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How apps are changing Africa

October 5, 2018

Africans are no strangers to mobile apps. In fact, apps big and small have made a difference in the lives of many people across the continent — from rural villages to the traffic-clogged streets of megacities.

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Using mobile phones in Nigeria
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Heunis

5. Using apps to look for rain in Burkina Faso

German and African scientists have developed a system that uses mobile communications to bring up-to-date and accurate weather forecasts to farmers all over Burkina Faso — helping them improve their harvests and their lives.

Searching for rain in Burkina Faso

 

4. The latest waste management app in Nigeria

Trash disposal and recycling have become big problems in Nigeria. But a group of schoolgirls in Abuja has developed an app called GreenWorld Tech that could help the country tackle the growing health hazard by connecting sellers and buyers.

Nigerian schoolgirls develop waste-tackling app

 

3. Sustainable fishing in Senegal — with an app

In the future, fishermen from Senegal might be able to use an app to calculate how much they can catch without devastating the fish stocks. The fish are needed to feed the growing population, but must remain at sustainable levels.

Fishing for sustainability – with an app

 

2. Avoiding traffic jams with a Kenyan app

Kenya's capital Nairobi has a big traffic and air pollution problem. But Ma3Route, a Kenyan mobile, web and SMS platform, wants to change that with a smart crowd-sourced solution. It is free and constantly updated to make journeys smoother.

Smart traffic in Kenya

 

1. An app to combat food waste in Nigeria

Food waste is a growing problem in Nigeria, even though millions of people are still going hungry. A new app aims to change that by connecting supermarkets with excess food to the poor who could use a helping hand.

Fighting food waste in Nigeria

Timothy Rooks
Timothy Rooks is one of DW's team of experienced reporters based in Berlin.