Google Developers Blog: africa

Launchpad Build Event Series - Sub-Saharan Africa

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Posted by Mercy Orangi, Developer Ecosystem Community Manager Back in May at Google I/O, we announced the expansion Firebase, a mobile platform that enables you to quickly develop high-quality applications, grow your user base and earn more money. To help developers better understand the range of features in Firebase, our Developer Relations team in Sub-Saharan Africa will be hosting the Launchpad Build Event Series in Sub-Saharan Africa The first leg will be held in Lagos (22nd Sep), followed by Nairobi (26th Sep) and finally Cape Town (29th Sep). Launchpad Build is an event series aimed at raising awareness, amongst intermediate and expert developers with an existing Web or Android application, around important tools available today. At this event, engage in talks and hands-on codelabs focused on Firebase Analytics, Firebase Cloud Messaging, Firebase Crash Reporting, Firebase Test Lab, Pirate Metrics, Serverless with Firebase, Tensor Flow and much more. Through the Launchpad Build event, developers will get skills and resources necessary to start using Firebase in their applications. This is a technical event, with multiple sessions on Firebase, facilitated by Googlers and Google Developer Experts from around the world. For further information, visit the Launchpad Build Event Series Sub-Saharan Africa Website. Register now: bit.ly/lpbuildssa2016 Applicants will be contacted with necessary details.

More innovation from African developers

Friday, June 28, 2013

By Chukwuemeka Afigbo, Outreach Program Manager, Sub-Saharan AfricaCross-posted from the Google Africa BlogDevelopers play a crucial role in making the Internet relevant for Africans. This is why fostering a vibrant African developer ecosystem is very important to Google. Developers and tech entrepreneurs from across the continent joined thousands of their peers from all over the world to explore the latest tech innovations at Google I/O 2013 in San Francisco. Several of them were members of the Google Developer Groups in countries such as Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Togo and Uganda.

Hassan Nsubuga, Lead for GDG Mbale,Uganda with Google SVP Vic Gundotra at Google I/OLuckily, participation was not limited to those who could make it to San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Developers back home were also able to get in on the action with more than 67 I/O Extended parties hosted by Google Developer Groups and Google Student Ambassadors across the continent where talks were streamed live to an excited audience.

Away from the excitement of I/O ‘13, it has been a busy year for many African developers and tech startups. We added six new apps to our African case studies page:

Maji Dashboards and Virtual Kenya from Upande: websites that utilize the power of Google’s Geo tools to make information about Kenya readily accessible for better decision making, development planning, and education.
ReadyCash from Parkway Projects: a home grown mobile money service from Nigeria with an app that leverages the power of the Android platform to integrate a unique QR code based payment system.
Matatu is an Android version of a local card game from Uganda.
ASiM, developed by Olivine Technology, is a real time inventory management solution with an Android client and App Engine backend.
Asa: an Android tablet app by Nigeria’s Genii Games that brings the magic of African folktales to children of all ages.

Asa (African Folktales)Flashback!

Remember AfriNolly – winner of 2011 Android developer competition? The app by Fans Connect Online now has over 2 million downloads across several platforms, with a new Android version support for 11 languages launched in May 2013. The Fans Connect Online team also ran a contest for African short films and created a radio show focused on the African film industry.

Keep an eye on our case studies page to follow the exploits of these and many more developers in Africa, as they continue to innovate with Google APIs and platforms.

Do you feel your app should be featured here? Let us know!+Chukwuemeka Afigbo is a Program Manager in the Sub-Saharan Africa Outreach Team. He is passionate about making the internet more relevant to Africans. He is also an avid football (soccer) fan.Posted by +Scott Knaster, Editor

African developers finding success with Google technologies

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

By Chukwuemeka Afigbo, Program Manager, Sub-Saharan AfricaCross-posted from the Google Africa Blog
Creating applications and services that use Google platforms to make the internet more relevant to Africans is a big part of Google’s vision in Africa. This is why we are always excited whenever we come across individuals or companies whose efforts are in line with this vision. Here are a few of the interesting applications we have seen in recent months.

Battabox, co founded by Christian Purefoy and Yemisi Ilo, is an online social television platform developed in Nigeria that aims to provide everything Nigerian from music, film, street-life to news, comedy and cooking using the YouTube platform. Crowdsourcing videos is an important part of the Battabox strategy and they were able to achieve this using YouTube Direct running on Google App Engine integrated into their website. They also provided an Android App that enables users to upload videos directly from their Android phones.
Battabox website screenshot

There are many other examples from further afield. In South Africa we met Nomanini who have a Google App Engine backend for Lula, their airtime vending device, which promises to change the way airtime is distributed in the region. Envaya SMS is an amazing application that turns your Android phone into an SMS gateway and has been used by many NGOs in East Africa. SAF SMS is a school management solution built with Google Web Toolkit that has been adopted in more than 100 schools in Nigeria. We also met Serengeti Advisers, a consultancy firm in Tanzania that uses Google Chart Tools to create interactive reports on their website.

Nomanini’s Lula terminal communicates with a backend powered by Google App Engine

As part of our drive to meet and interact with app developers in Africa, our Android Developer Relations team also recently hosted the developers of AfriNolly and the Nigerian Constitution Android app on their weekly Android DevRel office hours hangout on Google+ for Europe, Middle East and Africa. At the hangout, these African developers shared information about their apps with other Android developers.

You can follow the exploits of these and more developers in Sub Saharan Africa as they continue to make things happen with Google APIs and platforms by keeping an eye on our case studies page.

Do you feel your app should be featured here? Let us know!
Chukwuemeka Afigbo is a Program Manager in the Sub-Saharan Africa Outreach Team. He is an avid football (soccer) fan.Posted by Scott Knaster, Editor

Join us for g|Senegal and g|Cote d’Ivoire

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

By Tidjane Deme, Lead Francophone, Google Africa and Melina Mattos, Program Manager, Google Africaonline with Google+EastWest Africafeaturedg|SenegalPlace du SouvenirDakar Google Technology User Groupg|Cote d'Ivoire#gsenegal#gcotedivoirePosted by Scott Knaster, Editor

Falling in love with the Google+ API

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

By Melina Mattos, Program Manager for Google Africa and Bob Aman, Program Manager for Developer RelationsCross-posted from the Google Africa BlogHackathons in South Africa and KenyaGoogle Technology User GroupsAccraKampalaLagosKampalaLagosAccrathese resourcesGoogle+ Platform Office HoursGoogle I/O#hackgplusPosted by Scott Knaster, Editor

Join us for the first ever G|Tanzania and G|Ethiopia

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

By Melina Mattos, Program Manager, Google AfricaCross-posted from the Google Africa BlogG-TanzaniaG-EthiopiaG-TanzaniaG-EthiopiaMelina Mattos is a Program Manager for the Sub-Saharan Africa Outreach team. When she's not busy working with developer and business communities in Africa, she's either exploring the great outdoors, sitting on a plane, or playing with her camera.Posted by Scott Knaster, Editor

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Blog

Launchpad Build Event Series - Sub-Saharan Africa

More innovation from African developers

African developers finding success with Google technologies

Join us for g|Senegal and g|Cote d’Ivoire

Falling in love with the Google+ API

Join us for the first ever G|Tanzania and G|Ethiopia

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