This is part of the Africa 2.0 series.

Who can’t remember the image of a sickly African child with flies buzzing around his/her nose while Sally Struthers pleads for television viewers’ help. In the days when citizens only learned about news outside their community through mainstream media channels such as television, radio, and newspapers, that image grew to define the global community’s perception of what Africa and Africans were. But in this age where mobile technology and the Internet easily connect individuals from remote corners of the world, the voices of Africans have created a new image, exposed a new market, and changed the conversations about Africa and what can be referred to as Afri-activism - strategies where a person, group, or company engages Africa through aid and charity.

In today’s digital age access to popular sites like Global Voices Online, Myspace, and Flickr combined with the ease of use of mobile technology have allowed Africans to broadcast their individual experiences worldwide and engage their foreign counterparts in conversations about solving Africa’s societal issues. Tools such as blogs, Skype, and SMS are connecting consumers and accelerating the time it takes to exchange ideas and collaborate with Africans. As more individuals communicate across cultural lines and share experiences, their choices of products and services begin to reflect their new frame of mind, forcing a change in the way companies and organizations do business. For products and programs to maintain their relevance in this new connected age they too must find a way to become part of the conversations that technology has facilitated.

The growing conversations online, and the ongoing popularity of Africa in the media fueled by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey’s school for girls, George Clooney and Don Cheadale’s campaigns against the continued genocide in Darfur, and the numerous baby adoption stories, continue to push social responsibility as a cultural norm. A recent survey by GMI (Global Market Insite) of more than 15,000 online consumers in the U.S found that Americans place a high value on corporate community involvement. Businesses are now being forced to publicly re-define their social and environmental responsibility programs. Gone are the days when corporations could piece together a social responsibility program without direct engagement on all levels. With increased communication between individuals, consumers are more educated and critical of companies who develop programs and products that are uninspired and disconnected. Today consumers require that businesses become active participants in community conversations both with the consumers themselves and recipients of aid; and as technology allows more Africans to join the conversations, the effects and results of Africa development programs are more transparent. Companies who exhibit a multi-layered social responsibility program today enjoy a strengthened brand image.

The use of technology has encouraged a growth in the number of sustainable African development models and Africans are joining the foray into creating socially responsible products and programs also. Technology has allowed individuals in developing countries to create new business models and take their products global easily. More Africans are flexing their entrepreneurial muscle both at home and abroad. Technology continues to level the playing field for all sizes of for-profit and non-profit efforts, and where African development is concerned, there are many more options to affect change. As the ubiquity of technology continues, we are sure to see social enterprise, Afri-activism, and Africa as a whole reap the benefits of the new conversation age.

G. Kofi Annan is an entrepreneur, strategist and author. He is the principal at Annansi LLC, a boutique consultancy that produces Annansi Chronicles, an African style and business trends blog, and Annansi Clothing Co., an award-nominated Africa-inspired apparel brand. He will be moderating the panel “Africa 2.0: Affecting Change Through Technology” at the 2008 SXSW Interactive Conference and Festival.
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