At the Africa Tech Festival 2024, Mohamed Madkour, Huawei’s vice-president of ICT strategy and marketing, highlighted key priorities for Africa’s continued digital advancement.
Since his first visit to the event in 2016, Madkour noted Africa’s impressive progress in broadband and digital services, which he described as the “two wings for Africa to kick off and fly.”
However, he urged Africa to expand its focus beyond these foundational elements, identifying “intelligent connectivity” and “transformation” as critical to the continent’s future.
“Today, everything around us is centred on transformation and inspired by intelligence, built on a solid layer of connectivity,” Madkour explained, emphasizing the need to align on goals that drive smart transformation across society, industry, and the economy.
According to him, smart transformation hinges on three factors: sustainability, advanced technology, and improved quality of life for citizens.
Energy consumption was a central concern in Madkour’s remarks, particularly given that it represents almost half of operational costs for African mobile operators.
He emphasised that sustainability, particularly in energy efficiency, will be a crucial factor in Africa’s digital strategy. Additionally, technologies like 5G, AI, and cloud are shaping a “golden opportunity” for individuals and organizations alike to lead healthier, more prosperous lives, and improve productivity.
“A country without a digital future,” he remarked, “will not have any future.”
Madkour framed this transformation as a dual revolution in energy and information, with ICT infrastructure forming the backbone of Africa’s digital economy. However, to achieve this vision, he highlighted a shift from the current ICT industry to broader “industry digitalisation” as the continent’s true long-term opportunity.
He identified four essential areas – services, infrastructure, talent, and environment – that Africa must prioritize, collectively remembering them with the acronym “SITE.”
Particularly concerning for Madkour was the wide gap in smartphone penetration and connectivity access. Citing data on the challenges of providing smartphones to sub-Saharan Africa, where only 2G and 3G feature phones dominate many regions, he emphasised the importance of making affordable smartphones widely available: “We need to put a remarkable device—a smartphone—in every African’s hand.”
Finally, Madkour addressed the challenges posed by the continent’s broadband infrastructure, with 300 million people living over 50 kilometers from the nearest fiber connection. He noted that mobile technology is already playing an essential role in bridging this gap, underscoring that “home broadband in Africa needs a big boost” to empower communities and support economic growth.
South Africa Aims To Be Africa’s Top Digital Investment Destination, Says Minister Malatsi
By Gugu Lourie
Cape Town, AfricaTech Festival — South Africa’s Minister of Communication and Digital, Solly Malatsi, delivered an impactful message on Africa’s digital future, emphasising South Africa’s central role as a regional hub for investment and innovation.
In his speech titled “Advancing Africa’s Digital Future: South Africa’s Commitment to Connectivity, Innovation, and Inclusive Growth,” Malatsi laid out the country’s vision to harness digital transformation not only to strengthen South Africa but to benefit the entire continent.
Malatsi highlighted South Africa’s unique position to attract digital investment, stating, “To advance this vision, we are positioning South Africa as a prime destination for digital investment that will drive benefits across Africa. The tech ecosystem in Africa is growing rapidly, and the continent’s internet economy is expected to reach $180 billion by 2025, contributing 5.2% to Africa’s GDP (International Finance Corporation, 2022).”
Malatsi emphasised that South Africa’s skilled workforce, regulatory support, and strategic location create an ideal environment for a technology hub capable of propelling growth across Africa.
“Investing in South Africa is not just an investment in one country; it is an investment in Africa’s future. Every dollar committed here strengthens our digital infrastructure, fuels job creation, and promotes an innovation culture that can be shared by our African neighbours,” he stated.
