My business partner uses the following phrase ad nauseam, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” It sometimes sounds like a pretty dumb phrase, but it’s actually true. Collaboration is about ‘what you don’t know and what others do know’ and how knowledge is pooled to make stuff better. And as you collaborate, not only will knowledge around the project grow exponentially, but so will your luck. Ours certainly has.

 Image: Cangro 

In my previous blog ‘Thank you, Donald Trump,’ I tried to understand Trump’s US-exclusive phrase and then it struck me, in South Africa, we are even worse off. Here’s why.

 Dear President Trump

‘America First’ sounds like a great idea and my thanks goes to you for forcing us to think as to whom should come first. Please allow me to borrow from you, this sentiment, but would you mind if I replaced America with Africa, as I happen to be African and not American?

As I walked through Delta Park yesterday, I saw a gentleman throw a bag of dog poo in the bin on his way out. I thanked him, because this is a rare occurrence. Up until a year or two ago, the parks were dog poo-free. People were conscious and had a conscience. They walked with plastic bags and cleared up after their dogs. Not anymore.

If we are clear that data allows decision makers to make evidence-based decisions, we immediately understand the importance of open data to the collaborative process. Data not only has the power to revolutionise and disrupt the way societies are governed but also the way citizens and government collaborate.