Two days ago, Apps4Africa announced the winners of its 2012 competition for innovative technological solutions to current African problems. Does this mean Tech Entrepreneurs are the Future of Africa?

300 submissions were narrowed down to the best three: Ffene, a business management app from Uganda; SliceBiz, a crowdsourcing program from Ghana which encourages investing small amounts into high growth start-up businesses; and Prowork, a project management tool for businesses.

As the globalization of technology becomes even more widespread, African entrepreneurs are using technology and online services to solve basic and complex problems within their community. In countries that face stark problems meeting basic needs, this type of entrepreneurship is critical in becoming self-sustaining.

However, one of the largest obstacles within many communities is that the culture of entrepreneurship is just beginning. The big problem many young entrepreneurs are facing is that investors find this upstart mentality too risky or time-consuming to devote a lot of time or money into it.

While the ideas for new technological solutions and start-up businesses are sprouting up in more and more African communities and tech entrepreneurs are becoming more and more valuable to national economies, one of the most highly needed commodities is mentoring.

– Pete Grapentien

Source: CNN