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Podcasts Take Two
Silicon Valley looks to cash in on Africa's mobile growth
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May 12, 2014
Listen • 5:26
Silicon Valley looks to cash in on Africa's mobile growth
There's been a mobile explosion in Africa over the last few years, leading to the fastest mobile growth in the entire world. As more and more Africans get connected, Silicon Valley is taking notice.
Tidjane Deme, 40, is the founder of Google's office in Dakar. While Google Maps doesn't work in the city, Deme says all of Africa will soon be connected.
Tidjane Deme, 40, is the founder of Google's office in Dakar. While Google Maps doesn't work in the city, Deme says all of Africa will soon be connected.
(
Aarti Shahani/KQED
)

There's been a mobile explosion in Africa over the last few years, leading to the fastest mobile growth in the entire world. As more and more Africans get connected, Silicon Valley is taking notice.

We Americans love our smartphones. In fact, our devotion sometimes borders on addiction. Turns out, Africans share our obsession.

There's been a mobile explosion in Africa over the last few years, leading to the fastest mobile growth in the entire world. As more and more Africans get connected, Silicon Valley is taking notice. The high-tech titans are edging in, trying to figure out how to get in on the game over there. Senegal, a country that well represents Africa’s growing middle class, is a key test site for high tech.

KQED's Aarti Shahani visited Dakar, Senegal and sends us this report.