Written by „Digital Africa“ is a multi platform project about digital innovations in Africa, produced by Berlin based film production company Berlin Producers in cooperation with French-German TV ARTE, GIG, re:publica, Shrinkfish and others.
The project consists of four elements:
Documentary Film
A DOCUMENTARY FILM (52‘) will be broadcasted on German – French TV ARTE in 2018. Starting from Berlin GIG founder and re:publica curator Geraldine de Bastion goes on a journey through Africa. Geraldine discovers digital inventions and innovations, interviews creators and pioneers, and experiences the application fields of new developments.
Webpage
A WEBPAGE hosted by GIG provides additional information to digital innovations in Africa: An interactive map, information to various projects.
Blog
Geraldine´s travel blog is published here as well as articles of other bloggers on this subject.
Geraldine is open for ideas before and even during the journey. Please leave your comments, ideas and invitations below!
Web-Clip-Series
A provocative WEB-CLIP-SERIES presents six European problems and six African inventions. Animation artists Ebele Okoye and Shrinkfish (Nigeria) will “bring” these inventions to Europe. It will be launched in May 2018 on ARTE online and spread in different networks.
We will invite Thérèse Izay Kirongozi, the inventor robots regulating traffic in Kinshasa, to come to Berlin and build a ROBOCOP out of German electronic garbage in May 2018.
Projects being presented in “Digital Africa”
There is not yet a final list. We are still open to suggestions and ideas – even while filming in November and December 2017. We would like to travel to Kenya, Ruanda and a West African country.
We would for example like to visit:
SÉNAMÉ KOFFI AGBODJINOU, Lomé
FoundeR WoeLab
Born in 1980 in Togo, Sename is an architect, researcher in anthropology, ICT social entrepreneur and poet. After a long experience in humanitarian construction, he created the platform ‘L’Africaine d’architecture’ which aims to explore the possibilities of an alternative architecture based on the line “modernity rooted” enhancing vernacular aesthetics and resources. In 2012 he identified a correspondence between the hacker ethic and values of traditional African societies and developing the concept LowHighTech to mark this proximity and make possible an original approach of technology that would make it accessible to the lowest strata. The smart city project “Hubcité Africaine”; WoeLab (first African Space of Technology Democracy) and W.Afate (first “Made In Africa & with e-waste” 3D printer) are today the best ambassadors of this vision of society.
MUGETHI GITAU, NAIROBI
FoundeR Mugzie’s Naturals
Mugethi is a creative techie. She has been working to build and engage the technology community in Africa. She is passionate about helping innovators become entrepreneurs and build sustainable businesses that scale.
She shares her thoughts and opinions on tech and gadgets on hergeekyness.com. She also writes fiction and poetry on missmugethi.com. A designer, she likes to create beautiful graphics to help businesses tell their stories.
She is also passionate about African hair and has began a social business to enable women proudly wear their natural hair by making products, providing hair care information and forum on which to discuss issues surrounding natural hair.
MICHAEL GATHOGO, Nairobi
Project Coordinator Makernet
Michael Gathogo is a product designer and currently the Project Coordinator of the MakerNet pilot in Kenya where he designs and makes medical devices. He is also an entrepreneur who has designed a range of products from the CladLight wearable tech to reduce motorcycle accidents in Kenya, a prototype of medical delivery drone and circular economy solutions. Michael specializes in digital fabrication, 3D printing, CAD modelling, CNC milling and tooling, and is a member of Gearbox makerspace in Kenya. He is keen on mentoring startups and using technology to create sustainable solutions for Africa.
