House of Geeks gives Moroccan developers a reason to stay

In this refurbished garage covered with graffiti, 11 developers are working on apps and video games. A young woman sees me and offers to introduce the rest of the team. “Here, we’re a big family,” she says with an earnest smile on her face.

Downstairs is a makerlab, a gaming lounge, a book area; on the rooftop is a terrace for yoga and reading; and each floor has apartments for the developers.

This inspiring space is not in Los Angeles. It’s in Agadir, a town better known for its all-inclusive hotels, in the south of Morocco.

This is The House of Geeks, a concept created by two Frenchmen driven by one objective: to convince the most talented of Moroccans to stay and work in their country, and to provide them with the means to become resilient entrepreneurs who will find the solutions that will could benefit Africa.

Local tech entrepreneurs are key to Africa’s survival

Kamel Magour, an economist-turned-entrepreneur trained in the US and China is convinced that Africa needs to innovate locally to survive.

“Tech innovation is a way of thinking, it’s a culture, a mesh of people,” he said. “This is not something you can import.”

Original article by Aline Mayard

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House of Geeks gives Moroccan developers a reason to stay