Praekelt Foundation announces the appointment of Colin Abouchabki as Chief Operating Officer

The Praekelt Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Colin Abouchabki as the Chief Operating Officer of the Praekelt Foundation. Colin will be taking up the reigns from the 1st of November, ushering in a new chapter for the flourishing non-profit organisation.

Chairman of the Foundation’s board, Gustav Praekelt, welcomed Colin to the growing team:

“With the incredible growth of the foundation, as well as the acquisition of partners in over 10 countries in Africa, and the subsequent demands on the team, we are extremely happy that someone like Colin, with such a wealth of experience in building and growing a mobile business will be joining us.”

We asked Colin a few questions by way of introduction to the Praekelt Foundation community and friends:

Colin, you have had over 20 years experience in the mobile industry, please share with us a couple of career highlights in the mobile development terrain that remain top of mind for you:

Vodacom

During my 8 years at Vodacom I was fortunate to be part of many exciting new projects and initiatives including  the launch of 3G and MMS as well as being part of the first Blackberry launch in SA. As part of the product development team at Vodacom I was intimately involved in the development and commercial launch of USSD, the interactive menu service that today enables most of our  citizens to gain access to essential information therefore improving the quality of their lives. The highlight of my time at Vodacom was heading up the team that launched the Vodafone Live! service that hosts Praekelt’s very successful Young Africa Live initiative.

Green Pencil

In 2008 I started Green Pencil Creative Solutions, a niche consulting firm offering services in the area of Product Life-cycle management and the conceptualization of mobile solutions - to date I’ve had  the priveledge of working with a variety of customers including mobile operators, research institutions and NGOs.

RIM

During my short stay at RIM, the suppliers of the iconic BlackBerry solution, I worked with a variety of partners in developing new and exciting applications and solutions to further enhance the value proposition offered to customers.

As you know, The Praekelt Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on developing large-scale mobile platforms that improve lives and drive change. With your broad wealth of corporate experience, what attracted you to work for the Praekelt Foundation and in the not-for-profit mobile arena specifically?

I have had the privilege of working with Gustav on a number of initiatives during the last few years - seeing what the Foundation team managed to achieve in applying basic mobile technologies like SMS and USSD in improving the plight of the poor really inspired me. I share Gustav’s vision with regards to using mobile technologies in addressing known social needs - when the opportunity arrived for me to become part of the team I grabbed it with both hands

What is your view on mobile development in Africa in 2011 and why should the rest of the world take note?

Due to a lack of fixed line telecoms infrastructure in Africa, mobile phones are in most cases the only way that the majority of Africans can communicate with their families, community and the outside world. The natureof wireless solutions like GSM lends itself to be deployed fast, and with the introduction of the prepaid payment option, the power of connectivity isnow within the reach of most Africans.  Being the primary means ofcommunication in Africa, the continent is driving the adoption of mobile-centric solutions to everyday problems.

Which are your top three markets to work with in Africa and why?  

The three markets that stand out for me are Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana - Kenya is fast becoming Africa’s mobile silicon valley with a very active and vibrant mobile developer community, while Nigeria is exciting due to the huge size and potential of the market. Last but not least, Ghana offers well-run systems and processes, a highly educated workforce,  a vibrant market and the same excitement you find in Nigeria with less of the infrastructure challenges.

What excites you about your new position and what do you hope to bring to the table? 

I am very excited about the innovative and highly-scalable mobile delivery platforms developed by the Foundation’s technical team. I am looking forward to working with the team in identifying new areas where we can deploy these solutions, as well as exploring opportunities to further expand the value offered to disadvantaged individuals and communities.