With technology influencing everything from healthcare, education, security and lifestyle to agriculture and food security, amazing revolutionary innovations are constantly being developed in every sphere, including mobile devices, wearable technology, entertainment gizmos and so much more. Africa is in the throes of a technological revolution, leapfrogging computers in favour of internet connections through mobile phones. But how are phones and the internet changing the lives of ordinary Africans? And what barriers do people still come up against when trying to connect?

We are at the dawn of a technological revolution that will change almost every part of our lives – jobs, relationships, economies, industries and entire regions. It promises to be, as Professor Klaus Schwab has written, “a transformation unlike anything humankind has experienced before”.

In no place is that more true than Africa, a continent that is yet to see all the benefits of previous industrial revolutions. Today, only 40% of Africans have a reliable energy supply, and just 20% of people on the continent have internet access. While exponential technologies might be the driving force behind the digital revolution, it is Africa’s most important resource – its people – who can determine the direction it will take.

We are certain that Africa can one day be a continent with clean water, nutritious food, affordable housing, personalized education, top-tier medical care and non-polluting, ubiquitous energy. According to Peter Diamandis, “Humanity is now entering a period of radical transformation in which technology has the potential to significantly raise the basic standards of living for every man, woman and child on the planet. Within a generation, we will be able to provide goods and services, once reserved for the wealthy few, to any and all who need them. Or desire them.”

The time has come to position Africa for Abundance and it can only be achieved through exponential change. With the proper combination of technology, people and capital, we can meet any grand challenge Africa faces.

The Future Is Better Than You Think – Peter Diamandis