The Smartphone Revolution

In Why Nations Fail, Acemoglu and Robinson discuss at end about the importance of the Industrial Revolution and the roll it played in a country's ability to prosper economically in the future. Countries that received the effects and benefits of the Industrial Revolution ultimately have gone on to become the more prosperous countries of today. On the other hand, countries that did not participate in the Industrial Revolution went on to struggle economically in the future. The entire continent of Africa missed the Industrial Revolution and its benefits and have felt the effects of this for decades.

The continent however is not missing the Smartphone Revolution. Nmachi Jidenma argues in The real mobile revolution: Africa's smartphone future, that the rise of smartphones in Africa will improve the daily lives of Africans. The rise in smartphone popularity has driven app developers on the continent "to invest their skills acquisition and app development" in Africa's smartphone future. For Africans, these smartphone apps would be useful in solving "key pain points in their day to day lives from mobile commerce to transit ticketing." GoMetro, as pictured, "Aims to improve commuting in South Africa by providing real-time train schedules, associated platform changes, a trip planner, fare calculator and route maps." Africa missed the Industrial Revolution, ultimately hindering the continent's ability to experience economic prosperity for decades. The smartphone revolution however will have a profound impact on the continent, as it will greatly improve the African people's day to day lives, ultimately improving their productivity as a whole.