Africa and the Internet: Bridging the digital divide.

(From Africa Analysis)

THE Internet bubble may have popped in the United States and Europe, but many in Africa have barely started thinking about Information Communication Technology's (ICT) business opportunities. Naturally, South Africa leads the way, with over 70 call centres in Cape Town alone. Ghana is also rapidly establishing itself in the market, with a Ghana Outsourcing Conference taking place in Philadelphia in October. With a massive unmet demand for technology across the continent and a drive by western businesses to outsource non-core business to cost effective suppliers, how can Africa best bridge the digital divide?

WHERE AFRICA CAN CASH IN

The Internet is the cheapest way to transfer any form of data, including voice, anywhere in the world. The four main areas of ICT opportunity in Africa are:

Data inputting this is the lowest end of the value chain. Banks, insurance and health care companies are scouring the globe for cheap labour to do their OEback-room' work. In Ghana, a US company, Affiliated Computer Services, employs 1,300 people to type in …