. We will have local camps and those who make it from there, will go to the next stage.



“The squad to go to the World Cup will only be selected after the training camp in Spain, so the process is quite intense. No-one is guaranteed a place and everyone’s position is up for grabs.”



Nigeria are at yet another finals, but have yet to really fly the African flag, though they too have been handed a horror draw.



They must play hosts Australia, who will be among the tournament favorites, Olympic champions Canada and the tricky Republic of Ireland, who have former Banyana Banyana coach Vera Pauw now in charge.



The Super Falcons are coached by American Randy Waldrum and he knows just what awaits.



“It’s scary, to be honest. Our first two games are brutal,” the Texan said. “Many people have our group ranked as the hardest in the World Cup. The other three teams are all ranked in the top 25 in the world. They all pose different kinds of problems.”



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-a-first-african-host">A FIRST AFRICAN HOST?</h2>


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<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Danny-Jordaan-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-58726" width="492" height="328" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Danny-Jordaan-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Danny-Jordaan-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Danny-Jordaan-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Danny-Jordaan-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Danny-Jordaan-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> ©Shaun Roy/BackpagePix</figcaption></figure></div>


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South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan is under no illusions as to the task ahead of Banyana Banyana in Australia and New Zealand, but has also set his sights on a secondary prize.



Jordaan, who was a key figure in South Africa winning the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is now hopeful of the country staging the 2027 women’s tournament too.



They are up against a combined bid from Belgium, Germany and Netherlands, while Brazil have also thrown their hat in the ring. The United States and Mexico have said they too will join forces on a bid. But Jordaan believes Africa’s time is now.



“When you look at world football, the first men&#8217;s World Cup was 1930. The first World Cup in Africa was 70 years later. As a result, the gap between European and South American football in relation to Africa and Asia is now impossible to close,” Jordaan tells FORBES AFRICA.



“Of the global revenue for football, 80% goes to Europe. Africa is on the margins. Now, if we sit back and do nothing, and the same pattern emerges in women’s football, we are going to struggle to close the gap between in women&#8217;s football as well.



“We want to have a strong bid to hopefully secure the Women&#8217;s World Cup on the African continent because that will inspire and invigorate and strengthen football for women on the continent and close that gap rather than allow the pattern to repeat itself.” 



Jordaan believes it is imperative that FIFA acts to at least try and give African women’s football a shot in the arm. “If we want football to be truly global, then we must increase the competitiveness throughout the world. I think Africa can deliver a winner of the Women’s World Cup long before the men eventually get an African winner.



“Of course, Morocco made it to the semifinals [of the men’s tournament in Qatar last year], but I think it&#8217;s going to be quite a challenge for Africa to eventually win a men’s World Cup.



“That doesn&#8217;t mean you must give up. But I think on the women’s side, we have a greater chance.”



Whether that will come in this tournament Down Under remains to be seen, but Jordaan is hopeful that



Banyana Banyana can at least make the knockout rounds.



“It’s a second consecutive World Cup for us, about 80% of the players are going for a second World Cup, having been there in France 2019. So, they must be over the jitters and have more experience,” he says.



“We want them to go to the second round. But even that second round place is going to be a challenge because we&#8217;re up against Sweden, Italy and Argentina. There&#8217;s a gap of 30 places between us and the rest in that group.



“Therefore, we have to give [the players] enough opportunity to be able to deal with the challenge that they&#8217;re facing. It is very, very important. I think that we have a chance to go through the second round.”



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Nigeria did recently get a morale-boosting 3-0 friendly win over World Cup co-hosts New Zealand to go with victories over Costa Rica and Haiti.



“Probably still a ‘B’ [mark] for the team, we got three goals and a clean sheet, maybe I guess am a little harsh with that grade, but there are still so many things we can improve on,” Waldrum said in the wake of the New Zealand win. “We have got better and better, that’s what we need leading up to the World Cup.”



Morocco have shot from nowhere to be among the leading teams in Africa in recent years, and had in fact not even qualified for the African championship in 20 years before they hosted in 2022.



But there has been a heavy investment in the women’s game in the country, and well as a reach-out to the diaspora to find gems such as English-born Tottenham Hotspur forward Rosella Ayane.



She will be their major threat as they face Germany, Colombia and South Korea in what looks the gentlest of the pools for the African teams.



“There’s a lot of talent in Morocco, and they’ll eventually be picked up and spotted but I’m so proud to be flying the flag for Morocco, for Africa as a continent and for other countries that don’t necessarily get the recognition sometimes that they deserve,” Ayane told Inside the WSL.



&#8220;It’s been an incredible time for the country, for Arab women and for Arab women in sport. Sometimes, I really need to take a step back and actually look at what we’ve achieved because sometimes I can’t put it into words.



“So, it’s been a real journey and one that I’m going to be proud of for the rest of my life.&#8221;



Ayane makes one other excellent point – for all the African teams at this World Cup, it is a chance for the players to put themselves in the shop window and sign professional contracts with top clubs. That is now a dream closer to being realized.



“There’s a lot of talent in Morocco, and they’ll eventually be picked up and spotted but I’m so proud to be flying the flag for Morocco, for Africa as a continent and for other countries that don’t necessarily get the recognition sometimes that they deserve.”



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">WHERE TO NOW?</h3>



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The next big boom in world football over the coming 10 years will surely be in the women’s game, largely because the potential is so great.



While men’s football has, to a point, become saturated, the potential in the women’s game is still largely unrealized.



“Football and women are not only the right thing to do, but it’s also good business. There is a massive 3 billion customer market that is gravely under-served and untapped,” says Victoire Cogevina Reynal from Gloria Football, which is dedicated to growing the women’s game.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Barbra-Banda-of-Zambia-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-58730" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Barbra-Banda-of-Zambia-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Barbra-Banda-of-Zambia-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Barbra-Banda-of-Zambia-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Barbra-Banda-of-Zambia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Barbra-Banda-of-Zambia-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zambia captain Barbra Banda. ©Shaun Roy/BackpagePix</figcaption></figure></div>


It is a point echoed by Ebru Koksal from Women in Football, but she says it can only happen with more resources.



“To grow the system we need a fair distribution of resources. Today, only 2% of the global value and money that football generates goes into women’s football,” Koksal says. 



Cindy Parlow-Cone, President of US Soccer, believes this is a seminal moment for the women’s game and that change is coming.



“The women’s game is poised for exponential growth. I think the time is now to invest in the women’s side of the game across the globe,” she says.
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21JDRW

Poised For Growth: Women’s Football In Africa

Words and Curation: Chanel Retief and Lillian Roberts Art Director: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane Photography Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Studio: NewKatz Studio, Johannesburg CNBC Africa Videographer: Thabo Mathebula Video Editor: Chanel Retief Styling: Bontlefeela Mogoye and Wanda Baloyi Outfits supplied by: Kworks Design; Imprint South Africa; House of Suitability; LSJ Designs Hair &amp; Makeup: Makole Made



Khula! was built on friendship. 



“We [Matthew Piper, Chief Product Officer and co-founder] became friends pretty quickly at university,” Karidas Tshintsholo, wearing a powder blue suit and a bright smile, says to FORBES AFRICA. 



“And then the friendship grew into business. I think already by the second semester of our first year [in university], we had an education type of business running.” 



It was after university that Piper returned to Johannesburg with ideas that he relayed to Tshintsholo.



“Initially, agriculture is not a very sexy industry,” Tshintsholo laughs. “From the outside, it looks pretty dirty and all of that&#8230;Almost everybody on the continent is dependent on agriculture for survival. But it just didn&#8217;t make sense that we were getting more food in than what we were taking out. We should be ideally positioned to be supplying the world 10 times over.” 



And with that in mind, Tshintsholo, Piper and Jackson Dyora (Chief Technology Officer and co-founder cofounder) set out to build Khula! 



In a nutshell, the company provides small-scale and commercial size farmers with software and a marketplace to grow their business. The whole idea was to be an ecosystem of support to farmers across Africa. The platform has three key components: an input marketplace, which allows farmers to purchase inputs and get technical services; there is a trader platform where farmers can sell; and to close the loop, there is a funded dashboard, where the platform links farmers with financing assistance.



“I think it really speaks to the nature of agriculture,” Tshintsholo says, “that quite often, when you&#8217;re trying to solve one problem, you get undone by another problem.” This was what drove him to entrepreneurship to begin with–wanting to solve problems.



“I think Mike Tyson said ‘everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face’. And I think entrepreneurship is like that…We went into this thinking, we&#8217;ve got this, and we have a solid plan, we are going to connect farmers with buyers’. Easy. Until…”



“How many times have you been punched in the face?” we ask. “I get punched in the face every day,” Tshintsholo laughs. “We had to get a lot of punches. But I think the pilot helped us because the farmers were okay with giving us those punches, because in the end, we&#8217;re working together to build a product that we can then begin to scale.”

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MEET COVER STAR Karidas Tshintsholo: Building Tech To Support Africa’s Farmers

<h4 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-jehiel-oliverfounder-and-ceo-hello-tractorkenya">Jehiel Oliver Founder and CEO, Hello Tractor Kenya</h4>



Chatting to FORBES AFRICA from Nairobi, Jehiel Oliver recalls how he started a business on the Hello Tractor platform where farmers could make up to $30,000 in bookings a year.



“I&#8217;m from the US, and started my professional career in finance,” Oliver says. “But in [my] mind, I always wanted to do work that was meaningful for my community and I came from parents who were kind of pan-African in their view of the world.” 



When a young Oliver left banking and started doing consulting work, “mostly still in finance”, he looked at deal structuring for funds investing across the Global South which then led him to agriculture.



“That&#8217;s where I uncovered the importance of agriculture, the role it plays in Africa&#8217;s economy and future economic growth,” Oliver says. 



Hello Tractor, a Kenya-based smartphone app that connects small-scale farmers with nearby tractor owners, was built on understanding how much access smallholder farmers have to the basic needs of farming.



According to The Economist, in sub-Saharan Africa, 60% of crops are ploughed by hand, which in turn impacts the productivity of farmers and eventual crop yield. This is why over 220 million farmers in Africa live on less than $2 a day.



Oliver reiterates that smallholder farmers don’t have the machinery they need to fully cultivate occupied land. Tractors andfarm equipment are expensive, and financing is virtually non-existent. 



“For us, it was about economic growth and prosperity for these African economies,” Oliver adds, “starting in a rural sector, you have low-income populations underserviced by just about every part of the economy, and seeing an opportunity to commercially serve these economic actors, these farmers, who are also entrepreneurs themselves.



“And to serve them in a way where they can grow their productivity, they can grow their income, they can send their kids to school, and not pull their kids out of school to work the fields.”

Africa’s Green Economy: From Banking To Connecting Farmers And Tractors In Kenya

ChatGPT, a cutting-edge language model developed by OpenAI, has revolutionized how we interact with technology and access information through artificial intelligence (AI). As an AI-driven conversation agent, ChatGPT has the potential to significantly impact various sectors in Africa, offering opportunities for growth and development. However, ChatGPT also presents unique challenges that we must address to harness its benefits fully. 



This article explores the implications of ChatGPT for Africa, focusing on its potential applications in education, healthcare, agriculture, and language preservation, as well as the challenges associated with its adoption.



Before discussing the applications of ChatGPT in Africa, it is crucial first to discuss what ChatGPT can and cannot do. Firstly, ChatGPT, like many AI technologies, depends on existing data. Therefore, it cannot incorporate what does not already exist. For example, it will not recommend medications not yet discovered. Consequently, it would not have invented Einstein&#8217;s theory of relativity. However, it can gather and summarize existing information, which may help find new medicines. Despite these,



ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for enhancing education in Africa by providing personalized learning experiences, facilitating access to knowledge, and supporting educators. By offering tailored content based on individual learning needs, ChatGPT can help bridge the gap in educational resources and improve overall learning outcomes. Additionally, it can assist teachers by providing instant feedback on student performance, identifying areas for improvement, and suggesting targeted interventions.



ChatGPT can be crucial in providing medical information and support in Africa, where access to healthcare professionals is often limited. It can serve as a health assistant, offering advice on common health issues, symptom analysis, and self-care tips. This could help reduce the burden on healthcare systems and facilitate timely intervention, particularly in remote or underserved areas. For this to happen, we need to retrain existing and new medical professionals to develop competency in the seamless use of technology in medical care. This, therefore, calls for revising the medical curriculum to incorporate more technology.



Another application of ChatGPT is in the area of agriculture. ChatGPT can contribute to developing sustainable agriculture in Africa by providing farmers real-time information on weather patterns, pest control, and crop management. This could help farmers optimize their operations, improve yields, and enhance food security for the continent. This requires farmers to form learning communes where issues of agricultural performance are discussed together to augment existing recommendations of ChatGPT, which is based on existing information.



ChatGPT can be used for language preservation. Africa is home to a rich linguistic diversity, with over 2,000 languages spoken across the continent. ChatGPT can be trained to understand and interact in various African languages, promoting language preservation and cultural heritage. By making technology more accessible and inclusive, ChatGPT can help bridge the digital divide and empower local communities. However, for this to happen, we need to infuse the ethos of AI transfer learning methodology to ensure that all languages are included, irrespective of size.



One of the primary challenges for ChatGPT adoption in Africa is the lack of robust digital infrastructure. Limited access to the internet, unreliable connectivity, and high data costs can hinder the widespread use of ChatGPT and its associated benefits. To fully harness the potential of ChatGPT, investments in digital infrastructure and affordable internet access are essential. However, for this to happen, we need to bridge the digital divide and ensure that telecommunications data and affordable devices are accessible.



The adoption of ChatGPT in Africa also depends on the population&#8217;s digital literacy level. Therefore, promoting digital literacy through education and training programs is crucial to ensure people can effectively utilize ChatGPT and other digital technologies.



As with any AI technology, ChatGPT raises concerns about data privacy and security. Therefore, ensuring that ChatGPT complies with data protection regulations and safeguards user privacy is essential to build trust and encourage widespread adoption.



AI models, including ChatGPT, can inadvertently perpetuate biases and stereotypes in the data they are trained on. Addressing these biases and ensuring that ChatGPT&#8217;s interactions are culturally sensitive and contextually appropriate is crucial for its successful implementation in Africa.



ChatGPT has the potential to significantly impact various sectors in Africa, offering opportunities for growth and development. By harnessing its potential in education, healthcare, agriculture, and language preservation, Africa can benefit from the advancements in AI technology. However, addressing challenges related to digital infrastructure, digital literacy, data privacy, and ethical considerations is crucial for successfully adopting ChatGPT on the continent through collaborative efforts from governments, the private sector, and African civil society.



– The writer is a Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) Rector based in Tokyo, Japan. UNU has campuses in Ghana, Japan, China, Malaysia, Finland, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Belgium, Venezuela, Canada and the US.

In this photo illustration, the ChatGPT (OpenAI) logo is

ChatGPT In Africa: Opportunities And Challenges

International MSME Day on June 27 recognizes that small businesses and self-employed workers are crucial to the growth and development of economies. We also speak with Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Group, on the importance of this day.



Small and medium-size businesses (SMEs) are the lifeblood of Africa’s economy. They are responsible for more than 80% of the continent’s employment and 50% of the GDP, according to the World Economic Forum.



To celebrate the role played by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and increase awareness of their contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations (UN) General Assembly designated 27 June as International MSME Day.



The UN recognizes that small businesses and self-employed workers are crucial to the growth and development of economies, saying that if adequately supported, MSMEs can “effectively contribute to the structural transformation of economies and drive inclusive, sustained, and equitable economic growth and jobs.”



“SMEs play a crucial role in Africa’s economic growth and development, especially when it comes to the creation of jobs which remains a significant problem across the continent,” says Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Group.



With operations in 33 African markets, the bank has made it a priority to nurture and contribute to the growth and success of African SMEs and encourage them to leverage trade opportunities.



The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a single, continent-wide market that unites 54 countries, offers significant opportunities on the continent. Among its aims are to scale African businesses through integration of regional value chains and to increase intra-African trade by 52.3% by 2030.



As an entrepreneur in the education sector, Catherine Awuor Oduor manages the operations of Jabali Schools in Kenya and is a Senior Finance Officer at African Union.



She is of the opinion that the private sector and policymakers working in partnership with the AfCFTA can open expansion and growth opportunities for SMEs.



“They have the potential to transform the economies and the continent as a dynamic force in the international arena,” Oduor says. “If policymakers can draft very good policies, this will help businessmen and businesswomen to ensure that their business flows without challenges. As we are aware 60% to 70% of women are involved in business and in the cross strait area. And therefore, if the laws are well-drafted and could favor women, women could do their business very well. Finally, the private sector plays a critical role in the development of Africa, and hence strategy ensures businesses across the continent have access to tools and partnerships, they will be able to play a key area in creating a resilient environment in the future.”



Financial institutions play a big role in easing the ability of SMEs, and especially women-owned SMEs, to grow and develop in the currently challenging environment, and ultimately to tap into cross continental trade.



Despite women-led enterprises making up about a third of all registered African small businesses, the financial gap between men and women remains.



According to the UN, women- and youth-owned enterprises are often most vulnerable and at risk of external shocks. On top of this, they have to deal with limited access to affordable finance, capacity-building support, partnership networks, and global markets. There are many challenges for them to overcome, resulting in many being confined to the informal sector and necessity entrepreneurship.



For Oduor, limited access to cash is one of the challenges for SMEs. “Right now the economy has really gone down. And many lending facilities are offering loans at high interest rates, and this has affected quite a number of businesses.”



In her experience, other challenges include access to technology, poor monitoring and evaluation systems to track feedback, market analysis and feasibility studies and setting up a good business plan.



“For SMEs in the informal sector, we assist them to transition to the formal sector to ensure they gain access to better growth opportunities,” says Ecobank’s Awori. “In addition to catering to their banking needs, we also provide SMEs essential non-financial support such as skills training. In recognition of the vital role of women, Ecobank has curated tailored solutions through our comprehensive Ellevate program, specifically designed for women entrepreneurs.”



For the UN, MSME Day will also focus on supporting resilient supply chains to ensure workers and the environment benefit and encourage policymakers and businesses to join forces to ensure economically viable, socially, and environmentally sustainable supply chains.

Business owner hanging an open sign at a cafe

The Crucial Role Of MSMEs In The Economic Growth And Development Of Africa

Sebastian Negri will go to the Rugby World Cup with Italy but was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. He will be key for the side, where they have a tough pool that includes hosts France and powerhouse New Zealand.



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“When you get an opportunity later in life to represent those people who have helped you along the way, that adds passion and desire to make them proud.”
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Sebastian Negri’s family were forced off their farm in Zimbabwe literally overnight, fleeing as gunshots rang around them, a memory that remains vivid for the then eight-year-old.



But that trauma set Negri on a path that would ultimately see the flanker capped by Italy at international level as he prepares to play in his second Rugby World Cup in France later this year.



It has been a long road to this point, his family found refuge in South Africa having been assisted financially by Italian relatives, and he was able to attend the prestigious Hilton College in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in South Africa.



Initially he hoped to be an international cricketer, but as he kept growing he realized rugby was the game that could take him places, and it certainly has.



He was signed after school by Cape Town-town based Western Province, but the lure of playing for the Italian national team set him on the path to where he is now.



Zimbabwe was never really an option because the level they play at is so low, but he could have pushed to play for South Africa’s Springboks. He would have followed in the footsteps of former prop Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira if he had followed that path, while another Zimbabwean, David Pocock, had a distinguished career with Australia.



However, his heritage and the memory of how those Italian relatives had helped his family in their most difficult moment spurred him on to represent the Azzurri.



“My coach at Hilton College was Brad MacLeod-Henderson, who spent time playing in Italy and is very close with (Durban-born former Italy international) Roland de Marigny,” Negri tells FORBES AFRICA. “We stayed in touch and when I was contracted by Western Province after school, that interest (from Italy) grew.



“My hunger for playing for Italy also grew, and that became my biggest dream. When I was at Western Province, I got invited to a few camps over here (Italy) and the rest is history.



“Our family in Italy were there for us when we needed them. A lot of South Africans and Zimbabweans were also there for us. When you get an opportunity later in life to represent those people who have helped you along the way, that adds passion and desire to make them proud.”



Negri made his debut for Italy in 2016 and played against Canada and South Africa at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.



Now established as a regular in the team, and one of the more senior players as he approaches 50 caps, he will be key for the side at this year’s World Cup, where they have a tough pool that includes hosts France and powerhouse New Zealand.



“It&#8217;s always going to be tough for us,” Negri says. “The expectation probably is for us to get knocked over by the two big teams. But, you know, we&#8217;ve got to have that mindset and belief that we can go to the World Cup and cause upsets.



“We must continue with the way we playing, believe in what we&#8217;re doing. Then anything can happen, the bounce of the ball. There&#8217;s a firm belief in the group that we can knock over a big team.



“We proved that in the Six Nations, we&#8217;ve came very close to beating Ireland and France. One or two decisions go our way, or one or two moments in the game, and the result looks different.”



Italy were seen as whipping boys a few years ago, but the arrival of New Zealand coach Kieran Crowley, and the emergence of players like Negri, has turned them into a side every major power will be wary of, as recent wins over Wales and Australia show.



“There’s been a big mindset change over the last 12 to 18 months, and especially since Kieran has come in. Before that we had a difficult couple of years, but I think we&#8217;re on the right track, we&#8217;re starting to get that respect and credibility back,” Negri says.



“Why can&#8217;t we beat France or New Zealand? I think it&#8217;s important that we focus on ourselves and that we don&#8217;t worry too much about what other people are saying.



“There&#8217;s a firm belief in the group, it&#8217;s a really positive environment to be in. And we&#8217;re just going to go out there and, as Kieran always tells us, give it everything you&#8217;ve got and whatever happens, will happen.”

Italy Team Run

‘Why Can’t We Beat France Or New Zealand?’: Africa-Born Rugby Player On The World Cup Later This Year

Words and Curation: Chanel Retief and Lillian Roberts Art Director: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane Photography Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Studio: NewKatz Studio, Johannesburg CNBC Africa Videographer: Thabo Mathebula Video Editor: Chanel Retief Styling: Bontlefeela Mogoye and Wanda Baloyi Outfits supplied by: Kworks Design; Imprint South Africa; House of Suitability; LSJ Designs Hair &amp; Makeup: Makole Made



Covid-19 halted business, leading to lives and livelihoods lost and ruined economies worldwide. For Nicole Rogers, it had the opposite effect. 



“During Covid-19, we really took the plunge because we were able to insulate in Kenya for a bit and I got a huge opportunity to incubate my own ideas,” Rogers says. “&#8230;But we have a really audacious dream. And we know people and we know things that can help the dream be realized and we&#8217;re willing to take risks.”



As a purposeful entrepreneur, what drove the Canadian-born CEO to the bread basket of Africa and this dream was the law of economics. 



“Kenya has a strong and established horticultural export value chain…And so a lot of the produce that consumers in the United Kingdom and Europe are purchasing is grown in Kenya.” 



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But it also started with a strong sense of taste, and flavors, in becoming a part of Africa’s food flavor and enhancer market, forecast to witness a CAGR of 5.12% during 2020-2025, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence.



When considering starting a plant-based B2B ingredient company (now Butterfly Foods) transforming regenerative grown crop inputs into high-quality flavors for today’s leading food brands, the one question on Rogers’ mind was why some foods taste better in some regions and are different in others?



This research led her to the soil and improving soil health. According to Rogers, when you have scaled operations or have big farms, growing one single crop could lead to the crop losing its intimacy with the soil, thus the flavors then get lost, sometimes even the nutrients. 



“For me, what sustainability tastes like is Africa,” Rogers explains. “Like truly, it tastes like Africa does–it’s a nuance of flavors. It depends on the soil. It&#8217;s crazy…And it&#8217;s really unique to Africa; I don&#8217;t see how you could do it in a lot of other places. You can&#8217;t do this in Europe!” She also works a lot with women as she believes women always have a better palate, with the ability to identify flavors such as bitter, sweet, and sour more strongly.

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MEET COVER STAR Nicole Rogers: Becoming A Part Of Africa’s Food Taste And Flavor Market

Africa is simultaneously contending with three realities: the continent has the youngest growing population; the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred substantial development and growth setbacks; and employment opportunities are flailing. This is seemingly a direct antithesis of the Africa rise narrative that dominated just a few years ago. If we consider this post-pandemic era as an opportunity for growth, this is a crisis we must address. 



Africa has a population that is under 25 in excess of 60%. Young Africans are anticipated to make up 42% of the world’s youth by 2030. Yet, we are demonstrably not tapping into this potential.



As Audrey Donkor wrote for Foreign Policy in 2021: “Such a large youthful population might ordinarily symbolize an ample and energetic workforce, a boon for the development prospects of any region. But the dire employment situation for young people across Africa continues to snuff out their potential.”



The African Development Bank (AfDB) asserts that only one in six young people aged 15 to 35 are employed for pay, another third are vulnerable workers, and a third are unemployed and discouraged.



Intriguingly, in sub-Saharan Africa, unemployment rates overall are relatively low. However, if one were to delve into the statistics, these figures do not consider the quality of employment.



Much of this work is informal, wages are low, and little to no social safety nets exist. It is thus difficult to make any comparisons to more advanced economies. The trend demonstrates that many engage in insecure jobs for income.



Research suggests that youth unemployment leads to increased poverty levels, migration, social exclusion, social instability, welfare increases, human capital erosion, and even conflict. Moreover, high levels of unemployment stunt a nation’smdevelopment. Evidence suggests that if most of the youth are economically active, there are distinct opportunities for poverty and inequality reduction and greater economic growth as dependency ratios are lowered. This phenomenon comprises part of the democratic dividend, which speaks to the growth associated with the age structure of a region.



As Julius Maina, regional editor of The Conversation, aptly argued: “The media frequently portray young people excluded from wage work as inactive, aimless and alienated from mainstream society. This image feeds into fears of crime, violence, and social unrest in which jobless people are cast as a ‘ticking time bomb’ that threatens a country’s stability. But this is a very misleading characterization. Most analyses of unemployed youth fail to grapple with the reality that unemployment in the sense of ‘doing nothing’ is not a feasible option for most young people.



&#8220;In South Africa, of course, unemployment presents itself starkly; 3.4% of those in the 15-34 age range are unemployed.



Against this context, there is a clear intersection between unemployment, economic growth and social security. Social security broadly refers to public measures provided by society against economic and social distress. In Africa, there is a distinct gap between the first economy, which is competitive and globally integrated, and the second economy, primarily comprised of the unemployed and characterized by underdevelopment.



The question is, how do we bridge these two worlds? Much of Africa lacks comprehensive social security systems, leaving the population, particularly the youth, vulnerable to economic shocks and social instability. These programs often face significant challenges in implementation, including limited funding and inadequate infrastructure. 



The introduction of strategic social security programs could provide support for youth seeking employment. Implementing social security measures in Africa while also ensuring empowerment, job creation, and economic growth requires a comprehensive and holistic approach that addresses the region’s underlying causes of poverty and joblessness. 



One strategy is job training programs and youth entrepreneurship programs. This emphasizes both skills-building and the creation of safety mechanisms.



Partnerships with universities and vocational training institutions as well as initiatives that support innovation and entrepreneurship can help achieve this. The University of Johannesburg, for instance, has partnered with the Youth Employment Service (YES) to provide students with internship opportunities.



Another strategy is to invest in infrastructure, including transportation, telecommunications, and energy systems. In particular, investments in renewable energy technologies can create new industries and job opportunities while contributing to sustainable development. To address unemployment and create growth, these social security systems need to be strengthened to ensure access and provide a safety net.



A comprehensive social security system could well be the remedy.

Youth Day Is Celebrated in South Africa

Why Africa Must Strengthen Social Security Systems To Address Youth Unemployment Meaningfully

Words and Curation: Chanel Retief and Lillian Roberts Art Director: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane Photography Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Studio: NewKatz Studio, Johannesburg CNBC Africa Videographer: Thabo Mathebula Video Editor: Chanel Retief Styling: Bontlefeela Mogoye and Wanda Baloyi Outfits supplied by: Kworks Design; Imprint South Africa; House of Suitability; LSJ Designs Hair &amp; Makeup: Makole Made



&#8220;Our story started with a banana.&#8221;



“Yes, a banana,” Peter Njonjo attests, as he sits down, adjusts his glasses and looks right into the camera reminiscing the beginnings of one of Africa’s most influential companies–according to Time Magazine–Twiga Foods.



“And the key thing here was that bananas in a supermarket in London were cheaper than they were in a supermarket in Nairobi.” This was strange for Njonjo as the banana in the London supermarket had traveled over 4,000 miles from Latin America to the United Kingdom. However, the banana in Nairobi had merely traveled 400 kilometers.



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“And we asked ourselves, ‘why is this the case’? And by answering that question, we started uncovering the issue around food inefficiency.” Njonjo’s belief is that in Africa, the retail industry is fragmented by the many “middlemen” involved in the supply chain moving food from farm to the table.



“We realized that sometimes a banana has been touched by five to six people before it gets to the retailer.



In the course of that [time], half the produce is actually lost to poor handling and post-harvest losses. So that level of waste, that level of inefficiency was contributing to the high cost of food on the continent,” says Njonjo.



At least one in five Africans goes to bed hungry and an estimated 140 million people in Africa face acute food insecurity, according to the World Bank Global Report on Food Crises 2022 Mid-Year Update. Furthermore, a 2022 World Resources Institute report found that around a third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, resulting in economic losses of an estimated $1 trillion a year. In sub-Saharan Africa, the estimate is roughly 37% or 120kg-170 kg/year per capita.



“Food loss and waste leads to reduced economic returns for farmers, and the water, fertilizers, energy and land used in production also go to waste. Such loss and waste drives expansion into fragile ecosystems, accelerates deforestation, species extinction and contributes to 8%-10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions,” the report said.



“What we wanted to do is develop an alternative system that allows us to reengineer this whole supply chain to digitize it and get to a point where we can shorten the cycle between the farms, and the retail and also reduce the amount of waste,” Njonjo explains. Twiga Foods uses technology to build supply chains in food and retail distribution on the continent, starting with Kenya.



The company inspired by the banana is now reportedly worth $300 million.



“The amount of food and beverage consumed in informal retail across the African continent is worth $700 billion. And if 50% of Africa&#8217;s disposable income is going to food, it means that that&#8217;s where the bulk of expenditure is at; that&#8217;s a bulk of [what] the opportunity is.”



“So the way we&#8217;re looking at it is we&#8217;re simply fishing where the fish are. The reality is that being in food on the African continent is an amazing space to be.”

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MEET COVER STAR PETER NJONJO: ‘Being in Food on the African Continent is an Amazing Space to be’

Improving yield, efficiency and profitability in agriculture comes down to the harvesting of technology. At its forefront are the agritech innovators bringing transformative change to the continent’s green economy. FORBES AFRICA profiles some of Africa’s biggest agripreneurs, inventors, and agribusiness leaders changing the way we think about farming, food security and climate resilience. They have cultivated a passion for smart agriculture and are leading the charge for social change not only for the sector but for the continent – and for humanity’s sustainable future.



Words and Curation: Chanel Retief and Lillian Roberts Art Director: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane Photography Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Studio: NewKatz Studio, Johannesburg CNBC Africa Videographer: Thabo Mathebula Video Editor: Chanel Retief Styling: Bontlefeela Mogoye and Wanda Baloyi Outfits supplied by: Kworks Design; Imprint South Africa; House of Suitability; LSJ Designs Hair &amp; Makeup: Makole Made



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“What are you looking at?” Dr Agnes Kalibata asked the smart young businessman standing next to her at a summit in Kenya, who seemed suddenly distracted, looking at his phone.



“‘I am checking on my cows in the Ivory Coast’, he said to me,” says Kalibata, the Rwandan agricultural scientist and policymaker, and President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).



“Then he said ‘I installed solar cameras all around my farm, which is a side hustle for me, so that I can check on my livestock whilst I work here in Kenya’.



“For me, that’s the future of farming!” exults Kalibata.



It all boils down to not just crops or copses, flower beds or bouquets.



It lies in the innovations sown into the evolving landscape of agricultural technology or agtech/agritech.



And these agripreneurs don’t mind getting their hands dirty either – beyond their smart business suits. The opportunities for them are immediate and ripe for the picking.



“What we&#8217;re seeing happening in the space, is a higher uptake of technology,” says Dr Mandla Mpofu, the Managing Director of Omnia’s Agriculture Division, to FORBES AFRICA.



Ominia Group specializes in conducting research and development, manufactures and supplies chemicals and specialized services and solutions for the agriculture, mining and chemicals application industries.



“By technology I just don&#8217;t mean the electronic side of it but also understanding the industry a bit better. So what I&#8217;m talking about here is understanding the soil, working on improving yields. And then you have satellite technology being used and we&#8217;re seeing artificial intelligence coming into this very, very exciting industry.”



Kalibata tells FORBES AFRICA that the agricultural sector has really been defined by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.



“There are specific moments in time that completely change how we think about business and how we do business,” Kalibata adds. “So specifically, this particular revolution, I would say, there&#8217;s a real revolution happening from an agtech perspective… This is why there are so many new ways of looking at how agriculture can be done, all the way from how we generate the technologies that we use.”



One of the biggest issues Khadija Mohamed-Churchill, founder of Kwanza Tukule in Kenya, encountered when she began in this industry was the food supply chain.



“It’s really difficult to solve but can be solved. Also, the investments don&#8217;t want to flow there. Investment wants to flow into things like unicorns or fintech. I mean, people have to eat. They will transfer money via mobile phones, they&#8217;ll take loans, but if they don&#8217;t have food, at some point, the priorities need to shift to focus on these fundamental things,” Mohamed-Churchill explains.



Let’s take a step back.



In 2022, the World Economic Forum estimated that there are well over 600 million smallholder farmers around the world working on less than two hectares of land. These farmers are estimated to produce 28%-31% of the total crop production and 30%-34% of food supply on 24% of gross agricultural area.



A further study done by the United Nations showed that the world population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050, and to feed that number of people, global food production will need to grow by 70%. For Africa, which is projected to be home to about 2 billion people by then, farm productivity must accelerate at a faster rate than the global average to avoid continued mass hunger.



In sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are over 400 agritech solutions and startups, according to a 2020 report by the global telecoms industry lobby GSMA. Agriculture makes up 35% of Africa’s GDP and employs about half of its people, but the continent still imports billions of dollars of agri-products every year.



“From the outside, agriculture looks pretty dirty,” the CEO and co-founder of <a>Khula!,</a> Karidas Tshintsholo, says to FORBES AFRICA. “But I&#8217;m a numbers guy… Once I started looking at the numbers and saw that we [Africa] have most of the world&#8217;s arable land, which is 60%, is here are the ones [with] remaining arable land. Almost everybody on the continent is dependent on agriculture for survival.”



“I would look at agriculture in terms of the size of the opportunity,” Peter Njonjo, theCEO and co-founder of Twiga Foods in Kenya, adds.



The opportunities may look monetary but for a number of the agritechs, especially the ones we looked at for this feature, it’s about two mutually exclusive yet different reasons – solving food security on the continent while becoming climate-resilient.



“The yields of certain crops in Africa have already dropped by several percentage points, because of warming and drought. So, it&#8217;s already happening. So, you can&#8217;t possibly talk about sustainable agriculture without talking about climate change,” says Professor Guy Midgley, Head of the School for Climate Studies in Stellenbosch University, South Africa.



In a report by Deloitte, with about 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, as Tshintsholo previously states, Africa has the capacity to meet the world’s long-term food demand.



In addition, land already under cultivation could produce much more but crop yields remain at half the global average.



With the right know-how and inputs, Africa’s average cropland productivity can more than double. Coupled with positive global food demand, Africa’s underutilization of its land resources for farming implies significant growth opportunities for agricultural producers and exporters in Africa.



For Midgley, it comes back to the fact there needs to be a better understanding of the integrated challenges. According to him, Europe and North America have access to what are called integrated assessment models (IAM). These models aim to provide policy-relevant insights into global environmental change and sustainable development issues by providing a quantitative description of key processes in the human and earth systems and their interactions, which, as Midgley assesses, are “really important and really valuable for asking questions about our policy”.



“We&#8217;ve been late or rather our politicians have been late to realize the potential benefits of a green economy,” Midgley adds. “I think we need as a region a much better understanding of the integrated nature of these challenges… Our policy might sustain food security, within the constraints of water availability, within the constraints of fertilizer requirements. We don&#8217;t have available to us to inform the policymakers of what is the best combination of scenarios going forward. There are many scenarios that would get us to a sustainable future, which would balance the interests of different countries on this continent.”



Kalibata’s view holds a different approach and one where we need to address these issues from a more holistic scientific perspective, which will help tackle food security.



“I actually think that the future of agriculture is smaller than 60%,” she says. “We don&#8217;t need 60% of land to drive agriculture. Some young people are already beginning to farm vertically, right? And we recognize that some young people are already beginning to use what it is called hydroponics, recognizing that you don&#8217;t need soil, and now let&#8217;s produce food… In Singapore, you see people making chicken using stem cell research.”



Although the innovators featured on these pages are not dabbling in stem cell research, the solution for these agripreneurs is ensuring that accessibility is at the forefront of all their work and ideas. Studies have shown that in most African countries, agriculture accounts for 70% of the labor force, over 25% of GDP and 20% of agribusiness.



Agriculture remains largely traditional and is concentrated in the hands of smallholders and pastoralists, the Economic Report on Africa 2009 stated. Often women provide much or most of the labor, but don&#8217;t reap the economic benefits.



“I think that it is often misconstrued that farmers are not willing to adopt tech,” Tshintsholo says. “But I think if you&#8217;re able to speak to them [about] their pain points, inputs, selling their products and financing, you will find that the uptake is actually quite high. And I think one of the lacking factors is solutions that actually speak to the real pain points farmers are facing.”



“I think tech could be most impactful in a continent like Africa,” Njonjo adds. “Where we have the largest inventory of cultivated farmland on earth or the continent is both important strategically for the global food system. But also, when it comes to stabilizing the economy, this is where more the impact and kind of social mission of the company comes in.”



On the following pages, FORBES AFRICA speaks to some of the leading agri-players tackling farming tech and trends and feeding the continent .

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Africa’s Green Economy= AGRIPRENEURS +AGRITECH+ INVESTMENT

Words and Curation: Chanel Retief and Lillian Roberts Art Director: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane Photography Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Studio: NewKatz Studio, Johannesburg CNBC Africa Videographer: Thabo Mathebula Video Editor: Chanel Retief Styling: Bontlefeela Mogoye and Wanda Baloyi Outfits supplied by: Kworks Design; Imprint South Africa; House of Suitability; LSJ Designs Hair &amp; Makeup: Makole Made



Four years ago, Brian Bosire told FORBES AFRICA that his hope for UjuziKilimo was that it would reach over 10,000 farmers. Speaking to us during the photoshoot for this feature at the NewKatz.Studio in Johannesburg, he tells us he has now reached over 26,000 farmers.



“Our vision is really to see a world of empowered smallholder farmers working at the cutting edge of technology in terms of how they make decisions on the farms, how they access financial support, and also the knowledge they need to improve productivity from the farms,” Bosire says. 



Bosire’s passion for smallholder farming started as a boy in a small town in southwestern Kenya known as Kisii.



“I come from a farming village in Kenya, and my parents–their first career was farming,” Bosire says. “They were smallholder farmers, so as I grew up, it formed the core of what I understood about food production and the economy; a sole source of livelihood in our family.”



The ESRC STEPS (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) Centre concurs with Bosire’s assessment that smallholder farmers are key to the country’s food security and economy. “Small farms account for 75% of the total agricultural output,” ESRC STEPS Centre writes in a 2023 report.



Bosire, as a qualified engineer, wanted to find solutions for these farmers that would not only be beneficial to them from an economical perspective but from a social one too.



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And with that, his business was born. UjuziKilimo–which is Swahili for ‘knowledge farming’– processes millions of data points each day to create a complete soil and agronomic data pool that is both field specific and highly accurate.



Soil Pal, a handheld sensor, acts as a soil parameter to quickly and easily measure the content of the farmer’s soil, and produce the right amount of data for the farmer to receive actionable information within five minutes on the best crops that will do well on the land and the fertilizers they would need.



Part of the UjuziKilimo experience is also FarmSuite, which is a complete farm management, predictive farm analytics, intelligent insights and recommendations software to power decision-making for farmer groups, co-operatives and service providers.



“Our technology is actually ensuring that farmers are moving away from guesswork. Because traditionally, farmers have been led by intuition to make decisions on which crops will do well.”



Part of this empowerment is looking at how much opportunity lies within the African landscape when it comes to agriculture and technology.



“We also understand that unlike developed countries, Africa is the place of opportunity when it comes to the uptake of technologies that we&#8217;re seeing and developing at the moment,” Bosire adds. “The fact remains: smallholder farmers form the majority of the people producing food at the moment, but unfortunately, you still realize that a majority of those farmers are living below $2 or $3 per day.”



According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s report, The Economic Lives of Smallholder Farmers, three billion rural people live in about 475 million small farm households, working on land plots smaller than two hectares. Smallholder farms in Kenya are only marginally large as they are 0.47 hectares and in Ethiopia the average small farm size is 0.9 hectares.



“Many are poor and food-insecure and have limited access to markets and services. Their choices are constrained, but they farm their land and produce food for a substantial proportion of the world’s population. Besides farming, they have multiple economic activities, often in the informal economy, to contribute towards their small incomes,” the report read.



For UjuziKilimo, it’s about seeing smallholder farmers get a return on their products as they contribute to the future of food. The data that is being collected from the soil as well as the interaction with farmers is what Bosire actually uses to ensure these farmers have access to aspects like insurance and financing, “because of the richness of the data that we have can be developed over time”.



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MEET COVER STAR Brian Bosire: “Africa Is The Place of Opportunity…”

Swimming sensation Chad le Clos, also a former FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 list-maker, is getting back to his best just a year out from the Olympic Games in Paris and feels he still has a lot to give.



South Africa’s prince of the pool Chad le Clos has, by his own admission, had a torrid few years in which his form dipped and personal issues began to take their toll.



He has not gone into great detail about his problems away from the pool, except to say both his parents facing respective battles with cancer, the Covid-19 pandemic and an unhealthy coaching environment all had a devastating effect on his mental health.



But there are signs that he is getting back to his best just a year out from the Olympic Games in Paris and he is now looking forward to a new beginning, rather than stewing on what has gone on in the past.



His gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the World Short Course Championships in Melbourne late last year came in a personal best time of 1:48.27.



He burst into tears following the win, which followed a poor showing at the Tokyo Olympic Games where he admitted his severe depression left him feeling “numb”.



“I&#8217;m very happy with everything that&#8217;s happened in the last six to eight months,” Le Clos tells FORBES AFRICA. “Since I&#8217;ve made a change to my new coach (Dirk Lange), and have based myself in Frankfurt, things have started to fall into place again, and I&#8217;ve got my head right.



“And, obviously, winning the 100m and 200m butterfly at the World Short Course Championships in Melbourne last year was a huge boost to my career, it was one of the most important moments of my life, not just my career.”



He says there were lessons learned from Tokyo and resulted in a change in his career path.



“I was in probably the best shape of my life but then not being able to swim for six months (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) and falling behind all my competitors was obviously tough,” he says.



“But there were lessons there, I think I just had to maybe not put so much pressure on individual things that have happened in my life. If I’d taken a step back, and not rushed my decision-making, it might have been a better avenue to go down.



“I made the best decisions I thought possible for myself, even though they probably weren&#8217;t right at the time. But, you know, things happen, and we learn from those mistakes.”



At the age of 31, Le Clos is in some ways the ‘old man of the pool’, with many of his competitors in their late teens or early 20s. But he feels he still has a lot to give.



“I&#8217;ve had a really hard three years and I don&#8217;t count the last four years of my career. I wish I knew what I know today, seven, eight years ago in terms of my training environments, I believe that my career would have would have been different for sure. But I&#8217;m looking forward,” he said.



Adding to his four Olympic medals (one gold and three silver) is a major goal in Paris next year and he believes it is certainly possible. He also hopes it will not be his last Olympics.



“In terms of my last chance to win a gold medal at the Olympics, I think it&#8217;s definitely more realistic for me to win next year than it wouldn&#8217;t be in Los Angeles (in 2028),” he said.



“I still feel very strong and did my best time (in Melbourne) at 31 years of age. Not many swimmers have done that.



“I think short course, for sure, I&#8217;ll still be very dominant for many, many years to come. And I’m not writing off the LA Olympic Games either.”



As for life after the pool when he finally hangs up his goggles?



“I haven&#8217;t exactly thought too much about the future. But I think I have a lot of really great people around me, a great team that will help me make those decisions,” he says. “We&#8217;ve raised a bit of money now and are helping a lot of local swimmers in the underprivileged communities, which is something I&#8217;ve been very passionate about.



“My dream would be to have an academy in Cape Town, but unfortunately, they don&#8217;t have the facilities. So if anyone is reading this…l know I can make it make it work!



“I’m very passionate about being in South Africa. So after the next Olympics, I think I will want to spend a bit more time back home.”

Melbourne 2022 FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships – Day 6

South Africa’s Prince Of The Pool On New Beginnings

The just-concluded Basketball Africa League saw influential figures from the NBA and global basketball community coming together in Rwanda to celebrate the growth of the sport on the African continent.



Egypt&#8217;s Al Ahly team won the 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Finals, beating Senegal&#8217;s AS Douanes in a commanding 80-65 victory. The high-energy playoff series was held in Rwanda’s capital Kigali from May 20 to 27 and captivated basketball fans worldwide.



Al Ahly&#8217;s triumph joins the ranks of Egyptian rivals Zamalek (2021) and Tunisia&#8217;s US Monastir (2022) in the coveted trophy club, further solidifying their hegemony in African basketball. The BAL, now in its third edition, has showcased the immense potential and growth of basketball in Africa, reaching fans in 214 countries and territories, broadcasted in 17 languages. This year&#8217;s finals marked another milestone for the league, attracting esteemed personalities from the basketball and entertainment worlds from all over the globe.



The presence of renowned personalities added a touch of glamor and buzz to the BAL Finals. Among them was President Paul Kagame and his wife, Jeannette Kagame, Forest Whitaker, the internationally acclaimed movie star and National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa investor, and FIBA President Hamane Niang. Joining them were BAL Ambassadors and NBA Africa investors Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Ian Mahinmi to mention just a few, who were all raising the flag high for African basketball.



Another distinguished guest in attendance was Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the President of G League Operations for the New York Knicks, who proudly represents his Ghanaian heritage. Mensah-Bonsu&#8217;s presence further emphasized the international recognition and support that the BAL has garnered, with influential figures from the NBA and global basketball community coming together to celebrate the growth of the sport on the African continent.



Victor Williams, NBA Africa CEO, who was also in attendance, expressed his enthusiasm for the BAL&#8217;s impact, stating: &#8220;With the BAL, we&#8217;ve been able to go from playing in a bubble to playing in front of fans, in multiple cities. We have built audiences from all over the world, coming to watch the game, and we&#8217;ve had the privilege to be part of various caravan stops like Kigali this week.&#8221;



The league&#8217;s ability to engage global audiences and create excitement has been a driving force behind its success, highlighting the tremendous potential for basketball&#8217;s growth in Africa.



The BAL&#8217;s impact extends beyond the basketball court, generating economic growth and attracting investment in host cities. Amadou Gallo Fall, President of BAL, commended Kigali for its support and commitment to showcasing Africa in a positive light.



&#8220;Kigali is a beautiful African city where we&#8217;ve established relationships over the years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We appreciate its focus on opening up to the rest of the world. I&#8217;m impressed by the development of the incredible infrastructure in our sports sector, which is world-class.&#8221; Gallo Fall further highlighted the significance of Kigali as the ideal location to launch the BAL, stating: &#8220;When we launched the BAL and



had to play in the middle of the pandemic in 2021, this is the only place where we found the conditions favorable to play a full inaugural season.&#8221;



The BAL&#8217;s success is not only measured by the thrilling competition on the court but also by its ability to unite fans and inspire a new generation of basketball players across Africa. As the league continues to grow and showcase the continent&#8217;s extraordinary talent, it opens doors for collaborations, investments, and cultural exchanges, fostering a positive narrative of African excellence in sports. The league is bringing the continent closer together as a united force to be reckoned with, and its impact will continue to be felt for years to come.



As the final buzzer sounded, and Al Ahly celebrated their hard-fought victory, the significance of the BAL&#8217;s impact became clear. The league has not only become a platform for African basketball talents to shine but has also become a catalyst for economic development, tourism, and international collaborations.



Looking ahead, the future of the BAL shines bright. With each passing season, the league continues to expand its reach, captivate global audiences, and inspire the next generation of African basketball stars. The success of the BAL has opened doors for partnerships, investments, and collaborations, providing a platform for African athletes to showcase their skills and aspirations on an international stage.



The triumph of Al Ahly in the 2023 BAL Finals, and the support from fans coming from all over the world, underscores the transformative power of basketball in Africa. From Cairo to Kigali, the BAL has become a symbol of African excellence, unity, and progress. With its continued growth and support from key stakeholders, the league will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of African basketball and elevating the continent&#8217;s sporting prowess on the global stage.

Author: Forbes Africa

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA