I am a project manager, researcher and mobile evangelist living in Cape Town, South Africa. I focus on:
- mobiles for development, particularly mobile learning
- youth and digital media
- participatory culture
I am currently the Mobile Impact Evangelist for the mLab Southern Africa, an infoDev funded initiative to support to incubate mobile apps and content services development in the region. I also manage the Cape Town satellite office of the mLab.
Previously I was the fellow for 21st century learning at the Shuttleworth Foundation, and before that I was a Digital Vision research fellow at Stanford University. To see what I’ve been up to, over the last few years read 2010: A year in review and 2009: A year in review.
I have a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town.
My big idea (which isn’t so big anymore): mobile phones, games and digital media are the future of Africa’s development
My mantra: “Use the ICTs in the hands of youth to enable their participation”
My strength:practical experience of ICT projects for developing country people
I’ve published papers and given presentations at numerous academic, United Nations and popular conferences. I regularly write for the Mail and Guardian newspaper (South Africa) and used to blog (by invitation) for the Mail & Guardian’s Thought Leader and Tech Leader sites.
What others say about me:
“Steve is one of those rare people who knows what it takes to bridge not just technological divides but social ones, consistently figuring out not just how to create new tools, but how to get people to use them in meaningful ways.” — Clay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody and Cognitive Surplus
