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Meet the African nonprofits democratizing access to XR and AI

Recently, XR Today spoke exclusively to: Arome Ibrahim, Program Director, Immersive Tech AfricaA non-profit organization introducing XR to African businesses. The Immersive Tech Africa team “advocates and supports the next generation of tech content creators on the African continent,” Ibrahim said.

Founded in 2020, the nonprofit says it is “committed to democratizing access” to XR and AI through education, training and research, and aims to “build a thriving and inclusive technology community on the African continent.” Ibrahim said:

Ibrahim explained that the Immersive Tech Africa team first started a group of online webinars where they invited guest speakers to share their challenges and experiences, and then “grew into a community and have now decided to register as an official non-profit organization.”

Helping African companies enter the XR market

Immersive Tech Africa has helped many companies adopt XR to improve their business operations. One company, according to Ibrahim, is MTN Nigeria. The company said it had launched MTN Metaverse to engage with high-network customers in its virtual division. “The largest telecommunications company on the African continent with over 70 million users” It was the first enterprise-based metaverse on the African continent and the results of its deployment were truly amazing. “10,000 users adopted this experience during launch.”

Additionally, South African banking company NET Bank collaborated with Immersive Tech Africa to “create a virtual engagement platform for users to engage with front-end customers in a virtual environment and resolve any queries or issues.”

Ibrahim added:

How can these companies go beyond leveraging traditional technologies and adapt to what’s happening globally? It’s great to see some of these organizations are changing so quickly. Some of them are now moving as fast as 3D robotics and may even leverage AI to build front-end consumer experiences, perhaps leveraging VR and AR. For example, MTN recently launched a digital experience center where users can walk in, get a virtual SIM card, try out products and services, and even experience a VR platform if needed.

Internationally accessible XR promotion

Increasingly, web XR solutions are becoming the means by which business users can access the XR Series. Compared to expensive and sometimes inaccessible VR headsets or AR smart glasses, Web XR is a great, modern alternative that helps many users take advantage of XR services.

Ibrahim explained that the mobile device market for XR is huge, with “mobile-based AR experiences and web XR.” Ibrahim highlighted groups like Shift XR, a no-code web XR platform that “helps small and medium-sized businesses deploy relevant versions of 3D models. A product or service on the web.”

Ibrahim added:

We are happy to report that it has been successfully deployed. Swift XR has partnered with a company called Taylor to deploy certain features on Taylor’s website. Taylor is a furniture brand based in Lagos, Nigeria and the feedback has been amazing. Users can preview furniture they would like to buy, no matter where they are in Africa, and change the color of their surroundings before making a specific purchase.

“Accessibility is very important,” says Ibrahim. XR is truly amazing, but many people still don’t know what XR is. Many people have never experienced it.”

Ibrahim said:

Now that everyone has a mobile device, we’re pushing more AR-based experiences and webXR experiences. We do not limit the barriers to entry for those users. Rather, it is increasing. I believe that just as we have cheap and affordable mobile devices, we will have headsets that will be readily available to users all over the world in the next few years.

“It’s just a matter of time,” Ibrahim said. Ibrahim noted that the XR devices market will require “significant investments” to achieve this over the next few years and support local developer talent. “We need products that can be built for XR, not just for consumption, but for building amazing experiences that can transform industries around the world.”