Fablabs and Makerspaces in Africa

Directory

Initiated by Andrew Paterson (Helsinki), in conversation with Michel Bauwens & Irma Wilson (Johannesburg), with aim to gain better understanding of the P2P developments in Africa that are emergent in the form of hacker & makerspaces and fablabs. Further suggestions most welcome to develop this list beyond the those listed in Fablab directory.

• Kër Thiossane in Dakar, Senegal: http://www.ker-thiossane.org/

• WoeLab in Lome, Togo: http://wlab.weebly.com/ (Feature on W.afate's upcycled 3D printer: http://www.ulule.com/wafate/)

• Gearbox in Nairobe, Kenya: http://gearbox.co.ke/

• NGO Shalin has been doing some appropriate tech/renewable energy projects in Kenya: http://shalinry.org

• Open Taqafa in Casablanca, Morocco: http://www.opentaqafa.cc

• Elfabrika in Tunis, Tunisia: https://www.facebook.com/elfabrika

• FabLab South Africa, http://www.fablab.co.za/

(update on South Africa via Irma Wilson: there's 8 in SA -- they are run through the CSIR -- only one of them (Shoshunguwe, North of Pretoria) seems to have any real vibrancy and uptake around it ; 3-5 December sees Johannesburg's 2nd big MakersFair ; SAIS is about to bring out a book on African innovations, http://www.saisprogramme.com/ )

More Information

• here's a list of fablabs worldwide, including African countries: http://fab.cba.mit.edu/about/labs/