Practical Insights on Business for ICT4D Projects

What are Business Ideas for ICT4D Solutions?

Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) support and enable sustainable economic and social development in developing countries. There are many potential business ideas for ICT4D solutions, including:

  • Mobile health services: Developing mobile applications or platforms that provide health information and services, such as telemedicine, disease tracking, and medical appointment scheduling, in areas with limited access to healthcare.
  • Agricultural technology: Developing technologies such as precision agriculture systems, irrigation systems, and weather monitoring systems to improve the efficiency and productivity of small-scale farms.
  • Educational technology: Developing educational platforms, such as e-learning platforms or mobile apps, to provide access to education in remote or underserved areas.
  • Renewable energy solutions: Developing technologies such as solar panels or wind turbines to provide clean, affordable energy in areas without access to traditional electricity.
  • Digital financial services: Developing technologies such as mobile banking or digital payment systems to provide financial services to underserved communities.
  • Disaster response and management technologies: Developing technologies such as early warning systems or communication platforms to assist with disaster response and management efforts in developing countries.
  • Water and sanitation technologies: Developing technologies such as water purification systems or improved sanitation systems to address water and sanitation challenges in developing countries.
3 Reasons Why You Should Be Paying for Digital Engagement Now

3 Reasons Why You Should Be Paying for Digital Engagement Now

Published on: May 14 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on 3 Reasons Why You Should Be Paying for Digital Engagement Now
It’s free to post on social media, so why should resource-strapped NGOs pay to engage users through digital channels? The answer is simple: scale, efficiency,...
How Content Publishers Can Contribute to COVID-19 Digital Response

How Content Publishers Can Contribute to COVID-19 Digital Response

Published on: Apr 15 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on How Content Publishers Can Contribute to COVID-19 Digital Response
You can to contribute significantly to Covid-19 Digital Response efforts whether you work in the digital health space or not. You can be involved in responding...
8 Ways to Digitize Your MERL Practices During COVID-19 Response

8 Ways to Digitize Your MERL Practices During COVID-19 Response

Published on: Apr 09 2020 by Guest Writer - 7 Comments
All of a sudden you’re stuck at home because of the new coronavirus.  You’re looking at your monitoring and evaluation commitments and your programme requirements...
What a Cloudy Future of OpenLMIS Means for Open Source Software

What a Cloudy Future of OpenLMIS Means for Open Source Software

Published on: Feb 05 2020 by Wayan Vota - 13 Comments
OpenLMIS is an open source global good for digital health that was purpose-built to be an electronic logistics management information system (LMIS) for health commodity...
Why Would Anyone Want to Launch an ICT4D Startup Organization?

Why Would Anyone Want to Launch an ICT4D Startup Organization?

Published on: Jan 23 2020 by Wayan Vota - 18 Comments
We all talk about encouraging entrepreneurship in developing countries. Yet how many of us have launched our own business, or spun off an initiative from our employer...
What Are the Top 4 Mobile Money Purchases by African Youth?

What Are the Top 4 Mobile Money Purchases by African Youth?

Published on: Jan 15 2020 by Wayan Vota - 11 Comments
Digital financial services in sub-Saharan Africa are changing rapidly with diversity in usage and uptake on such a diverse continent. Recently, GeoPoll embarked...
Looking Back at 20 Years of ICT4D, and the Approaching Future

Looking Back at 20 Years of ICT4D, and the Approaching Future

Published on: Jan 01 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on Looking Back at 20 Years of ICT4D, and the Approaching Future
I started publishing Balancing Act’s News Update in 2000. Every Sunday I would pick over a range of websites in English and French to edit a series of news items...
Lessons Learned as the First Global Humanitarian Partner for TikTok

Lessons Learned as the First Global Humanitarian Partner for TikTok

Published on: Dec 26 2019 by Guest Writer - 7 Comments
The IFRC / TikTok story started only 10 months ago when our Red Cross video guy and trend-spotter Damien Naylor suggested we take a look at the shiny new platform...
3 Ways to Leverage Social Media Outreach in HIV Programs

3 Ways to Leverage Social Media Outreach in HIV Programs

Published on: Dec 11 2019 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on 3 Ways to Leverage Social Media Outreach in HIV Programs
HIV programs have progressed and innovated over the years by continually using new online and virtual platforms and implementing them with increasing levels of...
The Number One Indicator of ICT4D Project Financial Sustainability

The Number One Indicator of ICT4D Project Financial Sustainability

Published on: Nov 07 2019 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on The Number One Indicator of ICT4D Project Financial Sustainability
We often talk about project sustainability in information and communication for technology (ICT4D) programs, and as a result, we have multiple guides on how to...