The high mobile phone availability and internet access from the fiber optic backbone around the African continent can be used as a platform to enhance the use of technologies like MPESA money transfer and cloud computing that may give the African user better Information Technology services access at a much lower cost. Moreover, once Africans are educated they can take advantage of available technologies like GIS that can assist them in making informed and accurate decisions in areas of agriculture (yield improvements), health care (telemedicine) and even in education (distance learning) and many more areas.
In the next section a SWOT analysis depicting the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats for the growth of space research in Africa.
Strengths
Youthful population
• Africa has the most youthful population in the world. It is estimated that by 2050 according to a UNICEF …show more content…
Moreover, African countries should build strong legal and regulatory frameworks especially in data protection because any meaningful space research program involves storage, processing and data transfer, whereby potential investors want guaranteed protection of data in order to invest fully in Africa. The benefits of Space research are not short term but rather long term and sustainable. South Africa the leader in space research in Africa and also arguably Africa’s most developed nation has harnessed the space research applications to build a robust economy. However, South Africa started space research activities as early as in 1820; as a result they are reaping the fruits of their investment now. This should serve as a rallying cry for other African countries to invest now and expect to reap the benefits decades latter.
Areas for future
In the next section a SWOT analysis depicting the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats for the growth of space research in Africa.
Strengths
Youthful population
• Africa has the most youthful population in the world. It is estimated that by 2050 according to a UNICEF …show more content…
Moreover, African countries should build strong legal and regulatory frameworks especially in data protection because any meaningful space research program involves storage, processing and data transfer, whereby potential investors want guaranteed protection of data in order to invest fully in Africa. The benefits of Space research are not short term but rather long term and sustainable. South Africa the leader in space research in Africa and also arguably Africa’s most developed nation has harnessed the space research applications to build a robust economy. However, South Africa started space research activities as early as in 1820; as a result they are reaping the fruits of their investment now. This should serve as a rallying cry for other African countries to invest now and expect to reap the benefits decades latter.
Areas for future