Civic Tech in Africa

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in various fields such as agriculture, technology, and digital health, and it has now made a grand entrance into government systems. Considering the current state of democracy in Africa, African governments cannot afford to lag behind in adopting this innovation. The introduction of AI in government systems stems from the growing demand for participatory and deliberative forms of democracy, including budget tracking, social audits, and transparent online voting systems. In today's episode, we spoke about something that's not necessarily new but has been grabbing the headlines for a great part of this year. We will be looking at how Artificial intelligence can be used as a tool for good governance on the African continent. This season we spoke briefly about initiatives that have used technology to keep governments accountable, and today I want us to get into some specifics around how Artificial Intelligence can be useful as a tool for accountability and transparency in government. Olasupo Abideen has written about how this can be done and today we talk to him about a recent article he wrote for the Civic Tech Innovation Network. The article is titled ‘Exploring Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Enhanced Deliberative Democracy'.

Yosr Jouini is an interdisciplinary researcher studying emerging technologies and their social implications in the global South. She is the director of Technoloxia, a technology & innovation centre based in Tunis. She is also the host of the 'Digitally Yours podcast', which specialises in digital rights. Technoloxia is a North African-based collective with a mission to provide community-centered perspectives on the region from the region. Technoloxia is the newest member of the Regional Ambassador Programme (RAP). The Regional Ambassadors Programme (RAP) founded in 2022, is a programme aimed at strengthening regional connection and participation in the civic tech space. Yosr joins Nathi Mcetywa to talk about the growth of civic tech in Tunisia and more generally in North Africa. She reflects on the impact that collaboration has had for North African civic tech organisations in Tunisia. She also reflects on another level of accessibility that innovators need to think about and what that means for innovators. Read more about accessibility from this 'Accessibility ABCs guide'. Technoloxia Website · Digitally Yours Podcast

Financing and funding civic technology activities take up a significant portion of most organisations' worry hours. Often, when there are shortages of funds, this is viewed as an organisational failure. But instead of looking at funding and financing as a reflection of innate value, it should rather be viewed as one of the tools that allow us to reach our social impact. It is a strategic tool that should be considered alongside all of an organisation's other strategies as well. In this episode we spoke to Razzano and Amy Mutua about some of the best ways civic tech organisations can go about financing their initiatives. Gabriella is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of OpenUp, a civic tech lab based in Cape Town. She is also a board member of the Civic Tech Innovation Network. Senior Atlantic Fellow in Social and Income Equality; and an Expert on AI and Democracy for the African AI Observatory. Amy Mutua is the Research Assistant for the Tayarisha Centre for Digital Governance. This project is the culmination of ongoing dialogues and research conducted by the Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN) which have aimed at exploring financing issues, strategies and models appropriate and applicable for the African civic tech innovation ecosystem. African civic tech plays a significant role on the continent, but many innovators in the space still struggle with their funding and financing options. In some ways this mirrors challenges in other non-profit and social innovation work, but we think that there are also new, unique challenges. They created this project to provide a platform for civic tech innovators and organisations across Africa with access to resources, information, and the co-learning networks they may need to help grow and sustain their practice and impact. This site is intended as an interactive, ever-growing space and we encourage you to own, engage and interact with its resources and tools. And of course (as co-owners!), also let us know how we can improve it so that it is as useful as possible to you and your civic tech peers. This work contributes to CTIN's core mission by connecting people and organisations with diverse knowledge, skills, experience and expertise and providing relevant information and insights on civic tech from the African continent and elsewhere. In this way, the innovation network aims to contribute to growing the civic tech community, improving practices and outcomes. This project was initially funded by CIVICUS – supported by the CHARM project. The microsite is developed by OpenUp. OpenUp partners with government, organisations, industry leaders and civil society to identify, gather and make accessible information that supports open communities and an empowered citizenry. Tayarisha is the Initiative on Digital Governance, established (2021) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It is a hub for teaching, research, policy dialogue, and outreach on the challenges and opportunities presented by digitisation in the public sector, society, and industry in Africa. The Centre for Digital Governance (CDG) straddles the nexus of government, business, and society, and is concerned with issues of regulation, public policy and ethics. The CDG contributes to the creation of public good by conducting academically rigorous, cutting-edge action research; providing world-class education; and contributing to public debate on the challenges and opportunities presented by digitisation.

The Ushahidi Platform helps communities turn information into action with an intuitive and accessible crowdsourcing and mapping tool. By enabling the rapid collection, management and analysis of crowdsourced information, Ushahidi empowers everyone—individuals, community groups, governments, activists, organizations—to create meaningful change. In this episode, we spoke to Daniel Odongo from Ushahidi. Daniel is the director of implementation at Ushahidi. We spoke to Daniel about their development and growth in civic tech in Africa and across the world

Parliamentary monitoring sites allow citizens to keep an eye on the people in power. They make it easy to find out who represents you, what's being debated, and how members have voted. Mzalendo Trust, located is a non-partisan entity that keeps an eye on Kenyan Parliament with a mission to facilitate public participation in Parliamentary processes through Information Sharing, Research and Networking. In today's episode we are talking to Philip Gichana about this tool. We are going to look at how effective this tool is, how the public responds to it, how the media benefits from information shared on this platform, but most importantly we will talk about the interesting processes of data collection and visualisation that happen in the background. Mzalendo Trust are one of the grantees in the Charter Project Africa initiative. The Charter Project Africa is a three-year pan-African initiative supporting civil society to promote the continental commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). This charter is a central African Union policy document that aims to advance democratic governance in African Union member states. Website Link: https://info.mzalendo.com/ Mzalendo Trust

YouLead is Africa's flagship Youth Leadership Program working to unlock youth leadership potential for a prosperous continent by identifying, recognizing, connecting and fostering cooperation among Africa's vibrant and influential young leaders and their initiatives. A joint initiative of MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation (MSTCDC) and the East African Community (EAC) in Arusha, Tanzania. H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania is YouLead Africa's current Patron. YouLead Africa as one of the beneficiaries of the 2022 AGA Civic Tech Fund Award implemented the upscaled ‘Africa Unplugged Series', a convergence of social media platforms and high-definition audio-visual streaming, to provide relevant content and engagement for African youth with their leaders. Noting the lack of civic spaces for African citizens, especially young people, to meaningfully participate in governance spaces at the national, regional and continental level, YouLead modeled Africa Unplugged as a continent-wide space for precisely that. For African youth to plug into policy and programming processes and build solidarity on key emerging issues to create awareness on issues specific to youth participation, and voice in governance. Website: https://www.youlead.africa/

This podcast episode is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of The Charter Project Africa and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union The Charter Project Africa is a pan-African initiative supporting civil society to promote the continental commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) – the central African Union policy document to advance democratic governance in African Union member states. The project is led by six organisations and lasts for three years, starting in the course of 2021. It has a dedicated secretariat based in Addis Ababa which creates linkages between pan-African civil society and African Union policymakers. SIVIO Institute (SI) is an independent organisation focused on ensuring that citizens are at the centre of processes of socio-economic and policy change. It aims to contribute towards Africa's inclusive socio-economic transformation. It is borne out of a desire to enhance agency as a stimulus/catalyst for inclusive political and socio-economic transformation. In this episode, we spoke to Andrew Songa, the Civil Society Secretariat Coordinator at The Charter Project Africa who outlined the Charter Project Africa's Objectives. We also spoke to Eddah Jowah from the SIVIO Institute, one of the grantee organisations participating in the Project. Eddah Jowah is currently the Programs Manager at the SIVIO Institute. Eddah spoke to Nathi Mcetywa about what the SIVIO Institute's vision of a citizen-led democracy looks like and spoke about the measures they are taking to ensure that citizens are able to take the opportunity to get involved in democratic processes in Zimbabwe SIVIO Institute · Charter Project Africa · African Citizens Watch · SIVIO Institute Annual Barometer Report

The Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), in partnership with the South Africa Centre for Evidence (SACE) invites you to join us as we launch the Civic Tech in Africa Evidence Map, where we will present key findings of the Evidence Map. Yasmin Shapurjee joins host, Nathi Mcetywa for this episode. The aim of the Evidence Mapping project is to create a common, up-to-date evidence/ knowledge base about civic tech in the African context, to improve support, decision-making and advocacy in relation to civic tech (including more broadly civil society innovation, tech for good and digital governance). At CTIN, we define civic tech as the “appropriate and effective use of digital innovation in connecting government and citizens, in public participation, in transparency and accountability and in delivering public services”. The launch event will present an opportunity for participants to engage with the map, ask questions and to provide feedback. Event Details: Date: Wednesday 8 March 2023 Time: 10.00 AM -12:00 PM Venue: Tshimologong Precinct and Online To RSVP to attend the in-person launch email Yasmin Shapurjee at yasmin@civictech.africa To join online: https://wits-za.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkdu6prDIoHtHpofEZ4BZWflxvORtyDlhV Join Launch Event Online

When the printing press was invented more than 500 years ago, it was certainly done with good intentions. However, one of the unintended side effects of that innovation was its use to incite people. In our times, the story of the Internet may sound similar. The internet, and in particular social media, has become the main theatre of manipulation and incitement. Our online spaces are home to negative commentary and reviews, manipulation and incitement, resulting in dire consequences for individuals, corporations and even nation states. But what if these negative features of manipulation and incitement aren't going away and are going to stay as part of our life in the digital world? Today's episode look at how we can counter misinformation and manipulation, and whether there is Anything Civil Society Organisations can do? Joining us for this conversation are Simone Toussi, Melyn McKay and Valerie Khan

Dear South Africa is a non-profit organisation that facilitates public participation to help shape legislative policy at a municipal, provincial and national level. DEARSA Website · DearSA on Twitter

Have you come across any stories reported using data visualation tools lately. That's the work of a data journalist using data to explain complex stories of public interest. Africa Data Hub seeks to lower the barriers that African journalists face to access and use data in their storytelling around health and development. The Africa Data Hub (ADH) is a collective of data organisations operating across three African countries that work together to provide local journalists with verified accurate up-to-date data, tools, training, mentoring and support to tell the stories that matter with the data they need. We believe that access to quality data not only has the potential to challenge power and the status quo, but also to have a direct impact in addressing vulnerability, inequity and exclusion. Featured in this episode is Sarah Findlay. Sarah is 'Africa Data Hub' Project Lead at Open Cities Lab. Africa Data Hub Website · Facebook Page · Africa Data Hub Twitter Page

Pollicy is a feminist collective of technologists, data scientists, creatives and academics working at the intersection of data, design, and technology to craft better experiences for tech users Pollicy Website · Pollicy on Twitter · Pollicy on LinkedIn

Pollicy is a feminist collective of technologists, data scientists, creatives and academics working at the intersection of data, design, and technology to craft better experiences for tech users Pollicy Website · Pollicy on Twitter · Pollicy on LinkedIn

The Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), in partnership with the International Civil Society Centre (ICSCentre), hosted a discussion titled ‘Making Data Accessible' as part of its #DigitalDialogues Series. In our current digital age and what is often termed as a ‘data-driven' world, civic tech organisations, civil society organisations (CSOs) and similar advocacy organisations have played and continue to play an important role in either collecting and providing the public with access to data or fighting government institutions for access to open data that is accessible and comprehensible. Considering the evolution of the data landscape, massive amounts of digital information is created daily and when analysed, has the potential to help society understand how to perform better in the future. Civic innovations have thus been leveraged as a means to access data so that we may solve social problems. Big data is often used as the catch-all term for large, diverse sets of information and while this concept has gained traction within the civic tech field, it has to some extent generated an unintended consequence of making data less open and accessible. Without the sophisticated knowledge in Artificial Intelligence tools used to analyse big data, the use of data in communities for social impact has been significantly limited. In this session, moderated by Tolulope, we spoke to civic actors that will share insights and lessons from their experiences in making data accessible and comprehensible through partnering with the government. This session is intended to shed light on some of the victories and challenges associated with partnerships of this nature and whether they truly are able to make data open and accessible to the public.

The Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), in partnership with the International Civil Society Centre (ICSCentre), hosted a discussion titled ‘Making Data Accessible' as part of its #DigitalDialogues Series. In our current digital age and what is often termed as a ‘data-driven' world, civic tech organisations, civil society organisations (CSOs) and similar advocacy organisations have played and continue to play an important role in either collecting and providing the public with access to data or fighting government institutions for access to open data that is accessible and comprehensible. Considering the evolution of the data landscape, massive amounts of digital information is created daily and when analysed, has the potential to help society understand how to perform better in the future. Civic innovations have thus been leveraged as a means to access data so that we may solve social problems. Big data is often used as the catch-all term for large, diverse sets of information and while this concept has gained traction within the civic tech field, it has to some extent generated an unintended consequence of making data less open and accessible. Without the sophisticated knowledge in Artificial Intelligence tools used to analyse big data, the use of data in communities for social impact has been significantly limited. In this session, moderated by Tolulope, we spoke to civic actors that will share insights and lessons from their experiences in making data accessible and comprehensible through partnering with the government. This session is intended to shed light on some of the victories and challenges associated with partnerships of this nature and whether they truly are able to make data open and accessible to the public.

This year marks 15 years since the adoption of the African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG). The ACDEG is a framework whose main objective was for African States to adopt good democratic and governance principles. In this episode, we talk about an initiative aimed at boosting civic participation in issues of democratic governance on the African continent. Justin Arenstein spoke to us about the recently launched Charter Project Africa initiative. We talk about how the Civic Tech landscape in Africa and some initiatives doing great work on the continent. Jason Bygate joins us as co-host for this episode. Jason is the Head of Innovation, Tech, and Data for Development at Capacitate Social Solutions, and he's recently launched the YoMobi platform in partnership with PwC and UNICEF. He spoke to us briefly about this initiative as well. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Charter Project Africa Website · CodeforAll on Twitter · The Charter Project Africa on Twitter · YoMobi Website

This year marks 15 years since the adoption of the African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG). The ACDEG is a framework whose main objective was for African States to adopt good democratic and governance principles. In this episode, we talk about an initiative aimed at boosting civic participation in issues of democratic governance on the African continent. Justin Arenstein spoke to us about the recently launched Charter Project Africa initiative. We talk about how the Civic Tech landscape in Africa and some initiatives doing great work on the continent. Jason Bygate joins us as co-host for this episode. Jason is the Head of Innovation, Tech, and Data for Development at Capacitate Social Solutions, and he's recently launched the YoMobi platform in partnership with PwC and UNICEF. He spoke to us briefly about this initiative as well. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Charter Project Africa Website · CodeforAll on Twitter · The Charter Project Africa on Twitter · YoMobi Website

The global reach of international civil society organisations (ICSOs) allows these organisations to develop, scale-out, and tailor innovative approaches and novel use of technology across borders and in different countries and settings. They may also have sufficient resources to influence the policies and operational and resourcing environments for the development and adoption of innovation and technology in some national contexts. While pursuing their own broad digital innovation and transformation strategy, they invest in their operations and internal functions, and data management. These organisations operate with technological partners and outsource the development and maintenance of specific digital functions. Data is often stored and processed by commercial partners. There are ICSOs investing in start-ups. At the same time, there is considerable digital innovation from grassroots groups, civic tech networks, local NGOs, and social enterprises, generating effective data and digital solutions and new ideas for using tech for social good in the areas and with the communities, they support and represent. Initiatives that demonstrate proven impact and innovation can attract interest for wider applicability and replication, beyond the operational or resourcing mandates and constraints of where they originated. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

The global reach of international civil society organisations (ICSOs) allows these organisations to develop, scale-out, and tailor innovative approaches and novel use of technology across borders and in different countries and settings. They may also have sufficient resources to influence the policies and operational and resourcing environments for the development and adoption of innovation and technology in some national contexts. While pursuing their own broad digital innovation and transformation strategy, they invest in their operations and internal functions, and data management. These organisations operate with technological partners and outsource the development and maintenance of specific digital functions. Data is often stored and processed by commercial partners. There are ICSOs investing in start-ups. At the same time, there is considerable digital innovation from grassroots groups, civic tech networks, local NGOs, and social enterprises, generating effective data and digital solutions and new ideas for using tech for social good in the areas and with the communities, they support and represent. Initiatives that demonstrate proven impact and innovation can attract interest for wider applicability and replication, beyond the operational or resourcing mandates and constraints of where they originated. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

In this episode, we are talking about innovation hubs and their importance as an ecosystem for entrepreneurs and innovators to build on their knowledge and be empowered while also having a societal impact in the broader sense. We also talk about the entrepreneurial nature of innovation hubs and how they help in creating sustainable tech innovations. Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) is Nigeria's first open living lab and pre-incubation space designed to be a multi-functional, multi-purpose space where work to catalyze creative social tech ventures take place. The HUB is a place for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies, impact investors, and hackers in and around Lagos to co-create new solutions to the many social problems in Nigeria. Co-Creation Hub

In this episode, we are talking about innovation hubs and their importance as an ecosystem for entrepreneurs and innovators to build on their knowledge and be empowered while also having a societal impact in the broader sense. We also talk about the entrepreneurial nature of innovation hubs and how they help in creating sustainable tech innovations. Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) is Nigeria's first open living lab and pre-incubation space designed to be a multi-functional, multi-purpose space where work to catalyze creative social tech ventures take place. The HUB is a place for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies, impact investors, and hackers in and around Lagos to co-create new solutions to the many social problems in Nigeria. Co-Creation Hub

How do you use technology to get citizens involved in issues of governance? Hamid Khayar Defallah talks to Nathi Mcetywa about how Chad Innovation is contributing toward a more involved citizenry. Hamid Khayar Defallah is the CEO & Founder of Chad Innovation. Chad Innovation represents a community of young volunteers, Chadians and foreigners, entrepreneurs, executives, and students whose objective is to raise awareness, mobilize, engage and equip young Chadians to learn and explore careers in entrepreneurship to build a resilient generation of young Chadian leaders. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Chad Innovation Website · Chad Innovation on Facebook · Chad Innovation on Twitter · Chad Innovation on LinkedIn

How do you use technology to get citizens involved in issues of governance? Hamid Khayar Defallah talks to Nathi Mcetywa about how Chad Innovation is contributing toward a more involved citizenry. Hamid Khayar Defallah is the CEO & Founder of Chad Innovation. Chad Innovation represents a community of young volunteers, Chadians and foreigners, entrepreneurs, executives, and students whose objective is to raise awareness, mobilize, engage and equip young Chadians to learn and explore careers in entrepreneurship to build a resilient generation of young Chadian leaders. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Chad Innovation Website · Chad Innovation on Facebook · Chad Innovation on Twitter · Chad Innovation on LinkedIn

Many civic tech tools go largely unused because they are developed without understanding the context of the people they are meant for. Language, digital literacy, exposure, and other such factors are important things to look out for when developing a tech tool. We speak to Al Kags about some of the factors that affect the effectiveness of civic tech tools on the African continent. Al Kags is a marketing and communications expert, serial entrepreneur and a champion of government openness through data. Al is the founder of the Open Institute, an African organisation that works with governments and civil society organisations to promote open government and citizen engagement. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Open Institute · Barriers to citizen engagement

Many civic tech tools go largely unused because they are developed without understanding the context of the people they are meant for. Language, digital literacy, exposure, and other such factors are important things to look out for when developing a tech tool. We speak to Al Kags about some of the factors that affect the effectiveness of civic tech tools on the African continent. Al Kags is a marketing and communications expert, serial entrepreneur and a champion of government openness through data. Al is the founder of the Open Institute, an African organisation that works with governments and civil society organisations to promote open government and citizen engagement. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Open Institute · Barriers to citizen engagement

The Civic Tech Innovation Network and International Civil Society Centre partnered for a digital dialogue on 'Building Inclusive Communities'. This session, moderated by malebo sephodi, unpacked the role of #DigitalInnovations in facilitating #inclusivity and #diversity within civic tech. In exploring this, the session posed these questions among others; how do we amplify underrepresented voices in civic tech? Is building an inclusive civic tech community merely about highlighting digital innovations or leveraging the same digital innovations to intentionally highlight and amplify diverse voices within the space? How do we make sure this happens? Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Digital Dialogues: Building Inclusive Civic Tech Communities · International Civil Society Centre · AAPTI Institute

The Civic Tech Innovation Network and International Civil Society Centre partnered for a digital dialogue on 'Building Inclusive Communities'. This session, moderated by malebo sephodi, unpacked the role of #DigitalInnovations in facilitating #inclusivity and #diversity within civic tech. In exploring this, the session posed these questions among others; how do we amplify underrepresented voices in civic tech? Is building an inclusive civic tech community merely about highlighting digital innovations or leveraging the same digital innovations to intentionally highlight and amplify diverse voices within the space? How do we make sure this happens? Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Digital Dialogues: Building Inclusive Civic Tech Communities · International Civil Society Centre · AAPTI Institute

In this episode, we land in Zimbabwe

In this episode, we land in Zimbabwe

In this episode, we land in Zimbabwe to talk to Courtney Mukoyi. Courtney is an award-winning lawyer and innovator who founded Courtlex: a tech company that works to bring convenience in the legal space through tech solutions. Courtlex uses easy-to-use tech to ensure convenient and cheaper access to justice.

Qowiyou Fassasi from the VOA in Benin

Qowiyou Fassasi from the VOA in Benin

Dayn Amade is founder of the Community Tablet and speaks to Nathi Mcetywa about this initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide between rural and urban communities in Mozambique. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

Dayn Amade is founder of the Community Tablet and speaks to Nathi Mcetywa about this initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide between rural and urban communities in Mozambique. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

Grace Gichanga is a social innovator and lawyer who founded Luma Law, a platform that provides affordable access to practical, relevant, and user-friendly legal information. Grace talks to Nathi about founding the Luma Law platform and her journey of social entrepreneurship during the Covid-19 pandemic. She also speaks about the importance of understanding your 'Why' when running a tech social enterprise. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

Grace Gichanga is a social innovator and lawyer who founded Luma Law, a platform that provides affordable access to practical, relevant, and user-friendly legal information. Grace talks to Nathi about founding the Luma Law platform and her journey of social entrepreneurship during the Covid-19 pandemic. She also speaks about the importance of understanding your 'Why' when running a tech social enterprise. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

Sihle Gcilitshana is an activist and social justice warrior from South Africa. She is the current Programme Coordinator at the Civic Tech Innovation Network. In this episode she talks to us about her journey as an activist working with policymakers in South Africa. She also shares some of her highlights from the recent Civic Tech Innovation Forum. Plus some advice for social entrepreneurs and innovators on the African continent. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

Sihle Gcilitshana is an activist and social justice warrior from South Africa. She is the current Programme Coordinator at the Civic Tech Innovation Network. In this episode she talks to us about her journey as an activist working with policymakers in South Africa. She also shares some of her highlights from the recent Civic Tech Innovation Forum. Plus some advice for social entrepreneurs and innovators on the African continent. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

Corruption Watch (CW), in response to the many whistle-blower complaints it has received on police corruption and inspired by its engagements with communities experiencing police violence and abuse, launched an interactive open data tool – Veza (a colloquial term for ‘reveal' or ‘expose'). The first of its kind in South Africa, Veza improves transparency in policing in the country and places the power to hold the South African Police Service (SAPS) accountable in the hands of the public. In this episode, we are joined by Kavisha Pillay, who is a social justice activist who is the Head of Stakeholder Relations and Campaigns at Corruption Watch. She joins Nathi Mcetywa and Jimmy Maliseni from Alliance for Community Action (ACA) to talk about the anti-corruption tool, the Veza tool. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us . Veza Tool · Civic Tech Innovation Network

Corruption Watch (CW), in response to the many whistle-blower complaints it has received on police corruption and inspired by its engagements with communities experiencing police violence and abuse, launched an interactive open data tool – Veza (a colloquial term for ‘reveal' or ‘expose'). The first of its kind in South Africa, Veza improves transparency in policing in the country and places the power to hold the South African Police Service (SAPS) accountable in the hands of the public. In this episode, we are joined by Kavisha Pillay, who is a social justice activist who is the Head of Stakeholder Relations and Campaigns at Corruption Watch. She joins Nathi Mcetywa and Jimmy Maliseni from Alliance for Community Action (ACA) to talk about the anti-corruption tool, the Veza tool. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us . Veza Tool · Civic Tech Innovation Network

In this cross-over between the Civic Tech in Africa podcast and the Talking Tech for Good podcast, we are joined by co-host Jason Bygate and guest Munyaradzi Dodo to talk about how young people can get their voices in the corridors of power. Munyaradzi shares the journey he and his team took to establish Open Parly ZW, and the influence their establishment of Open Parly had on other young people in other countries outside of Zimbabwe. He talks to us about the challenges and opportunities that come with upscaling an initiative such as the Open Parly initiative and also delves into why #DIYAfrica is such an important concept for young people in Africa. Thank you to Jason Bygate, Luvuyo Maseko, and Grant McPherson for helping make this crossover episode happen. To find out more about ‘Talking Tech for Good podcast visit https://techtalk.org.za/. Don't forget to join the Civic Tech Initiative and the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the ‘African #DIY civic tech approaches' session on the 15th September 2021, at 15:00 (CAT). This year, the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest conferences invite African civic tech innovators, media innovators, and stakeholders to connect around the ways in which digital innovators, innovations, initiatives, and their support structures are playing out across our continent in the spaces of journalism, media, civic activism, and public services, particularly in this pandemic era. The theme of the governance is DIYAfrica and will focus on how we can co-create meaning, identity, and solutions in and for Africa. The conference will be hosted on Whova, an event hosting application. Download Whova to join this week-long conference. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Civic Tech Innovation Network · Open Parly ZW · Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

In this cross-over between the Civic Tech in Africa podcast and the Talking Tech for Good podcast, we are joined by co-host Jason Bygate and guest Munyaradzi Dodo to talk about how young people can get their voices in the corridors of power. Munyaradzi shares the journey he and his team took to establish Open Parly ZW, and the influence their establishment of Open Parly had on other young people in other countries outside of Zimbabwe. He talks to us about the challenges and opportunities that come with upscaling an initiative such as the Open Parly initiative and also delves into why #DIYAfrica is such an important concept for young people in Africa. Thank you to Jason Bygate, Luvuyo Maseko, and Grant McPherson for helping make this crossover episode happen. To find out more about ‘Talking Tech for Good podcast visit https://techtalk.org.za/. Don't forget to join the Civic Tech Initiative and the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the ‘African #DIY civic tech approaches' session on the 15th September 2021, at 15:00 (CAT). This year, the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest conferences invite African civic tech innovators, media innovators, and stakeholders to connect around the ways in which digital innovators, innovations, initiatives, and their support structures are playing out across our continent in the spaces of journalism, media, civic activism, and public services, particularly in this pandemic era. The theme of the governance is DIYAfrica and will focus on how we can co-create meaning, identity, and solutions in and for Africa. The conference will be hosted on Whova, an event hosting application. Download Whova to join this week-long conference. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us Civic Tech Innovation Network · Open Parly ZW · Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

It's a new season. The Civic Tech in Africa podcast takes on a different format and we welcome Nathi Mcetywa as the new host. We kickstart this new season with Melissa Zisengwe (Programme Officer at CTIN) as co-host and Geci Karuri-Sebina (National Organiser of CTIN) as the first guest of the new season. Geci Karuri-Sebina joins us to introduce to us her various curiosities and also uses the opportunity to introduce the Civic Tech Innovation Forum 2021 (CTIF21), which will take place on 13-17 September 2021. This year, the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest conferences invite African civic tech innovators, media innovators and stakeholders to connect around the ways in which digital innovators, innovations, initiatives and their support structures are playing out across our continent in the spaces of journalism, media, civic activism and public services, particularly in this pandemic era. The theme of the governance is DIYAfrica and will focus on how we can co-create meaning, identity and solutions in and for Africa. The conference will be hosted on Whova, an event hosting application. Download Whova to join this week-long conference. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

It's a new season. The Civic Tech in Africa podcast takes on a different format and we welcome Nathi Mcetywa as the new host. We kickstart this new season with Melissa Zisengwe (Programme Officer at CTIN) as co-host and Geci Karuri-Sebina (National Organiser of CTIN) as the first guest of the new season. Geci Karuri-Sebina joins us to introduce to us her various curiosities and also uses the opportunity to introduce the Civic Tech Innovation Forum 2021 (CTIF21), which will take place on 13-17 September 2021. This year, the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest conferences invite African civic tech innovators, media innovators and stakeholders to connect around the ways in which digital innovators, innovations, initiatives and their support structures are playing out across our continent in the spaces of journalism, media, civic activism and public services, particularly in this pandemic era. The theme of the governance is DIYAfrica and will focus on how we can co-create meaning, identity and solutions in and for Africa. The conference will be hosted on Whova, an event hosting application. Download Whova to join this week-long conference. Get in touch: Visit https://civictech.africa/ Follow @CivicTechAfrica on Twitter Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on Facebook Follow Civic Tech Innovation Network on LinkedIn Share your civic tech initiative with us

Civic Tech in Africa Podcast is a podcast by the Civic Tech Innovation Network, in partnership with Vow FM. The podcast focuses on the profiling of civic tech initiatives, civic innovators, activists, researchers, social entrepreneurs and others working in the civic tech and other related fields in Africa.

Civic Tech in Africa Podcast is a podcast by the Civic Tech Innovation Network, in partnership with Vow FM. The podcast focuses on the profiling of civic tech initiatives, civic innovators, activists, researchers, social entrepreneurs and others working in the civic tech and other related fields in Africa.

Financing a new venture can be a daunting task, especially if you have no to minimal experience in soliciting funding. And with the pandemic having interrupted many industries, many small organisations are to rethink how to remain sustainable in these uncertain times. In this fourth Jamlab Meet-up, in collaboration with the Civic Tech Innovation Network we ask the questions: Who are the funders? and Where does one begin looking for funding? During this conversation, we discuss funding strategies for civic tech and media innovation, and how organisations seeking funding or support from contemporary funders can better their position and prepare themselves. We also learn about interesting models and approaches on how innovators can fund and sustain their ideas or platforms.

Financing a new venture can be a daunting task, especially if you have no to minimal experience in soliciting funding. And with the pandemic having interrupted many industries, many small organisations are to rethink how to remain sustainable in these uncertain times. In this fourth Jamlab Meet-up, in collaboration with the Civic Tech Innovation Network we ask the questions: Who are the funders? and Where does one begin looking for funding? During this conversation, we discuss funding strategies for civic tech and media innovation, and how organisations seeking funding or support from contemporary funders can better their position and prepare themselves. We also learn about interesting models and approaches on how innovators can fund and sustain their ideas or platforms.

This #JamlabMeetup conversation focuses on what the implications might be for the roles of the media and various civic tech actors who are typically involved with trying to strengthen citizen engagement, increase transparency, accountability and democratic governance. Panelists share strategies that can be implemented to help journalists and civic activists to prepare and improve on ways of empowering communities, and the diversity of voices within the public space through digital media and other social innovations. Events Speakers: Kathy Magrobi, founder of Quote This Woman+ in South Africa Ivan Louis Pinno, co-founder of Digital Woman Uganda Dr Caroline Khene, senior lecturer at De Monfort University in the United Kingdom Daniel Odongo, director of implementation at Ushahidi

This #JamlabMeetup conversation focuses on what the implications might be for the roles of the media and various civic tech actors who are typically involved with trying to strengthen citizen engagement, increase transparency, accountability and democratic governance. Panelists share strategies that can be implemented to help journalists and civic activists to prepare and improve on ways of empowering communities, and the diversity of voices within the public space through digital media and other social innovations. Events Speakers: Kathy Magrobi, founder of Quote This Woman+ in South Africa Ivan Louis Pinno, co-founder of Digital Woman Uganda Dr Caroline Khene, senior lecturer at De Monfort University in the United Kingdom Daniel Odongo, director of implementation at Ushahidi

In this episode, we speak to JD Bothma and Adrian Kearns about OpenUp's approach in implementing civic tech projects and reflect on some challenges they have faced in implementing civic tech projects in rural South Africa. They also talk about the importance of implementing user-centred civic tech projects when attempting to resolve people's real-life challenges.