News over Africa is very often filled with stereotyped images of famine, war and disease. But there is also another side to the continent. Fast-growing economies and investment opportunities. The Dutch production company Interactive Africa focuses its lens precisely on the innovative side of Africa with its online video reports Spark Africa.

Among other fascinating reports comprising this 30-part video series, we take a look at how for example an entrepreneur from Friesland in the Netherlands has established a successful dairy business in Tanzania and how students from the University of Nairobi, Kenia, came about to invent a bicycle charger for mobile phones.
Spark Africa is about innovative developments you hear little about. All the items are produced by African journalists and cameramen which creates a different dynamics compared to when a white European crew is used.

The video reportages are a mix of portraits of Dutch entrepreneurs in Africa, African inventors and reports on fast-growing industries like the outsourcing of ICT work in Africa.

In this edition: A report on how a group of students in Kenya invented a very handy phone charger.

Photo: teachandlearn (Flickr CC)