But if it wants to live up to its dreams, Africa Online still has its work cut out. Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, only had 4,000 internet host computers at the beginning of the year, and one user per 5,000 people. That compares to one per six in the US and Europe. Poor telecommunications and tough regulations across the continent add to the frustrations facing a market that, although growing, remains fundamentally stunted by low incomes and high overheads. Mr Makatiani admits the past year has been difficult.
Good managers are difficult to find throughout.
Perhaps surprisingly, the one challenge Mr Makatiani has not faced is finding good technical staff. The real difficulty is keeping them from being stolen by higher-paying companies. Despite these pitfalls, Africa Online remains firmly convinced that it is on to a winner. Advertising, news services, specialised telecoms services and electronic commerce are all around the corner, says Mr Makatiani. When Kenya's Telecom is privatised, we will be ready.