Tech company looks to Africa to rival Silicon Valley

A fast-growing technology startup is aiming to prove that Silicon
Valley's days are numbered.

Headquartered in New York, Andela believes the future of tech is in Africa.

It finds software developers on the Continent who have the talent but
lack the opportunity, and trains them up to work internationally.

It's a model the company says is opening up the American outlook on
the possibility of Africa's tech-hubs.

Nick Harper reports from New York.

IN: "I just....."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:17

AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-arn.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-fm4.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-gen.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-von.mp3
938LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-938.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-ziz.mp3
SABC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0216africa-tech-nh-sabc.mp3

- upsound "I just want to check and see how John and James are doing"

TAKE VO
Receiving the call up.
- natsound -
TAKE VO
For nearly four years Andela has been connecting continents. And
proving Africa has more to offer.

SOT - Seni Sulyman, Andela, Nigeria country director: "We want Africa
long-term to have one of the best technology ecosystems in the world."

TAKE VO
Seni Sulyman runs the Nigerian office in Lagos. He says the company is
a catalyst, showing what's possible in Africa.

SOT - Seni Sulyman, Andela, Nigeria country director: "Essentially we
have a lot of untapped talent but also a lot of untapped opportunity.
Brilliance truly is evenly distributed and anyone from any of these
countries is perfectly capable of being a global technologies and
adding value across the world."

TAKE VO
Andela started in 2014 with 2 Nigerians, a Cameroonian, two Americans
and a Canadian. It now employs 900 people globally, with 90 percent of
its workforce spread across its offices in Lagos, Nairobi and Kampala.

- upsound "we're here to bring talent and opportunity together"

TAKE VO
Through online training, employees go on to join America and European
companies, working remotely as software developers.
And that raw talent sometimes surprises.

SOT - Christina Sass, Andela Co-founder and President: "It's a
continent of 1.2 billion people. Of course there's brilliance there.
And so we have a ton to learn from these tech scenes, and in both
Nairobi and Lagos we see just a ton of excitement and energy around
young tech startups, particularly in Nairobi with mobile money - they
lead the entire world with their systems around their astute systems
surrounding global money."

TAKE VO
The company's not concerned about brain drain - the idea of Africa's
best talent working for foreign companies.
Seni points to himself, a Nigerian who's worked in the US but is now
returning home.

SOT - Seni Sulyman, Andela, Nigeria country director: "I think we're
at the point where people will circulate through the global ecosystems
and then they'll miss the warm weather, the nice food, the music, the
people, the noise, and they'll come back home."

TAKE VO
Andela notes Africa's tech hubs still have a way to go before they
rival Silicon Valley. But already it says this talent pipeline of
connecting Africa with the US is benefiting both sides of the
Atlantic.
SOC

ENDS