As many already know, a Barcamp is a sort of intense event (an “unconference”) with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants. Although a Barcamp itself is not a super-defined entity, a loose network has formed. To-date, more than 70 Barcamps have been held in more than 20 African countries. Momentum behind the Barcamps Africa hosted from 2009-2012 has waned in favor of other hackathons and developer events.
Barcamps can really complement tech hubs, hackathons, and developer contests. After all, great ideas and passion are key elements to creating successful businesses that improve upon a facet of daily life. Google recently brought some life to the Barcamp concept. In April and May 2013, Google sponsored Barcamps for its developer groups (GDGs). The free “community-developer-driven” events focused on Android and Google Apps API. Many of the Barcamps celebrated a country winner of the Africa Android Challenge.
Yes, the events featured Google products, but the fact is that Android and Google Apps API are extremely relevant and useful tools for African developers.
Be sure to check out some of the Google+ event pages for photos and recaps.
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Google Developer Groups (GDGs), formerly known as Google Technology User Groups (GTUGs), serve to support developers who are interested in Google technology. Most members are coders, but others with a desire to explore Android, App Engine, Chrome, Maps API, or YouTube API are welcome too. No single group is alike; some are less formal and simply involve discussing Google’s product suite, others hold tech talks and hackathons. GDGs are open to the public and thrive on passion. Again, the goal is to learn about Google technologies for developers – not for Google to sell their products and not a place for developers to focus on consumer content.
Creating a chapter is simple: submit a short application and subsequently have a Google+ page, a mailing list, and a complete description. In order to stay active, a GDG must hold an in-person event at least every 3 months.
African developers are keen on GDGs. Somewhere around 67 chapters are active across 24 countries. Approximately one-in-six GDGs is located in Africa. Many are run at universities.
Just this past week, many African GDGs held ‘extended’ events as part Google I/O 2013. GDG Lomé co-organized Google IO Extended & TIC Days 2013 to promote innovation within Togo. GDG Lusaka organized an event/hackathon at BongoHive. In Uganda, GDG Makerere sponsored an event at Oubox. Within the past month, more than a dozen African GDGs held BarCamps. These events were smaller in scope than traditional BarCamps and usually served as the final of the Africa Android Challenge. (More on these later.)
Java User Groups, known affectionately as JUGs, are meeting sites where developers of Java and other technologies can exchange ideas, learn from each other, and find opportunities. Java development may not be considered as in vogue as Android development, but the uses for both website and app development are still immense.
According to the Java.net Projects site, 14 African JUGs have existed since 2011. Abidjan, Congo, Faso, and Algeria appear to be the most active chapters.
JUG logo montage compiled from logos at Java.net. Gotta love the ode to Jurassic Park!
This week’s African tech news round-up consists of 88 stories from 31 countries.
Amid discussion that many African apps do not live much beyond their competition, we’ve decided to see how the winners of 2012′s Google Android Developer Challenge are doing a year later.
Top videos from May 2013 on how ICT innovation is driving change across Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.
From Klout influencer scores, we can find general trends about how active online media is within a country and in general, how many engaged social media users exist.
The top 19 Rising Voices Microgrants 2013 finalists from Sub-Saharan Africa aim to preserve local culture and empower neglected groups.
Visuals on Sub-Saharan African broadband prices, international connectivity, and Internet speeds highlight a need to lower access barriers.
oAfrica is a showcase of the dynamic African digital landscape. We addresse a variety of aspects of African Internet connectivity with an understanding that every nation has different tools and ideologies to utilize. Although every African citizen may not have the chance to access the Internet for years to come, African digital opportunities are rapidly expanding. We do our best to objectively share those stories.
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