Who’s Blogging About African Tech?

These ten blogs focus on pretty much nothing else but African tech. Subscribe to all of these great blogs at once by downloading the OPML. To use the file, just upload it to your favorite feedreader (Bloglines, NetNewsWire, GoogleReader etc.)

MyHeartsInAccra

Ethan Zuckerman is a well known American social entrepreneur and advocate of tech in Africa. He started the successful GeekCORP and the even more successful GlobalVoices and RisingVoices blog networks. He doesn’t post often but when it does he’s almost certain to write something that will have you thinking on it for weeks!

Sample Post – Woices and Weird Windows on the World

WhiteAfrican

Erik Hersman, a native Kenyan, writes about technology and innovations at his blog WhiteAfrican. He’s also a frequent speaker and general advocate for African tech in everything he does.

Sample Post – There’s a Problem with Seed Capital in Africa

Afrigadget

Afrigadget focuses on the ‘low-tech’ innovations of people like farmers in Africa. It’s very much about tactical, hand-built technology although sometimes it does veer into more high tech creations.

Sample Content – 18 year old self-taught electronics “genius” invents mobile phone-based vehicle anti-theft system.

Project Diaspora

I love the writing style of this one which offers a tongue-in-cheek look at various current events while still being accurate and insightful. I love their use of colloquial language and slang right along heavy tech babble.

Sample Content – Google’s O3B Networks versus EASSy. Fight!

Tech Masai

When TM has an opinion he doesn’t hold back! It’s that kind of candidness that make his reviews of African startups entertaining.

Sample Content – Profile: Bundublog

IT News Africa

This site is modeled after media outlets like Reuters. It has no desire to be personal, the editors just present facts and cite sources in AP style. Still, somehow they manage to write about most things related to African tech at record speed.

Sample Content – Zain Wants a Bigger Slice of Africa

Startup Africa

This multi-author site features interesting reviews of pan-African startups.

Sample Content – Log your trips & keep track of distances traveled via SMS

Startups Nigeria

Similar to some of the other sites on this list, and like the title suggests, SN covers web and mobile startups in Africa with an intentional focus on Nigeria.

Sample Content – Interview with Seun Osewa, founder of Nairaland

Bandwidth Blog

Social Media, Startups, Mobile Apps and Programming from a South African perspective.

Sample Content – MIH Acquires Afrigator

MobileActive.org

Although it sprang out of the MobileActive conference earlier this year, MA has since become a source of information for all things related to mobile application development in Africa.

Sample Content – Mobiles and News Gathering at Al Jazeera

^{Photo Graphic by Erik Hersman}