Key Highlights
- MediAR enables users to create AR experiences without the need for prior coding skills.
- The platform has an inclusive monetization model shared between content creators and brands.
- The platform was developed with a 180,000 Euros grant from ACP-EU HEVA
Kenyan extended reality pioneer BlackRhino VR has launched MediAR, Africa’s first ever augmented reality (AR) cloud editor and publishing platform. The innovative drag-and-drop tool allows anyone to build AR experiences without coding skills or prior technical knowledge.
At a vibrant launch event, BlackRhino VR CEO Brian Afande introduced MediAR as a game-changer for unlocking creativity across Africa through AR technology. By drastically reducing barriers around AR development, the platform aims to “empower Africa’s youth” and “democratize extended reality technologies” across the continent.
“Our primary objectives are to empower Africa’s youth, who are the innovators of the future, to broaden their skills sets that allow them to scale up innovations as well as to democratize extended reality technologies in order to make them easily accessible,” explained Afande during his keynote address.
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Ultimately, BlackRhino VR’s vision is that by fostering the next generation of young “AR innovators and inventors,” tools like MediAR can drive “an Internet economy that will in turn create jobs, reduce poverty, and contribute to the continent’s development.”
Shattering Misconceptions About Africa’s Tech Innovation
Afande also emphasized the need to “demystify the notion that Africa is only a consumer of technology.” He highlighted that MediAR itself serves as a prime example that “there are numerous innovative African technological solutions that are being developed to solve the continent’s challenges.”
Other BlackRhino VR leaders like Head of AR/VR Longino Muluka further drove home the huge potential for African tech talent to build transformative new platforms tailored to local needs. Muluka stressed that demonstrating AR use cases across key industries in construction, agriculture, and education will be vital for showing this talent and maximizing economic impact.
MediAR Pioneers Inclusive AR Revenue Sharing
In another African first, MediAR introduces a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model to the AR space. The pay-per-view monetization approach is intentionally designed so both content creators and brands can benefit financially from published AR experiences.
Funded by €180,000 EU-ACP Grant
Development of MediAR was supported by an approximately €180,000 grant from the ACP-EU, an organization financing creative industries in East Africa.
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As Managing Director Shamina Rajab explained, the grant was awarded to BlackRhino VR via the Ignite Culture program, which selected them as a top contender for fostering cultural and creative sector growth throughout the region. It provided critical resources, empowering the team to innovate fearlessly.
The Next Digital Revolution in Africa
Overall, BlackRhino VR envisions MediAR as the spark that ignites a thriving AR goods and services ecosystem throughout Africa. By empowering creators and expanding skills, the platform can drive job growth for youth and poverty alleviation across multiple industries.
Moreover, with the global extended reality market exploding towards a projected $100 billion value by 2026, MediAR kicks off Africa’s race to lead what could be one of the most transformational tech-driven economic booms in history.
