As the global digital content is set to grow at a rate of between 6 and 10 percent by the end of this year, the Kenya ICT Board is set to announce on Wednesday the launch of its Sh 320 Million grant to promote the development of relevant digital content and software.
The money targeting entrepreneurs in the film, education, entertainment and advertising industries is aimed at promoting local content, a potential area for revenue generation and driving up Internet penetration in the country.
TNS Research
According to a recent survey by TNS Research International, the penetration of Internet has not improved as anticipated despite the landing of two fiber optic cables, a bigger percentage from rural parts of the country are not connected.
The research sited absence of relevant content as one of the reason why many consumers shy away from login on to the World Wide Web. Escalating cost of proprieatal software has barred struggling developers from coming up with relevant content for the Kenyan Market.
Digital Content includes mobile and web content, e learning, serious gaming and console gaming. Film Content and Music are also considered Digital Content although an in-depth strategy for these will be developed in conjunction with the Kenya Film Commission, the Ministry of Culture and others who have developed advanced strategies in this field.
Digital Content
International regions including New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Canada and in the European Union, have all recognised the importance of digital content in developing their knowledge based economies. These regions have either developed or are in the process of developing new strategies and programmes for the sector. This will lead to an increase in international competition.
ICT Board says Kenya has key strengths that can aid in the development of a strong digital content industry.
“These include a relatively high population of well educated and exposed youth that is hungry for opportunity, a nascent technology-centric professional base that is staffed by young, energetic and innovative youth, innovative products and some competitive business costs. However, the industry is embryonic and fragmented and has yet to make real advances to the global markets or secure significant Foreign Direct Investment,” it says in its website.
The Board has identified a number of areas of focus for development of this industry: leadership, investment, skills and training, research and development, innovation and internationalization.
The Board’s major challenge is to effectively address these areas of development and thereby ensure that the industry is equipped to maximise on the global opportunities presented.
During the launch of the $ 4 Million grant, players in the industry expect the board to spell out the details on how the grant would be administered, role of private sector in promoting local digital content and the role of digital content in providing access to government services and information.
