Most of Africa was asleep when Apple released news of Steve Jobs passing. Many heads of state and business leaders have given tribute to Steve’s legacy. Despite a low market share in Africa, Steve Jobs and Apple have clearly left their mark on the online African community. CNN Africa Correspondent David Mackenzie has asked Africans to provide what they feel defines the legacy of Steve Jobs. Quite a few users have already replied to his inquiry. Additionally, The New Times of Rwanda has published a few remembrances from those involved in Rwandan ICT.

Independently, we searched Twitter for an hour to find what everyday Africans have been saying on Twitter about the loss of Steve Jobs. The results are uplifting, and of course are interspersed with some humor:

• In at least Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya, the following Tweet is being re-tweeted like wildfire: ‘3 Apples changed the world,1st 1 seduced Eve,2nd fell on Newton & 3rd was offered 2 d world half bitten by him’ #stevejobs”
• In Ghana, the Tweet: “Steve has been appointed as Director of a new CLOUD BASED project named as ‘iHeaven’ #RIPsteve Jobs” is trending
• News of Steve Jobs death was trending in Zimbabwe, according to @TrendsZim
• Tweets about “famzing” (pretending to be close to celebrities) are also trending in Nigeria
• Steve Jobs RIP, Apple you need to get an office in Nigeria, your biggest market in Africa {@ianspi}
• Apple Community techno geeks will miss Steve Jobs, Talent depth, Innovation, non conventional Thinking. Cape Town, South Africa love Steve {@Dlonraz}
• RIP Steve Jobs. The visionary leader and creator of ipad, ipod, iphone, etc Technopreneurs all over Africa will miss you! {@gilautomation}
• Steve Jobs, the Most Innovative Entrepreneur of our Time! – #RIPSteveJobs from us at Junior Achievement South Africa {@JASouthAfrica}
• Interesting fact…Kenya is one of the biggest apple products consumer in Africa. Steve Jobs sure impact us {@digitalbrands}
• RIP Steve Jobs even for me a child growing up in Africa you have been an inspiration— you have touched the lives of many. {@shoxmami}
• Good Morning 50 Million Amazing People (One South Africa): Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life… Steve Jobs {@AmandaJaneWilde}
• RIP Steve Jobs Without your innovations we would never have been able to do half the things we do in Africa {@DropInTheBucket}
• Steve Jobs wasn’t known to us in the Savannah forests of Africa but we felt him by Apple {@peneshigeorge}
• R.I.P Steve #RIP Steve Jobs Created more jobs than the governments of Africa combined!!! Will be greatly missed by the gurus {@MajjorMwangi}
• South Africans and Africa at large are saying thank u to God for the wonderful creation like Steve Jobs. {@kapikapricko}
• Rest in peace Steve jobs u changed our way of life we feel u here in Africa {@davishare}
• Iconic former Apple CEO Steve Jobs dies at 56 {@MidiaHouse}
• South Africa: don’t wake up. Steve Jobs has died but maybe this is just a bad dream this early on a Thursday morning. {@ap1pel}
• No corporation in Kenya would have hired Steve Jobs. He did not have the academic qualifications. {@MachariaGaitho}
• on behalf of kenya: RIP Steve jobs {@geniusmonk}
• Was on a panel: Africa – leveraging Mauritius for exporting ICT services and b4 starting there was a minute of silence for Steve Jobs. {@AidaOpokuMensah}
• Steve Jobs Is Dead nairaland.com/775904 🙁 {@nairaland}
• Today we celebrate the life of Steve Jobs: the man behind the Mac, iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and more. {@QluQluNg}
• To say that Steve Jobs impacted the world of technology is so wrong, instead he defined it ! Good night SJ #stevejobslegacy #Nigeria {@tundewoods}
• Steve Jobs u are remembered! When can we have our steve in nigeria
  {@MSRingeem}
• The Geek in me is really coming out today. My tech-idol is dead. Truly sad.RIP STEVE JOBS {@crazynairobian}
• No one likes waking up to sad news…Today we mourn another great person;a leader, mentor,business guru just to name a few. R.I.P Steve Jobs {@CKirubi}
• A tribute to Steve Jobs on the Eve of #Uganda’s Independence http://wp.me/p6XsZ-ab {@Opiaiya}
• RIP Steve Jobs. You will be missed. You changed the worlds vision on technology {@zimleague}
• RIP steve jobs thnks 4 de iphone 4s .#zambia {@cskillzihd}
• RIP steve jobs merci pour le mac l’iphone ect… mm si tt les matériaux de constructions sont pillés ds mon pays RDC congo…. {@negus6}
• This shall be deep mourning for me. #RIP #stevejobs #fb
  {@nara_l}
• Hommage a Steve Jobs. Mes condoleances aux @CyanGirls et a tous les fans d’#Apple au Senegal {@arons3}

Of course, there are a select few individuals (mostly non-Africans, it seems) who wish the world would focus more on children dying in Africa than the death of one man. Others blame Apple for exploiting mineral wealth and contributing to the war in the DRC. And, even others criticize the lack of philanthropy compared with that of Bill Gates.

The vast majority of sentiments, however, honor the man who inspired innovation. If only we all could take risks like Steve Jobs…