With the onset of blockchain technology and the rapid developments, Africa too has been a pioneer in many fronts from cryptocurrency, healthcare, housing, media and more!
Blockchain is set to revolutionize how the world interacts with the internet data in many spheres.
Researching this article filled me with so much joy to learn in-depth how Africa is relentless in web3.
As a continent we have a long way to go in the pursuit of integrating blockchain technology in most of our daily facets just as the whole world has to. Here's a look at African startups that are setting the pace.

Africa Blockchain Center a Kenyan startup founded by Jeff M, focuses on capacity building and offering blockchain solutions in Africa. "The ABC aims to lead efforts for Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology applications, actively researching blockchain use cases to develop in-house technology and pilot solutions across lines of business across Africa." - ABC. It offers Blockchain as a service BaaS, research and development as well as a knowledge center that provides a student-centered practical approach in training students in all areas of blockchain technology. ABC is incubating and doing research for MooveBeta, Ecobba, Zeden Technologies and AfyaRekod.

A myriad of challenges have rendered service delivery in the healthcare sector a nightmare. However African startups have been seeking to change the narrative. Blockchain has a wide range of applications healthcare. From medical records to drug supply and record keeping. AfyaRekod is a Kenyan healthcare startup that provides a patient driven health data platform built on AI and blockchain technology. They offer disease mapping, data driven research, AI modelling, genomics and much more. They seek to improve public health in Africa by using data driven research.

In West Africa, MedPing is revolutionizing the African healthcare system via blockchain as well. How? MedPing is a decentralized medicine network leveraging on blockchain, decentralized finance (Defi) and NFT to solve real-life problems facing the healthcare system in developing countries and world beyond. MedPing sets to facilitate an internet where independent blockchains can exchange medical information and transactions in a trustless way via the Medping protocol. Great! right?

Egypt's Andrew Saad founded Bypa-ss to solve healthcare challenges via blockchain technology. Bypa-ss too is using AI and blockchain technology to create a world-class healthcare information exchange environment.

The real estate property market as well has tons of benefits accruing from blockchain. Have you ever heard of HouseAfrica? HouseAfrica is a blockchain-based property record system, that helps home buyers and financial companies to access, verify and value properties effortlessly. From seamlessly verifying and valuing properties, to access to digital site layouts, this is a trailblazer in the property market.

Clean energy for the future has been touted globally as the world races to avert climate change impact. Abe Cambridge, a British born climate solar entrepreneur has been integrating the power of blockchain and solar power to solve the clean energy question in South Africa via The Sun Exchange. Their solution is truly mind blowing. How? Yo get to earn monetized sunshine and offset your carbon footprint, while powering schools, businesses and communities through The Sun Exchange. They use digital wallets where investors can choose to finance solar cells. Solar energy is then purchased via mobile payments, which are converted to a local bitcoin exchange aligned with the Sun Exchange system.

Betting and gaming is too setting the pace for a decentralized world with blockchain. Grondigital founded by Tebogo Makamo, a South African is a secure, transparent, auditable and fair gaming platform on the Blockchain. It uses cryptographically verified code executed on the Blockchain so that winnings are guaranteed and paid instantly. " What we are is an experienced executive team utilizing technology and have created the No.1 GRO Smart Wallet. Integrating with leading exchanges to connect multiple sports betting + gambling content providers, trusted world-class operators and quality players. Winnings are credited easily. Token withdrawal is secure. No third-party involvement. All on the Blockchain with Smart Contracts" - Grondigital.

Did you know you can access value from your NFT? NFTfi, one of the leading NFT liquidity protocol, is providing liquidity via your NFTs. South Africa's NFTfi is doing just that. "List your NFT as collateral and get loan offers from our users. Once you accept an offer, you receive wETH or DAI liquidity from the lender's wallet into yours. Your NFT gets transferred into a double-audited escrow smart contract for the loan duration. Repay the loan before it expires, and you get your NFT back. If you default, the lender can foreclose and receive your NFT. There are no auto-liquidations on NFTfi" - NFTfi. Allowing you to acquire or offer loans to other users simply through your NFTs.

Privacy and security via blockchain in the communication industry is getting powered by Pravica founded by Mohamed Abdou of Egypt. Pravica is a leading and talented Blockchain startup in MENA region. In identity Pravica "empowers users to control their own digital identity and share and communicate between each other with trust. Your digital identity cannot be attacked, and nothing can fail." In security "data stored on the Blockchain is immutable and indisputable, thanks to cryptographic primitives. Malicious actors cannot forge transactions or access any data that has already been made public. You don't need to provide real-world identity to deploy or interact with a DApp.'" While in privacy "all authentication is done via Blockchain which completely eliminates the possibility for any human or machine access to any kind of data. Pravica users don't have accounts they have their own decentralized identities, where every single communication activity is encrypted by users' own keys" - Pravica. Secure the privacy of your communication with Pravica.

Cryptocurrency in Africa has taken huge leaps and bounds as well. With companies like Lazerpay founded by 19yr old Emmanuel Njoku of Nigeria, Bitpesa, Nestcoin....
Africa has proven to be a frontier in the decentralized web and the future is just beginning! Opportunities for and from Africa in blockchain development are set to solve some of the major problems we have battled for decades from banking the unbanked, to voting, governance and so much more.

Happy Reading!