Africa's Ripe Digital Revolution: Why Is It Important?

Technology in recent times has become inalienably linked with almost every process of life. Whether is it keeping in touch with people or doing everyday chores, technology has revamped all these processes. It has changed the way life is lived, in fact, it has changed life itself. It is technology that has increased life expectancy, and has made life easier. Marketing is no different. It has modified with the growth in technology.

Marketing today is almost entirely dependent on technology. Marketing of products is done with the help of technology. Like billboards on roads, there are ‘billboards’ of products on websites and social networking sites. Customer databases and potential customer databases are maintained through technology. These digital businesses won't just help get more money to the economy, but will also help to generate more employment. And with the right innovations, it won't be long before African nations is on the global map once again.

Technology has made it easy to reach a wider audience and to serve both a mass and a niche audience effectively and effortlessly. A very huge change that is a product of the increasing reach of technology is that a company can now be operated from anywhere, by anyone.

All you need is a great idea for a product or service and you can start your own company. This is because you no longer have to worry about settling into the right market and getting optimum reach around you. The digital world, if used correctly, can make you and your company omnipresent, even if you are operating from a garage or a college dorm.

The African Industry

Africa is realizing that it's only through technology that they have to develop themselves, and the one way to go about it is to make their mark in the digital revolution. That's why most African nations like Kenya and Nigeria are focusing on human capital, and ensuring that they can help grow their economy by building strong businesses.

There is, for instance, more focus on big data. The potential of big data has different positives.

With so much data flowing in, there will be a desperate need for qualified and competent analysts. According to research by MGI and McKinsey’s Business Technology Office, the United States of America, by 2018, will face a dire shortage of 140000 – 190000 employees who have analytical skills and 1.5 million managers and analysts who know how to make sense of and get the most out of big data. After all big data is useful only if it can be utilised.

In itself, it is just a rough resource. Thus big data is no use if there is no one to analyse it or make sense of it. If not utilised properly it is just a wasted resource. Without trained people and skilled analysts, big data is definitely not the next big thing – it is in fact a useless resource. But once property analysis is in place, the power of big data is indeed beyond anything that has been seen till now.