Africa Tech Festival: Defining moment for African telecoms

Africa’s telecommunications sector stands at a defining moment, with potential for transformative growth – if it achieves pan-African collaboration.

A ministerial forum at the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town this week heard that the continent has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 600-million internet users. However, internet penetration stands at a mere 43%, compared to a global average of 66%. This gap represents both a challenge and an immense opportunity for development across the continent.

_{John OMO, secretary general of the ATU speaks at the Ministerial Forum during AfricaCom 2024}

The forum, hosted by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the South African Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), and Huawei, saw the communication ministers of South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, as well as the secretary general of the ATU, sign a joint communiqué committing to inclusive and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa.

They agreed that such action will start with ICT technologies, including the development of national cloud infrastructures to meet the needs of intelligence and AI adoption; developing solar micro-grids to rapidly increase electricity coverage across sub-Saharan Africa; and expanding network connectivity coverage in rural areas and developing smart education to further bridge the urban-rural divide.

“We find ourselves at a defining moment in our digital journey, more so in this continent that that I think really demands collective efforts in terms of policy initiatives, collective efforts in terms of practices and operational experiences,” said John Omo, secretary general of the ATU, setting the tone for the event.

His call for collective action resonated throughout the forum, which provided a sobering assessment of Africa’s current digital landscape. Omo highlighted both progress and persistent challenges, pointing out that Internet penetration in Africa had increased significantly, from only 16% in 2012.

Solly Malatsi, South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, told the forum that he believed digital technologies were not a goal in themselves, but an essential facilitator for social inclusion.

“Digital technologies allow for the delivery of real time services that enable individuals to learn to work and live without being subject to any social barriers. But for many disadvantaged groups across the continent, access to some of these technologies remains a significant challenge. The digitisation of our daily lives, either with work, with education or even social interaction, has opened up boundless opportunities. At the same time, it has also introduced new barriers. These new barriers risk making the digital divide grow, with millions of people lacking access to the tools, the infrastructure and the necessary skills that they need to thrive in a digitally connected world.”

_{Solly Malatsi, South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, speaks at AfricaCom 2024}

The solution, he said, was a multifaceted approach to expanding access, enhancing skills and ensuring that technology adoption was sustainable and inclusive. Africa, said, was uniquely positioned to lead the world in renewable energy production.

“The continent is blessed with abundance of solar and mid energy resources, which means that we are in a much stronger position to leverage this alternative energy uses for connectivity purposes. However, we can’t ignore the reality that Africa still remains one of the least electrified regions in the world. More than half-a-billion people on the continent still lack access to reliable electricity. Projections are that, unless current electrification efforts are tripled, many of these individuals, the majority of whom are in rural areas, will remain without power by 2030. This underscores the importance of renewable energy as an instrument that can help filling the gap, and this is where innovation and collaboration comes into play.”

Malatsi said that, beyond access to infrastructure and access, the challenge was to ensure that citizens were equipped with the necessary skills to use digital technologies effectively.

“This makes digital literacy the right hand of digital inclusion. It is not enough simply to provide access to technology.”

He said the necessary interventions had to be put in place “to empower even the most vulnerable members of our society with the resources to acquire the digital skills that they need to navigate the digital world with confidence and that they can understand how to leverage these tools for their own personal and professional growth”.

Several critical factors had to be addressed to ensure digital inclusion became a reality.

Everyone, regardless of their background, their circumstances, has the opportunity to apply in a digital age. For South Africa and the broader continent to succeed in this digital transformation, we need both domestic and international investments into the ICT. The potential for both in the digital economy is immense, and South Africa is well positioned to be a leader in this space. Our strategic location, our growing ICT sector, our commitment to renewable energy, makes us an ideal partner for those investors who are looking to capitalise on Africa’s virgin digital market.”

Against the backdrop of a dispute in the Government of National Unity about his withdrawal of the pending SABC Bill, Malatsi made it clear that the administration was forging ahead with regulatory reforms, incentives and initiatives that support the growth of the digital economy.

“Our mission is to make South Africa hub for innovation and digital services, driving economic growth, creating jobs and uplifting people out of poverty and propelling them towards prosperity. The digital future of our country and the continent depends on our ability to integrate renewable energy with digital infrastructure. It is through this strategy that we can ensure that everyone and everywhere has access to the benefits of digital technologies. We must continue to drive forward with a sense of agency and purpose, because we know that we are now involved in a sector that requires us to anticipate the kind of future that we would live in.”

Dr Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u, Kenya’s cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Information Communication and Digital Economy, said her country was embracing the same strategy.

“We are taking a comprehensive approach to make sure that we are developing technologies, we are building infrastructure, we are improving access, we are building capacity, and we are raising awareness, not just for those working in the public sector, but for the entire population.”

_{Hover Gao, president of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa, at AfricaCom 2024}

The company most closely associated with foreign investment in the ICT sector, Huawei, used the forum to launch a Global Digitalisation Index (GDI), developed in collaboration with the International Data Corporation. The GDI provides a measure of a country’s ICT industry maturity based on a number of digital infrastructure indicators, including computing, storage, cloud, and green energy. GDI research found that a US$1 investment in digital transformation yields a return of US$8.3 in a country’s digital economy.

Hover Gao, president of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa, told the forum that Huawei was ready to work closely with all parties. It would offer its expertise to contribute to the ongoing development of an inclusive and sustainable “digital and intelligent Africa”.

 _{Li Zhengmao, chairman of the World Broadband Association (WBBA), speaks at AfricaCom 2024}

Dr Li Zhengmao, chairman of the World Broadband Association (WBBA), gave China as an example of how building high-quality digital infrastructure laid a solid foundation for the digital economy, society and government. He was adamant that this experience could be applied to the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and he expected the WBBA to strengthen cooperation with African countries to bridge the digital divide.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on social media on @art2gee.