How to ensure the African rising story is one for everyone to benefit from

African innovation is nothing new. A quick search on the internet will reveal an entire history book of African inventions spanning centuries; from harnessing fire in South Africa 1.4 million years ago, to the invention of the underground water pipe in Ethiopia in 1460 BC, to the modern KreepyKrauly (an automatic pool cleaner) and the CAT scan.  

Popular myth tells us that Africa was a dark and underdeveloped continent until the arrival of European innovation. The truth is, Africans are just as creative, if not more, than anybody else. But as pioneering as their inventions are, the benefits of many are only felt within the immediate community. They don't receive much attention from the global community. However, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) means there is now an entirely new platform that can take these inventions to the world. And now, suddenly, African innovation is being noticed.