• About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Support The African Dream
The African Dream
No Result
View All Result
Friday, September 29, 2023
  • News
    Uganda

    For Failing To Accept LGBTQ+, World Bank Stops Lending Money To Uganda

    Mali and Burkina Faso

    Mali, Burkina Faso, sends delegation to Niger in solidarity

    Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine

    Niger junta appoints new prime minister

    Breaking: Boeing Is Said Close To Issuing 737 Max Warning After Crash

    BREAKING: 189 people on downed Lion Air flight, ministry says

    Crashed Lion Air Jet Had Faulty Speed Readings on Last 4 Flights

    Trending Tags

    • Commentary
    • Featured
    • Event
    • Editorial
  • Politics
  • World
  • Opinion
  • Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Change Makers
The African Dream
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • World
  • Opinion
  • Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Change Makers
Home Inspiring African Stories

Ivorian entrepreneur Alain Capo-Chichi has created Ivory Coast’s first locally-made smartphone

by Abu Bakarr Jalloh
September 3, 2022
in Inspiring African Stories
0
Alain Capo-Chichi
94
SHARES
1.6k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Whatsapp

Ivorian entrepreneur, Alain Capo-Chichi has made history by creating the country’s first-ever locally-made smartphone, which aims to improve accessibility with voice commands in 16 of the 60 local languages in Ivory Coast for users who can’t read and write. It is the world’s first indigenous smartphone.

Alain Capo-Chichi is originally from Benin but settled in Ivory Coast. He is the first entrepreneur to set up a computer assembly plant in West Africa. Alain called his phone the “Open G” smartphone, which had already hit the market last month and sold thousands of units.

READ ALSO

From not having enough money for food to being the first Kenyan to go to space

From surviving a horrific plane crash to an MBA graduate with distinction

Customers buy the Open G smartphone, which can speak local Ivorian languages, at a shop in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Workers manufacture Open G smartphones, which can speak local Ivorian languages, at a factory in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast
A customer holds the Open G smartphone, which can speak local Ivorian languages, at a shop in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
A worker packs an Open G smartphone, which can speak local Ivorian languages, at the factory where the phones are manufactured 
Workers manufacture Open G smartphones, which can speak local Ivorian languages, at a factory in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast
Workers manufacture Open G smartphones, which can speak local Ivorian languages, at a factory in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast

Alain Capo-Chichi said he wanted to create the phone to help people like his parents, who are illiterate and can’t type and read messages like the younger ones, use features like transferring money and sending messages. Many Africans like our parents and aunties are not conversant with the English Language and typing it is as difficult as speaking it.

In Africa, the problem we have… is that reading, and writing is not accessible to everyone. What we’ve done is try to help our parents who have difficulty with their smartphones… But why not make it easier by giving priority to commands since speech is three times faster than writing. People can use their smartphones much more easily by simply speaking to them.

Alain Capo-Chichi

Africa has over 2,000 languages, which makes the continent the most diverse continent in the world. For Ivory Coast, there are 60 local languages in the country. Most smartphones that come to Africa like the Samsung, iPhone, Huwaei and others don’t come with most local languages in Africa and their voice commands don’t recognize African local dialects. This makes it difficult for Africa’s ageing people to use smartphones due to the lack of accessibility and language barrier. Social media apps like WhatsApp are the most used application among older people in Africa, who uses the application by using voice messages in order to convey a message to their relatives, sons and daughters abroad. These older people most times can only talk to their family members via WhatsApp using voice messages.

Alain told news reporters that he created the phone to solve this problem and ease the lives of the illiterate and ageing population in Ivory Coast. The Open G smartphone has voice accessibility settings that can help blind, cognitively, and physically disabled people interact more seamlessly with the world around them without the help of other people. The Open G smartphone has a similar voice command interface to Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.

We don’t need to alphabetize people. We don’t need to teach them to read and write. We just need to take them as they are and insert them into economic life. From now on I simply speak to send money to someone, I simply speak and I manage my economic activity, I simply speak, and I can know. Before, I needed to read and write in order to know. For a state like Côte d’Ivoire, we need the involvement of all its sons to be able to manage the country.

Alain told CGTN

Open G manufacturing plant is in Grand Bassam, East of Abidjan, capital of Ivory Coast. The smartphone is also available in Benin, Burkina Faso, and DRC. The price varies from $45 to $90.

Alain plans to incorporate over 1,00 local languages in Africa into the voice command and language sect of his smartphone. “Beyond the fifty languages we have done which includes sixteen Ivorian languages, we want to reach one thousand African languages. We are happy there are already almost two thousand speakers who have registered. We are working with them today,” he said.

Tags: AfricaAlain Capo-ChichiIvory CoastOpen G

Related Posts

Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba
Inspiring African Stories

From not having enough money for food to being the first Kenyan to go to space

September 25, 2023
Kechi Okwuchi
Inspiring African Stories

From surviving a horrific plane crash to an MBA graduate with distinction

September 26, 2023
Nigerian Teenager Honored with British Council Outstanding Cambridge Learner’s Award
Inspiring African Stories

Nigerian Teenager Honored with British Council Outstanding Cambridge Learner’s Award

September 13, 2023
South African man who worked as a gateman to pay his tuition fees, bags degree in Education with 17 distinctions
Inspiring African Stories

South African man who worked as a gateman to pay his tuition fees, bags degree in Education with 17 distinctions

September 12, 2023
Meet Ifeoma Bibiana Okoli: The first-ever blind person to bag PhD at University of Ibadan
Inspiring African Stories

Meet Ifeoma Bibiana Okoli: The first-ever blind person to bag PhD at University of Ibadan

September 12, 2023
Meet The Family Of Five Nigerian Sisters Who All Became Medical Doctors
Inspiring African Stories

Meet The Family Of Five Nigerian Sisters Who All Became Medical Doctors

September 12, 2023
Next Post
Supfrica

Meet the Sierra Leonean who created a messaging app that is two times faster than WhatsApp

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

POPULAR NEWS

University of Sierra Leone

University of Sierra Leone Ranked Among Top Universities In Sub-Saharan Africa 2023

July 21, 2023
The Ugly and Frustrating Side Of Being A COMAHS Student – Anonymous Student

The Ugly and Frustrating Side Of Being A COMAHS Student – Anonymous Student

August 21, 2023
Albert D. Bangura

Brilliant Sierra Leonean Bags Overall Best Graduating Student In Cyprus University

July 15, 2023
Sam Bangura

Sam Bangura: The Bank Governor Who Died For Defying Orders From The President

July 17, 2023
Sierra Leone Police arrest senior military officers over plot to undermine democracy

Sierra Leone Police arrest senior military officers over plot to undermine democracy

August 2, 2023

EDITOR'S PICK

Music Lyrics|Drizilik ‘Popular’ Ft Ramoni

April 14, 2022

Op-ed: How Your Party Card And Ethnicity Can Easily Land You A Job In Sierra Leone – Delvid Stanley-Coker

March 5, 2022
Job Maseko: The South African World War Two Hero Who Sank A German Ship With Bomb Made From Milk-Can

Job Maseko: The South African World War Two Hero Who Sank A German Ship With Bomb Made From Milk-Can

September 26, 2022
Violet Edwards – The Oldest Black Woman In The United States To Graduate From College At Age 96

Violet Edwards – The Oldest Black Woman In The United States To Graduate From College At Age 96

September 25, 2022

Read More

About – The African Dream

The African Dream is a groundbreaking digital media platform that has emerged as a powerful catalyst for change, showcasing inspiring, positive, and compelling stories from across the African continent.

Follow us

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Mary Eliza Mahoney: The First Trained Black Nurse in America
  • World’s Oldest Living Woman Celebrates Her 117th Birthday
  • Belford Vance Lawson Jr: The First African American To Win A Supreme Court Case
  • Ralph Metcalfe: The Black Sprinter Who Was The Fastest Human In The World In 1934
  • About Us
  • Meet The Team
  • Support The African Dream
  • Contact Us

© 2023 The African Dream Sl.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Meet The Team
  • News
    • Recent News
  • Support The African Dream
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us

© 2023 The African Dream Sl.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?

STAY CONNECTED BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter

There was an error while trying to send your request. Please try again.

The African Dream will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.
 

Loading Comments...