Appfrica.org facilitates, mentors and incubates entrepreneurs in software in East Africa and Uganda. The goal is to offer a physical space with a solid internet connection, servers, software and computers that will allow students and recent graduates a place to develop their ideas in a constructive environment with industry professionals outside of school. Student projects are refined and prepped to help them secure funding from venture capitalists, investors and financiers from the private sector. This project is better known as Appfrica Labs

The programming focus is on advanced XHTML, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Django/Python, Adobe Air, Java, C++, Common LISP and other popular languages and frameworks that dominate development in mobile and web programming. Student participants are encouraged to develop their own software business strategies but are also given the opportunity to earn by participating in various development projects. This allows the them to focus on their education by allowing them to use their skills professionally even while not at school.

appfrica.pbwiki.com is the home for more information on Appfrica including various hands-on workshops, peer networking events and fun activities organized around coding and software development.

The blog at Appfrica.net is a web portal for the latest news related to web development, social media, innovation, education and African entrepreneurship in other areas of technology.

code.appfrica.net is a code repository for developers who wish to support the adoption of open source technology by African developers for the sake of education, analysis and practical use in applications.

afridex.net is an index of African technology companies and start-ups.

Based out of Kampala, Uganda, Appfrica offers very diverse opportunities and services for student participants. These services include organizing Networking Events and Workshops, Consulting, Peer-to-Peer Learning, Web Development, Programming, Outsourcing, Incubation, and Mentoring.

STAFF

Jonathan Gosier (Founder) is an American software developer, writer and social entrepreneur. He currently serves as the Chief Technical Officer at Question Box where he’s working to develop the software platform that will allow people in developing countries without computers to get answers from operators using the internet for them via mobile phones and sms. He currently lives in Kampala, Uganda where he is working on two fronts: to encourage western businesses and investors to engage African entrepreneurs and in developing parts of Africa to encourage the adoption of computers, programming and use of the internet. Jon Gosier is also the founder/owner of the startups http://afridex.net (index of African businesses), http://gosdot.com (web development firm), and http://appfrica.org (conferences, social development). He is a huge advocate for promoting the ways in which a semantic web will benefit emerging economies in the world.

Jon Gosier’s work with Appfrica has been profiled on a number of websites including Change.org, Blog Herald, WhiteAfrican.com.

email - j.gosier [at] appfrica [dot] org
skype - j.gosier
social - twitter, friendfeed, claimid