iCow's Su Kahumbu gets ready to talk about the winning app at East Africa Com 2012

Su Kahumbu is Creative Director of Green Dreams, a social enterprise in East Africa. It produced the iCow app – a unique farming tool that won the Apps4africa initiative in 2010. Green Dreams focuses on 2 key areas in sustainable organic agriculture, Information dissemination and markets. Working with partners we are enabling farmers access information over print media, the internet, radio, via on ground extension officers as well as mobile phone. Su is speaking at East Africa Com, taking place in Nairobi on the 17-18 April.

CWS: How would you sum up the characteristic of the East African telecoms, media and ICT industry this year?

SK: The industry is booming, innovative products are becoming increasingly available to consumers. We are at the start of an interesting revolution.

CWS: What would you say is Green Dream’s priority for 2012?

SK: Scaling

CWS: Which type of services do you think consumers are going to be calling for in 2012?

SK: Services that deliver tangible value resulting in economic empowerment.

CWS: How important do you think cost-efficiency/reduction is for service providers in East Africa this year?

SK: Extremely important. The market is extremely price sensitive.

CWS: What do you think is needed to improve connectivity for the underserved in Africa?

SK: The usual hardware coupled with education and awareness. Plus innovative products that deliver real, tangible value to the underserved, and lower connectivity costs.

CWS: What do you think are the 3 key attributes needed to succeed in East Africa’s telecoms, media and ICT industry going forward?

SK: Value, simplicity and affordability

CWS: Which key message do you want to highlight to the audience during your participation at East Africa Com in Nairobi this April?

SK: Information is power. I am beginning to see farmers organizing themselves and searching for more information as opposed to waiting for it to be delivered on their door step. In so doing they are changing the norm and becoming active participants in our drive towards sustainable food production thus national security. It is exciting to be see that technology is driving these changes.

For more information about Green Dreams click here.

For more information about East Africa Com click here.