Africa’s entrepreneurs say their ideas aren’t a ‘dime a dozen’
like in Silicon Valley (video)  At a recent tech conference, one
Silicon Valley investor told me his strategy is to go where most
traditional venture capitalists don’t. He plans to spend the
majority of the year in Africa.  Why Africa? The continent’s one
billion people are increasingly connected — at least 600
million have mobile phones. It is estimated that by 2040,
Africa’s working age population will be the largest in the
world.  Opportunities are rife, particularly in urban areas, but
major hurdles exist for indigenous entrepreneurs. The lack of
bandwidth is still an issue, and there is a shortage of both
angel investment and venture capital.  DEMO Africa attendees
Entrepreneurs speak out at DEMO Africa.  At the inaugural DEMO
Africa, entrepreneurs spoke about their startup ideas in the
e-commerce and mobile space, which aren’t “a dime a dozen” like
in Silicon Valley. As one on-stage speaker put it, “innovation
is born from necessity.”  The