Travelling through Africa reveals a continent on the move. This is especially true for the field of communication. All over the region the number of internet and, particularly, cell phone users is rapidly rising. Even in remote areas, life without a cell phone is often unimaginable. And these devices are increasingly web compatible. “A revolution,” proclaim professional observers. Modern political communication is affected and altered by these innovations. In fact, the effects of digitalisation on democratic competition are already visible in many places on the continent – on websites, social networks and YouTube videos. From Accra to Johannesburg, from Kampala to Windhoek, from Nairobi to Maputo.

Change in technology and content mean challenges not only for the campaign movers and shakers in the African region. Their German colleagues are also continually discussing and trying out new instruments of political communication, true to the belief, “the future is now.” The idea of sharing knowledge seems apparent, providing a platform from which everyone can profit. KAS Media Africa, the Media Programme Sub-Sahara Africa of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, would like to contribute to such an exchange. We want to build a bridge – between German and African players in modern political communication, who can then share their ideas, practices, successes, failures, assessments and much more.

Welcome to the KAS E-lection Bridge Africa!

We want to veer away from the one-way street in which knowledge and experience only flow in one direction, and head toward a new form of ‘two-way road’ between the practitioners. Experts from Germany and Africa will take turns providing information about the digital state of affairs via short interviews suitable for viewing on the internet and cell phone. Kicking-off the series, in a two-part episode, will be the General Secretary of the CDU, Klaus Schüler, and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Chairman of the New Patriotic Party in Ghana.

“KAS E-lection Bridge Africa” conferences have taken place in Accra, Ghana, in April 2011 and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in May 2012. The next conference is planned for April 2013.