Phone ownership and signal coverage are expanding rapidly in Kenya. In rural areas, SMS messages are a great way for people to communicate advice and expertise. iShamba is making that system even easier, providing Kenyan farmers with key agricultural information for a minimal fee.

South African communities have embraced Callback, a free call request service, as a means of mobile communication. Utilised in an imaginative and unanticipated way, it signals the mutability of technology and technology culture in emerging markets.

The past decade has seen mobile and internet usage in Africa grow faster than any other region in the world, meaning affordable access is no longer a luxury. And new services are capitalising – from healthcare to education. Now, SMS-led loans are giving small businesses the opportunity to grow.

Smartphones are no longer just a means of communicating. They wake us up, get us from A to B and even help us find love. We’ve almost forgotten their original purpose. Text trumps voicecalls and apps trump SMS – it’s a good time to ask – what’s the future of the mobile phone?