If you’re reading this article, you’re likely already a member of the TYPO3 community. You have no doubts that we’re working with the best, most secure, extensible, and versatile open-source CMS there is. But further afield, TYPO3 isn’t known very well. This is something that we should change. 

Since we’re promoting TYPO3 regionally in Europe, why not around the world? That’s why, from 2018, the TYPO3 Association has been taking a strategic project to expand TYPO3’s reach new countries and even continents, leading to forming the TYPO3 Community Expansion Committee in 2019. We do it for TYPO3 because this creates value to our community and our beloved CMS. We do it for others because we know this CMS will be reliable for their projects and help them in their careers. So far we have established connections to several communities from Africa and we have already many agencies and programmers eager to start using TYPO3, but they need our help further.

We welcome anyone who would like to contribute.

• Join Our Network of Mentors: We invite individuals to join our network of mentors to connect to developers in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. 
• We’re looking for digital agencies to join our delegation to CMS Summit Africa in Accra, Ghana in March

Join Our Network of Mentors

Getting the word out about TYPO3 was the first step. Now we need to help developers learn how to use TYPO3 to develop secure, reliable, and flexible websites. If we want to see TYPO3 grow in a new country, supporting learning efforts requires direct help. Newcomers get familiar with the ethos of open source as well as the direct answers and guidance about the resources in TYPO3. 

While we do have a proactive community on TYPO3’s Slack channels, it still poses a barrier to newcomers. They are often afraid to ask for help. We know that direct mentorship can instil confidence through camaraderie between learners and experienced developers. That is why we’re launching the “TYPO3 Direct Mentorship Program”, aiming to pair someone experienced from our TYPO3 community with someone who wants to learn in Africa. 

In Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe we have engaged developers who are eager to learn TYPO3 but are in need of help to start with the first steps and to receive answers to their newbie questions. We already have a number of African programmers ready for this program and we’re ready to introduce you. 

SkillDisplay has also committed to offering direct free support with their platform for any pair of mentor and mentee in the  “TYPO3 Direct Mentorship Program” program.

Just tell me you’re interested (on Slack or daniel.homorodean@typo3.org) and I’ll settle a match with a passionate programmer from Africa who would be your mentee. Connect to TYPO3 Slack and message me directly: daniel.homorodean. 

The TYPO3 Delegation to CMS Africa Summit Accra - Ghana

This year, the CMS Africa Summit will be heading to Accra, Ghana, from 26 to 27 March 2020. This annual conference gathers CMS enthusiasts from all over the continent. 

Our presence at the previous editions of CMS Africa Summit from Kigali and Cape Town have helped TYPO3 gain visibility in Africa and were followed by direct engagement with the local IT communities from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe. TYPO3 was present at the previous two editions and it was very well received. You can read more about our visit last year in Cape Town: Making TYPO3 Global—CMS Africa Summit 2019.

As a result, the TYPO3 Association sent Anja Leichsenring and myself to Rwanda to help them plan and establish the TYPO3 community there. The Rwandan government has committed to use TYPO3 as the CMS to power all the portals of the institutions of the country, a decision taken at the highest level in their national IT authority. While the first new TYPO3 portals will be launched in the following months, the Rwandan TYPO3 community is also shaping up, preparing for their first official meetup this spring. Anja wrote a nice article about our experience there: A Week of Open-Source in Rwanda. 

We would like to do even more this year, with your help.

An Invitation to Digital Agencies

I launch an invitation, for any TYPO3 agency willing to experience first-hand the thrill of bringing TYPO3 to a new country, to explore the potential of a new market and of local partnerships, to join the TYPO3 delegation at the CMS Africa Summit in Accra, Ghana. 

This event is the best place to find potential collaborators or ideas for projects that can be done in partnership, in Africa or in Europe. 

The conference is a great opportunity to meet people involved in CMS development from all over Africa. About 400 people are expected to attend. From the experience of the last two years, I can say that there is great diversity with inspiring conversations among attendees from all across the continent and beyond. With a larger TYPO3 team, we can engage in more depth with people who are interested.  

The event host country, Ghana, has one of the fastest-growing innovative tech ecosystems, with many regional startups, incubators, coworking spaces and an expanding local IT industry. 

Our plan is to arrive earlier in Accra and spend two days before the conference, 24-25 March to make the most of this opportunity. We are organizing it similar to an “economic delegation,” with a detailed scheduled agenda of organized meetings for two days. The TYPO3 Community Expansion Committee is taking care of the organization, you just need to come.

This will give us a chance to explore the potential of business in Ghana and to promote TYPO3 directly. We are planning meetings with the central Ghanian institutions, universities, and private educational initiatives. We also plan to connect to the IT industry through providers of coworking spaces, including smaller and bigger companies, incubators and accelerators. 

Feel free to contact me if you want to participate, if you have specific interests that you would like to be explored through the meetings or if you already have yourself relevant connections on the ground in Accra among the targeted partners.  

Ready to Get Involved?

There is a world of opportunity for TYPO3. There is an opportunity for the world as well, in TYPO3. But still, there is a lot to do if we want to bring and to grow TYPO3 in new countries. TYPO3 needs you. These two direct and immediate opportunities are open to those who would like to get involved. 

Contact me directly if you want to either join the network of mentors or attend the TYPO3 CMS Delegation to Africa. Via email daniel.homorodean(at)typo3.org, or connect to TYPO3 Slack and message me directly: daniel.homorodean. 

Looking forward to meeting you in Africa!