Creative and innovative ideas in Technology have traditionally come out of developed cities in western world but the world has changed. The Information Age has created a revolution that has gone far beyond the concrete jungles that symbolic of the developed world. New ideas now emerge from unique and unexpected locations.
Mombasa is a holiday destination with white sandy beaches, resort and a rich heritage of African music and culture.
Against this is background is SwahiliBox, the Technology Open space in Mombasa. It is a project by M – Power, a community based organisation.
The aim of SwahiliBox is to connect Mombasa to the world by creating an environment similar to the iHub in Nairobi. This technology space will be right next to the Swahili Cultural Center, will be right next to Fort Jesus and will be facing the sea shore.
Ahmed Maawy, the Executive Director of SwahiliBox describes himself as a social entrepreneur. His vision is to create a Technology hub that will bring together investors, donors, entrepreneurs, experts, artists, and provide them with opportunity to network and share their knowledge.
These are several initiatives under the umbrella of SwahiliBox.
- StartupGrind – a global startup community powered by Google for Entrepreneurs
- SwahiliBox Art – a project in conjunction with Fikirah Teule that brings together artists and bloggers and empowering them through various initiatives to exploit digital technologies
- Talent workshops, events and initiatives that bring together members of the technology community to discover and exploit their talent to do business or to tap into regional and global opportunities.
If Africa is the next frontier of cutting edge Technology, then Mombasa is the place to watch.
