Below are a variety of news-worthy African tech articles from early January 2012 that focus on 22 individual countries. For broader African and global stories from this time period, see OA News: December 29, 2011 – January 8, 2012 (General Africa and Global).

Algeria

• 3G to launch by end June 2012 {Ecofin via Balancing Act}
• Algeria looks forward to 3G – the devices are already available:
  2012 sera l’annee de la 3G {nticweb.com}

Angola

• A ‘10,000-foot view’ of the technology scene in Angola, from the perspective of Nyanga Tyitapeka, founder of an Angolan startup. A very interesting read:
  A young entrepreneur’s perspective on Angolan innovation {O’Reilly Radar}

Cameroon

• Bharti Airtel plans to go to South Africa, Cameroon in 2012- Report {TelecomTiger}

Central African Republic

• Policy dialogue on the pedagogical integration of ICT in educational systems {Panaf}

Eritrea

• The introduction of a new information technology system to deliver and receive messages and packages has enhanced customer satisfaction:
  Eritrean Postal Service providing satisfactory service {Shabait.com}

Ethiopia

• The first g|Ethiopia event will be held February 7-8 in Addis:
  Join us for the first-ever g|Ethiopia! {Google}

Ghana

• Good broadband policy will enable the operator to come up with business models that will enable the operator make more money by covering more people and the government will then reach more people:
  Is it possible for every Ghanaian to have access to broadband at home? {Joy Online}
• Mobile data management and security companies are interested in working in the Ghanaian market:
  Ghana receptive to technology advancement – Winbush III {Joy Online}

Ivory Coast

• The Minister of ICT announces the arrival of 3G:
  La Cote d’Ivoire passe en 3G {Afrik.com}

Kenya

• KENIC hits 20,000 .KE Domains! {African Domain Names}
• The project, a partnership between KIE and the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK), aims at digitising the current syllabi to enhance e-learning in the country:
  e-Learning Project for Primary and Secondary Education On Course {Business Daily via allAfrica.com}
• Sales of 130,000 in just over one year:
  Ideos Phone a Big Hit On Mobile Market {Nairobi Star via allAfrica.com}
• A sign of the times:
  Citizens Abandon Cards in Favour of Electronic Greetings {Business Daily via allAfrica.com}
• Specifically, 3G competition (this has been said over and over since SEACOM in 2009):
  Competition set to lower Internet costs, says Ndemo {Daily Nation}

Malawi

• Users have been complaining of the disruption to internet and most times are unable to use BBM:
  Operators disappoint Malawians on BlackBerry services {Nyasa Times}

Mali

• Bluetooth has become a popular means of file-sharing in Western Africa (among others):
  Inside the Cell Phone File Sharing Networks of Western Africa (Q+A) {Vice Motherboard}

Namibia

• In southern Namibia, some farmers have been forced to drop landlines and adopt WiMAX phone service – at a much higher cost:
  Telecom Network Switch Hurts Farmers {The Namibian via allAfrica.com}
• An increase in IT learning capacity can strengthen the gender dialogue, among other things:
  Gender education needs boosting in rural areas {New Era}
• Internet Fraud Cons the Country Out of N$3,5 Million {The Namibian via allAfrica.com}

Nigeria

• Cyber hackers flex their muscle after the government removes the fuel subsidy. An ‘Occupy Nigeria’ movement emerges as well:
  #OccupyNigeria: Local Hacking Group Hijacking Nigerian Cyberspace {ConnectedAfrica}
• Costs are still high despite landings of Main One and Glo-1. What’s in store for 2012?
  Nigeria yearns for broadband internet in 2012 {BusinessDay}
• ‘Govt should enact policies to aid ICT growth’ {The Nation}
• Out of over 40 million Nigerians already connected to the internet, only about 12 million, representing around 3 percent, have access to efficient broadband internet:
  Telcos not offering Nigerians real broadband, tariffs high {BusinessDay}
• The satellite covers over 40 African countries:
  NigComSat-1R Begins Commercial Service February 6 {ThisDay}
• A Nigerian article on the risk of becoming obsessed with the Internet. Kenyan media published a similar article last year:
  Dangers of Internet Addiction {Leadership via allAfrica.com}
• While the present market of tablet computers in Africa is centred on middle class professionals and business executives, there exists a vast market that decreasing prices will in time open up:
  Africa: Benefiting From The Tablet Wars {Business in Africa via Nigeria Village Square}
• Freedom of speech is powerful: thousands of comments have appeared on the President’s Facebook page since the new year:
  Facebook ‘Friends’ Attack Jonathan {Daily Trust via allAfrica.com}
• The leading tech news blog in Nigeria summarizes top stories from the past year:
  TechLoy’s 11 Most Popular Articles of 2011 {TechLoy}

Rwanda

• Carnegie Mellon University will be opening a technological research campus in Kigali later this year, in conjunction with the Rwandan government:
  US university unveils Rwanda tech campus {ZDNet Blog}
• Internet users in the country rose by 65 per cent to 14.3 million in the third quarter of 2011, according to CCK:
  Web surfers increase by 65pc {The Standard}
• On the wait for Airtel’s 3G service in Kenya (going on 1 year now):
  Airtel Kenya 3G, where art thou? {Larry Madowo}

South Africa

• How South Africa Googled in 2011 {IOL}
• The online retail sector saw growth of 30% to 40% on the whole last year:
  Festive e-shopping ‘SA’s biggest yet’ {ITWeb}
• Smartphone data usage grew by 100% year-on-year while dongle data consumption only grew by 10%:
  Data usage: Smartphones vs dongles {MyBroadband}

Sudan

• The Central Bank’s website registered the highest scores amidst other winning websites in all categories, which means that this website is ‘the best in the Sudanese domain (.sd) on the international web’:
  Central Bank of Sudan’s Website Wins the Award of the Best Governmental Services Website {dot.jo}

Swaziland

• Available bandwidth is still difficult to obtain:
  MTN having problems with 3G {Times of Swaziland}

Tanzania

• 11% of the population reportedly uses the Internet:
  Number of Tanzania Internet users is 5m {The Citizen}

Tunisia

• Microsoft Engages Youth in Rural North-West {Tunisia Live via allAfrica.com}

Uganda

• All students at A-level will soon be taught either information and communications technology or mathematics:
  Govt Initiates ICT At A-Level {The Observer via allAfrica.com}

Zambia

• The card is the first to be introduced in Zambia by a bank, and is expected to increase the appetite for online shopping in Zambia:
  UBA introduces Africard in Zambia {ITWeb}

Zimbabwe

• An interview with the Zimbabwean ICT ministry suggest a digital economy & vision for 2015:
  Zim should be digital by 2015 – Chamisa {The Independent}
• Lots of debate around the intricacies of this event. Either way, a paperless office policy is good practice:
  Minister’s missing iPad sparks security fears {New Zimbabwe}