It’s different, but the same!

I was walking along Oxford Street, in Accra Ghana (If you don’t know it, it is the main place in the city to grab a drink or food) a lady turns to me, points at her pineapples and says “Swweeeeeeeet one” in a particular creepy way. This lady has been selling pineapples on Oxford street for as long as I can remember! But, as I pass by her, politely refusing to buy her apparently sweet pineapples, I look up and see huge buildings towering above the once much more simple street. It is no longer just Frankies, the American style diner, which looks over the road, but a mall, casino, and large offices. It is different, sure, but the spirit still remains. It feels the same to stroll down the road in the baking heat, dodging the sellers and gutters and searching for a bite to eat or a beer (coke), as it has for the last 2 decades.

I roamed a lot in the last couple of trips to Ghana. I spent time in the markets, at the transport stations, walking round rural towns and villages, in the coastal regions, in bars, clubs and even listening to live music. I wanted to reconnect with the feeling, talk to people, learn their stories. The senses are a wonderful part of us, allowing us to pick up on nostalgic snap shots from our past. I heard the sound of the dice rattling on the ludo board, the fan ice seller honking his horn, and the shoe maker banging his box rhythmically. The colours also still shine bright in Ghana, to the bright coloured branding of the mobile networks, to vibrant red, greens, yellows and oranges of the chilli pepper sellers in the markets. The smells are a reminder that there is still a lot to be done regarding the sewage and drainage issues in the cities.

Despite the feeling of being in Ghana remaining the same and the spirit being as vibrant as ever, there is definitely change occurring. It is not just the boom in real estate that I heard a Scottish guy at the airport boasting about how he was making a killing from, that is changing. There seems to be a greater awareness from all sectors of society as to the needs of the nation, as well as the potential solutions. Whether this awareness comes from increased use of social media, the very vocal media, or something else, it is not clear, but the push towards change is culpable. 

It is not just Ghana that is emanating this exciting feeling. Much of the continent has embraced its innovative potential, encouraging its young entrepreneurs to create home grown solutions in markets with huge potential. Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, and many others are creating ecosystems and hubs to give the youth the best chances possible to create innovative solutions, banking on them on being the big employers of Africa’s future. There is a lot of work to be done though! The hubs are not sustainable, and even though their heart is in the right place, often struggle to offer the young entrepreneurs everything they need to succeed. 

There is also the funding issue to combat. Often there simply are not the home grown funds to tap into, with a huge amount of money being offered from outside the continent. This seed capital comes with ties, and is more than likely to leave very little of the value of a home grown startup where is was created! (An old school model that has extracted value from the continent for centuries!) This coupled with sometimes unjustified trust in services, products and investments from outside of the continent, it often puts the young brilliant entrepreneurs in a vulnerable position. 

The change and the old spirit can only be seen as a positive present for Africa’s future. With ethical investments, and development of skills and ideologies, there is nothing to stop Africa’s natural innovative spirit taking the continent to the forefront of the change the world needs. 

For me, this is also a change, without difference. This portal, like the last one I used to collate and edit, will bring together as many innovations from across the African continent as possible. It won’t just be me writing! Innovators will be invited to write about their ideas and start ups, as well as video interviews of some of the most exciting young talents. 

If you want to feature on Africa Innovates, then email, Twitter and Insta coming soon!