Hello Steemers!
I am Itu, from Johannesburg, South Africa. I have looked around the site and I must say there are some pretty smart people here. So while I still find my feet I would like to introduce myself, I am a jeweller by profession. I am passionate about blockchain technology, Liverpool Football Club, Gold, Gemstones, travel and of course hip hop. I also have a minor obsession with geopolitics. These are the topics I’ll be posting about, with more emphasis on the blockchain.
This particular site was brought to my attention by blockchain enthusiast Stephen P. Kendal. Fell in love with the idea that I could get paid for content while I learn.
I am mostly here to try and have a conversation, I want to ask questions as much as I can offer insight. My hope is that I can learn through the comments sections and we could discuss ideas and have a dialogue. For example, I have ideas on what we could do with blockchain but sometimes no idea where you could start since I am not from a tech background.
My main mission is to bank the unbanked here in Africa. I am on a mission of cutting transaction fees, speeding up transactions and bringing more individuals into the formal economy. Sounds crazy, believe me I know. When you consider that this is a continent where corruption runs amok, the lawmakers don’t care, and there is no political will to change the lives of citizens, you start to realise what an uphill task this will be, especially when you consider the fact that the blockchain has yet to make serious inroads in the developed world, what more in the developing world where adoption of new technologies is often five to ten years behind.
I am not fazed however. There has been a lot of groundwork already been done by lots of innovative people around the continent in places like Kenya, Botswana and right here in South Africa. Keep in mind that this is the continent with the youngest population on average. That signals potential. But it is also the continent with the highest cross border banking fees. This is not because banks and money transfer organisations can’t offer lower rates, they just don’t care. They charge high fees because they can. And as a result, billions of dollars are being diverted from families that could ill afford to lose a single dollar, money that could have done so much more for those families. [See http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL6N0N83TQ20140416]
So that’s my story, well some of it at least. I also will be exploring the possibilities with the Steemit blockchain while I’m at it. Hope to get to learn from a lot of you.
Thanks for reading.