Great technology shouldn’t be treated as a luxury in African business anymore. It’s a necessary tool, especially now that attention is harder to earn and even harder to keep. When used with a bit of creativity, even basic access to it can lead to something powerful for a fraction of the cost.

Augmented reality (AR), might sound out of reach for most of us, especially if you’re just starting out. But it really doesn’t have to be. You do not need the flashiest setup. You just need to work with what you have now or find ways to collaborate with other startups and share resources where you can.

AR is becoming one of the strongest ways for brands to connect with people in a more meaningful way. If you’re not thinking about it now, you risk becoming invisible in the market. When you approach it with both imagination and practicality, it can help you reach your customers in ways they’ve never experienced before. And as we all know, when you connect with people like that, you’ve found something that goes beyond just selling.

AR is one of those things you should be thinking about early, even in the planning stages. It’s already changing how people interact with brands. It’s helping businesses offer moments that customers remember. That doesn’t mean you need to build an expensive app or hire a big tech team, but you have to be open to new ways of showing what your product or service can do super early on.

It has become harder and harder to get people to stop and pay attention and giving them something they can see, explore or interact with, even in a small way, can make a huge difference. People aren’t just looking for information anymore. They want to feel something. One-way marketing is losing its edge. People want experiences that feel relevant and real. AR offers that. It gives people a bridge between the online and offline world, letting them experience what your brand stands for, not just what it sells. When it’s done right, AR isn’t just another tech feature. It’s a way to build real engagement and leave something behind that people actually remember.