Beyond the Poster Boy of the Maker Movement
Some people tour Europe’s finest vineyards others tour Australia’s sweetest surf spots—I tour South Africa’s pioneer makerspaces; part of the growing global maker movement. The movement is a culmination of people becoming “makers” (someone who uses their personal abilities to create anything from mechanical or electrical to visual or musical) and spaces becoming makerspaces (an interdisciplinary area stimulating people to create by providing resources and idea sharing).
The Maker Movement in Gauteng Province, South Africa
This paper sets out findings from research into the dynamics of the emerging “maker” movement in South Africa’s Gauteng Province. The authors position the maker movement as a potentially strong contributor to, and manifestation of, informal-sector innovation on the African continent.
Exploring gender through African oral traditions
By Vanessa Turyatunga
Language shapes and reveals aspects of different cultures and identities. Through my Masters’ work on Yoruba religion, it has become evident to...
OPEN AIR AND QES FELLOW EXPLORED THE IP, TK AND GENDER...
By Desmond Oriakhogba
Gender issues are increasingly being discussed with regard to intellectual property (IP) and traditional knowledge (TK), especially from an African innovation perspective. Generally,...
COVID-19: My Experience, My Reflections
By Esther Adekunbi
My expectations and
enthusiasm to explore this beautiful land called Canada, to interact with its
friendly people, to network and collaborate, was rudely...
Emerging issues in campus and community “makerspaces” across Canada
Makerspaces are places where innovators gather together to develop new ideas, technologies and entrepreneurial opportunities. The concept of sharing not only space but also tools and equipment is gaining popularity in many countries. Canada is home to several makerspaces ranging from hackerspaces, to fab labs, to informal studio spaces where people can create, invent, and learn. Some are run for profit, some are non-profit, and some are run by individuals or larger institutions.
African European Maker Innovation Ecosystem (mAkE) Project Completes Year 1
By Chris Armstrong
The EU-funded African European Maker Innovation Ecosystem (mAkE) project has now completed its first year of operation. Open AIR is one of several...
Lords of the Platforms: Beyond Banning Twitter, What else Should Nigeria...
By Adedamola Adediji
It’s a flattened world! An offshoot of this is that political discourse, commercial transactions, and economic activities have mainly moved online. This...
2024 Global Health Security Conference Event
By Charlotte Galvani and Jeremy de Beer
Negotiations toward a new international treaty on pandemic preparedness and response have failed to reflect a rights-based consensus...
Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity Workforce in Africa
By Dianah Ajuna Byaruhanga
October was cybersecurity awareness month, and I was delighted to attend various cybersecurity conferences online throughout the whole month. I am...












