Why Mali has its own homegrown version of Facebook
Lenali is a social media app created for non-literate, oral-based communities
In 2017, it was reported that Facebook had 170 million users in Africa -- seven out of every 10 Africans on the internet log into Facebook.
Platforms like WhatsApp, Viber and Instagram have become vitals tools of communication: for news, elections and, of course, selfies. Social media companies are eyeing Africa as a big growth market, with Facebook set to launch its first community hub in Nigeria this year.
However, platforms like Facebook largely center on written posts and conversation, as well as video. For those in the continent from oral-based, spoken language (non-literate) communities with little formal education, these platforms can be inaccessible.
This is the case ...