Over time, it has become evident that Africa 2.0 is a growing force in technology. The SXSW Festival being held in Austin, Texas will bear witness to the relevance of this growing movement. The SXSW Interactive Festival features five days (March 7-11) of panel content and parties. Over its 21year history, the event producers describe their audience as “digital creatives and visionary technology entrepreneurs.” Of the event, they comment that “it celebrates the best minds and the brightest personalities of emerging technology.” So it is no wonder, this year’s Keynote Speaker is Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook.

The first year for this event was 1987 when it debuted as a Music focused event. In 1994, it took on its current life as the SXSW Interactive Festival executing as a film and multimedia conference. By 1995, film and multimedia became two separate events, giving birth to Interactive in 1999. ScreenBurn, which is focused on video game technology, was added to the mix in 2006.

As an active participant and witness to the Africa 2.0 emergence, it is exciting to see a panel gathered to discuss this growing area, at this important industry event. Africa 2.0, is scheduled for March 9th and will be moderated by G. Kofi Annan, Entrepreneur, Strategist and Author who has previously posted here. Panel experts will include:

Erik Hersman (WhiteAfrican.com, AfriGadget.com)
• Uduak Oduok Ladybrille.com
• Nii Simmonds (Nubian Cheetah)
• Chosan (Silverstreetz Entertainment)

The discussions will follow how technology is being used to affect change in Africa. Specific points being explored is how technology is factoring into efforts in different industries including fashion, entertainment, finance, and marketing. This looks to be a very lively and educational session and should lead the way in centralizing key players in the field of Africa 2.0.

For individuals interested in participating during the event, visit meebo.com to debate show topics and meet other SXSW Interactive registrants.

I look forward to follow-up interviews with the participants and getting reactions from attendees regarding this ground-breaking event.

Stay Tuned for more!