The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially begins today in the United States – and this year Africans are making their mark at the premier global showcase of technology and innovation.

In Las Vegas, among thousands of people from 150 nations, are entrepreneurs from Swaziland ready to connect with CES2017 guests and vendors, and present information about Swazi Bridge Project.

“The Internet is more than Angry Birds and Pokemon Go. It is access to medical information, social inclusion, global commerce and the ability to learn many skills,” the tech startup explains on its website. “The Swazi Bridge Project was created to bridge the digital divide in the Kingdom of Swaziland.”

The project launched in 2014, with a focus on improving connectivity and access. A map on the Swazi Bridge Project website demonstrates how “unplugged” Swaziland is from the network of fiber optic cables that surround it, for one thing.

“In 2015 we came to the conclusion that improving the telecommunications infrastructure and providing free access to secure high speed Internet would be one way to deliver the change we were looking for,” the Swazi Bridge Project explains. “Delivering consistent and quality service to the ‘last mile’ is one of the challenges in the developing world.”

The Swaziland tech startup is partnering with African Tech Roundup on updates from CES2017. Other attendees include fintech startup WeCashUp, first launched in Cameroon; a Digital Africa delegation from Nigeria, and representatives of Africa Tech Now, a pan-African initiative planning an African Tech Village at the show next year.

We’ll be keeping an eye on African entrepreneurs at CES2017, so keep an eye on us at @_AfricaTimes!

Image: Swazi Bridge Project