September 14, 2005
Africa is in the grip of a mobile phone revolution.
The Guardian counts the ways mobile phones are changing the face of Africa.
"In the past 10 years, subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa have risen from 72,000 - excluding South Africa - to a forecast 25.5 million this year.
...In a culture where people travel long distances to find work, the mobile has become the most useful and ubiquitous piece of technology since the bicycle. Just as bicycles are used in rural Africa to transport bananas or paying passengers, the mobile is changing lives in ways unimagined in the developed world. It links distant families and allows the poor to communicate.
... Those who lack the credit to call often resort to "flashing" - calling another number for a few seconds and then waiting to be called back. The practice is considered rude, but it is very popular. Phone booth operators in Funyula make money that way, charging customers 2p a time to "flash" someone.
...Fishermen on Lake Victoria are trying to use their phones to get a better price for their catch. But their bargaining power is limited through lack of cold storage. Even if the men know there are fewer fish that day, the firms who buy their fish can leave the catch to rot if the price is too high.
... The new technology has had a bigger impact on shopkeepers and tradesmen, who use it to keep in touch with suppliers and customers.
... Mobiles could change the face of banking in Africa. Without steady incomes the poor cannot open bank accounts or get credit cards, but new mobile services offer a way of moving money that bypasses banks.
... Mobiles are proving to be a force for democracy too. In the run-up to the Ethiopian elections in May, text messaging was used to advertise political parties for the first time".
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