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South Africa A Long, Long Way Away From Silicon Valley.


From Gary Miller's NetDiary 1.0
Date 11.23.99

NetDiary 1.0, Day 3.
South Africa lacks everything that makes The Valley tick.

Sun is just rising here in South Africa as I plod about in a unbearably hot un-Bay Area climate. They may have a jump on us as far as reaching the year 2000 almost 12 hours before we will, but any advantages end there.

Investigating a few scattered reports that South Africa was trying to muscle in on the Valley's undisputed reputation for being the center of 'Net universe, what I found instead was a tiny hut with a handful of volunteers trying to connect outlying remote villages for emergency relief and information. It's about as Un-Valley as you can get, and Valley Execs have nothing to worry about: These people are more busy trying to keep goats out of their server "rooms" (small grass huts) to pose any serious compitition.


South Africans: Too busy trying not
to starve to be a threat to the Net Set.

But how do we compare? Let's look at a recent Venture Capital Survey:

Venture Capital By Region.

Bay Area, California
3.36 billion

Squalor, South Africa
2.1 million.

Let me be quick to point out, most of this so called "Venture Capital", though it does go into 'net related technology, ends up in the coffers of The Red Cross and other food relief agencies to provide crucial information to aid the starving. They could probably use all they can get; the last time I saw a relief organization this desperate for cash, I was at the Santa Clara United Way! (drum roll... *ting!*) And speaking of starving! I haven't been able to find a decent resteraunt since landing. Where's a Togo's or Spago's when you need one?

Suave Silicon Valley citizens, sip your lattees and rest assured- our status of being aswim in cash is in no danger of being threatened, at least not by this place.

Now will someone *please* pass me an eggroll?