by Adam Edwards

Created on: May 22, 2008   Last Updated: April 27, 2012

In light of the recent tribal violence in Kenya, one could be mistaken for thinking little changes in the so-called "dark continent". News reports and other television programmes are constantly compounding the stereotypical perception many in the West have of Africa as a land of conflict, poverty and starvation; bypassed by the modern world. Yet whilst such issues may rack the continent, Africa is also experiencing a technological boom, which appears to be gradually transforming the region.

Since the millennium Africa has been the fastest growing market for mobile phones in the world. In Kenya for example it has been estimated that the number of mobile phones subscribers has rocketed from approximately 15,000 in 1999, to about 8 million by early 2007. During several visits to Southern and Eastern Africa, I was astounded by the apparent ubiquity of mobile phones within relatively poor and underdeveloped communities, in which few people own less technologically advanced mediums like televisions or radios, or even basic necessities like shoes for example. In Tanzania, for example, advertisements for mobile phone manufacturers and network providers never seemed far from sight, as multinational telecom companies grapple for their share of this lucrative emerging market.

Whilst the emergence of an African market may be of obvious benefit to multinational corporations like Nokia or the Vodafone Group, one might question what advantage the increasingly widespread use of mobile telephones offers the worlds poorest continent and its people. However it is believed that access to technology like mobiles or the Internet is of great significance for the continent.

For example mobile phones and the Internet are making it possible for African businesses to keep in regular contact with suppliers and retailers, and access information from across the globe in order to benchmark ideas or identify niche markets for instance. However perhaps the most significant benefit increased communication confers upon African society, is through the opportunity it presents its people in accessing information on market prices. The majority of Africans are reliant on either agriculture or fishing for their survival, and have traditionally tended to receive very little for their produce as a result of unscrupulous middlemen taking advantage of their lack of awareness on the varying prices their goods could receive in different towns or villages.

Farmers and fisherman are increasingly using their

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