Tech (437)
Across Africa, a digital revolution is sweeping through, reshaping the aspirations and opportunities for a generation. Driving this transformation is the critical need for young people to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in the digital age.
The Congolese government officially initiated the construction of “Caria Tech Village,” a technology park, on Wednesday, January 17, in Kintélé. The park is envisioned as a hub for learning and development activities for young incubators and startups in Congo.
Léon Juste Ibombo, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy, emphasized the project’s strategic significance in a world where the digital economy is central. He stated that Caria Tech Village would house the entire digital ecosystem and be built on the site of the former Union Africaine des Postes et Télécommunication.
The park, to be constructed over 2024 by Phone Control, a Tunisian company specializing in digital infrastructure, will be supervised by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Scientific Research.
Upon completion, Caria Tech Village will provide high-quality training courses for young people, ranging from bachelor’s degrees to doctorates. It will also serve as a space for industry professionals to enhance their skills in innovative technologies. Beyond its training programs, the park will act as a dynamic platform for start-ups, aiding them in fully developing their projects and creating added value.
The project aligns with a government program dedicated to learning and practicing development activities for young incubators. This initiative aligns with President Denis Sassou N’Guesso’s vision: he declared 2024 as the year of youth in Congo.
Samira Njoya
The South African online marketplace Zandaux is eying the entire continent but, its initial expansion efforts are targeted towards an East African nation.
South African e-commerce platform Zandaux announced its entry into Kenya on Wednesday, marking its first step in a broader expansion across the African continent. The company aims to connect African suppliers with a vast regional market, fostering business development and unlocking growth opportunities.
"Anything that has a market in Kenya will have a market on the entire African continent," remarked Zandaux CEO Franck Obambi Ngatse. "On Zandaux, you can buy something from a factory in Mombasa and have it shipped to Kinshasa. The payment is only released to the seller after the product has arrived, and we have a robust tracking system in place for products from seller to buyer."
This expansion coincides with Zandaux's current pursuit of 3 billion Kenyan shillings ($18.5 million) in funding to fuel its continental operations. Kenya is seen as a strategic gateway to other African markets, capitalizing on its established e-commerce infrastructure and growing consumer base. Statista projects the number of e-commerce users in Africa to reach 520 million by 2024, highlighting the immense potential for platform growth.
"The future is there, but all the actors need to come together. The fintech brings payment solutions, and the governments make sure that the e-commerce is complete perfectly or even drop down some barriers, especially when it comes to input," Obambi Ngatse emphasized.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Nigeria: Aboyeji teams up with Koschitzky-Kimani to launch $750,000 accelerator for African startups
The lack of access to finance continues to be a significant hurdle for Africa's burgeoning startup ecosystem, hindering the continent's economic development potential. Despite a vibrant and growing entrepreneurial landscape, many promising startups struggle to secure the investments they need to scale up and thrive.
Nigerian tech entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (photo, left), co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave, has joined forces with Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani (photo), another experienced technology player, to launch Accelerate Africa, a new initiative aimed at fueling the growth of startups across the continent. The announcement was made in an exclusive interview with Techcabal.
The project, backed by a $750,000 grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will provide support to startups in all 54 African countries. The first cohort, consisting of ten pre-seed and early-stage companies from various sectors, will participate in an intensive eight-week program.
Combining elements of business development, technology integration, financing, and community building, the acceleration program will take place in both Lagos and Nairobi. Its goal is to empower African start-ups to scale faster and more sustainably.
At the program's culmination, the participating ventures will have the opportunity to pitch their projects to investors, including angel investors with the capacity to inject up to $500,000 into promising initiatives.
Aboyeji and von Koschitzky-Kimani's vision for Accelerate Africa is ambitious. They hope to unlock the vast potential of Africa's entrepreneurial spirit and support a significant number of promising start-ups, particularly at a time when international accelerator support is waning.
"The big idea is to become the Y Combinator (YC) of Africa," Aboyeji said, referring to the renowned American accelerator. "We are looking for founders with great ideas and massive market opportunities. The impressive ones who would have gotten into YC but can't because YC is closing their doors to Africa, so to speak."
Samira Njoya
In line with numerous nations, Nigeria is striving to establish itself as a leader in the global digital landscape. The government is collaborating with seasoned industry participants to realize this ambition.
Nigeria will launch the National Broadband Alliance (NBAN) in the first quarter of 2024, aiming to accelerate internet access rollout nationwide. The initiative targets eight states initially, including Edo, Ogun, Kwara, Katsina, Imo, Abia, Borno, and Nasarawa, seeking to address challenges hindering fiber optic network adoption and returns.
"The alliance will bring together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, as well as civil society, to collaboratively develop a sustainable business model(s) for driving the adoption and consumption of internet in key critical public institutions (schools, hospitals, government offices, libraries and markets etc) across the nation," a government document revealed.
This project aligns with the government's digital inclusion goals, aiming to build a collaborative platform for technology players and share resources to support the national internet access program.
Nigeria's internet penetration currently stands at around 45.57%, with only 39% of the population within 5 kilometers of fiber optic networks, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The average download speed of 26.48 Mbps ranks the country 89th globally, highlighting the need for improved connectivity, particularly in rural areas. The NBAN aims to address these challenges by facilitating rapid broadband deployment, leveraging expertise and resources from partners and international organizations, and ensuring all segments of society participate in the digital economy.
Samira Njoya
Universities around the world are rapidly accelerating their transition to digital education, driven by the urgent need to prepare students for a job market increasingly reliant on digital skills and qualifications. This shift necessitates the adoption of new technologies and pedagogies that go beyond simply replicating traditional classroom experiences online.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Adama Diawara, officially presented 16 mobile studios for recording digital teaching resources to the country’s public universities and grandes écoles.
Valued at XOF275 million ($458,125), these acquisitions aim to foster an environment conducive to integrating digital technology into the education system. “Digital technology is a powerful lever of transformation to support public education policies in all their dimensions,” Diawara stated.
The initiative is part of the AMRUGE-CI n°2 project, which seeks to stimulate the development of digital education. Mobile studios will be delivered to all the country’s universities to reinforce flexible educational production and digital documentation.
Since 2013, the government has collaborated with the French Development Agency (AFD), which has mobilized over XOF10 billion for the development of digital education in Côte d’Ivoire through the Debt Reduction-Development Contract (C2D).
By digitizing the education system, the Ministry aims to renovate the higher education offering to better meet job market demands, guarantee education quality, and comply with international standards.
The first beneficiaries include the Universities of Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Cocody, Nangui Abrogoua in Abobo-Adjamé, Alassane Ouattara in Bouaké, Jean Lorougnon Guédé in Daloa, Péléforo Gon in Korhogo, Man, Bondoukou, San Pedro, the Université Virtuelle de Côte d’Ivoire, the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Abidjan, and the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Yamoussoukro.
Samira Njoya
Across Africa, investing in the tech skills of young people is gaining momentum as countries recognize the crucial role technology plays in their development aspirations. Governments and institutions are increasingly turning to partnerships to build the necessary training infrastructure and equip future generations with the digital know-how to drive progress.
Angolan President João Lourenço on Friday inaugurated the Integrated Center for Technological Training (CINFOTEC) in Huambo, marking a significant step in the country's efforts to bolster its tech skills. The center, built with Chinese government funding, aims to equip Angolans with the technical and vocational knowledge needed to thrive in the digital age.
CINFOTEC Huambo sprawls across 20,000 square meters, boasting 30 laboratories and six workshops dedicated to fields like robotics, information technology, and other technical areas. In its initial phase, the center will train up to 2,400 students annually, contributing to a more skilled workforce in the Angolan tech sector.
The inauguration underscores China's growing role as a partner in Africa's technological development. In 2023 alone, China partnered with Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, and the Seychelles on various digital transformation initiatives. CINFOTEC Huambo is the third such center in Angola, joining two others in Luanda province.
"This is a modern, well-equipped training center, and our teachers have also been trained in China," said Geraldo Pambasange, Director of CINFOTEC Huambo. "We are very grateful for China's help and look forward to continuing our cooperation with them in the future."
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Africa is witnessing a swift expansion of its digital economy. However, government measures that disrupt internet services and limit access to social media platforms carry significant implications.
Sub-Saharan Africa saw a nearly $1.74 billion loss in 2023 due to internet outages and social network restrictions, a 489.83% increase from the $295 million loss in 2022, according to data from UK specialist platform Top10VPN. Despite a decrease in the number of people affected by these restrictions from 133.1 million in 2022 to almost 84.8 million in 2023, the number of countries imposing restrictions increased from seven to ten.
Top10VPN attributes the rise in financial loss in 2023 to the extended duration of outages, which lasted 30,785 hours compared to 9,532 hours in 2022. Ethiopia, a large country in terms of demographics and economy, accounted for the highest number of hours of internet and social media impairment.
Ethiopian authorities restricted access to Facebook, YouTube, Telegram, and TikTok due to religious tensions, leading to a peak in VPN service demand at 3,651% above average. The blockades, implemented in early February, were not lifted until July. Amid tensions with militias in the northern Amhara region, the internet was cut off in August and partially restored in November. The restrictions, which lasted over 3,414 hours for the internet and over 11,496 hours for social media, resulted in a loss of around $1.59 billion, or 91.37% of the total losses in sub-Saharan Africa.
Two West African countries, Senegal and Guinea, also contributed significantly to the financial losses in 2023. Senegal, due to pro-Sonko political demonstrations, cut the internet for 135 hours and social networks for 3,811 hours, resulting in a loss of $57.4 million. In Guinea, authorities restricted social network use since November 2023 without officially stating the reasons, leading to estimated losses of $47.4 million for the 3,720 hours of social media restriction.
Other countries that resorted to internet or social media restrictions in 2023 include Mauritania ($38.5 million), Kenya ($27 million), Sudan ($12.4 million), Gabon ($5.4 million), Tanzania ($2.8 million), Chad ($800,000), and Zimbabwe ($500,000).
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In line with its digital transformation strategy, Tunisia is set to digitize all citizen services, encompassing even social services. This move is part of the country's broader initiative to dematerialize services.
Tunisia's Minister of Social Affairs, Malek Ezzahi, and Minister of Communication Technologies, Nizar Ben Neji, have inked a cooperation agreement aimed at digitizing access to social services. The agreement, signed in Tunis on January 10, is part of a broader initiative to simplify administrative procedures and enhance services for citizens and businesses alike.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, in a press release, detailed the agreement's provisions, which include the adoption of electronic signatures for online administrative procedures, digital identity, and non-material data exchange. The agreement also facilitates access to the Ministry's sectoral platforms via the citizen portal and introduces citizen mail for detailed notifications, thereby improving communication between the administration and citizens.
The initiative falls under the national digital transformation strategy, set for implementation through 2025. It specifically targets entities under the Ministry of Social Affairs' purview, including the national social security fund, the national pension and social welfare fund, the national health insurance fund, the office for Tunisians abroad, and the general committees for social promotion and labor and professional relations.
To realize the agreement's objectives, the Ministry of Communication Technologies will collaborate with the National Information Center, the National Agency for Electronic Authentication, the National Agency for Cybersecurity, and the Tunisian Post Office.
Plans are also underway to streamline the distribution process for "Labes" and "Aman" healthcare cards. These cards, which will replace paper health insurance booklets and healthcare booklets for low-income individuals, will be used to pay for health services and purchase medicines.
Samira Njoya
Internet access restrictions have increasingly become a norm in Africa in recent years. A variety of factors contribute to the intentional suspension of the Internet, including limitations on information access, armed conflicts, and coups d'état among others.
In 2023, network outages impacted 84.8 million Internet users in sub-Saharan Africa. These disruptions, which lasted for 30,785 hours, resulted in estimated economic losses of $1.74 billion.
The region ranks second after Europe ($4.02 billion), surpassing Asia and the Middle East and North Africa region ($1.44 billion). A recent report published on Tuesday, January 2, by UK technology firm Top10VPN, sheds light on the restrictions that led to these financial losses. The report indicates that Internet restrictions due to peaceful protests were the most economically damaging in 2023.
Ethiopia experienced an estimated $1.59 billion in lost earnings in 2023 due to the extended suspension of social networks, including Facebook, YouTube, Telegram, and TikTok from February to July. This decision was made by the government in response to religious tensions. Similar restrictions were imposed in the Amhara region in early August due to escalating tensions with local militias, resulting in over 11,496 hours of social media shutdown.
In 2023, two major network outages occurred in Senegal in response to large-scale protests, affecting 8.01 million people. According to data from the Top10VPN platform, the total duration of the blockages is estimated at 135 hours, with financial losses valued at $57.4 million. This led to a surge in demand for VPN services to bypass the imposed restrictions, with an increase of over 60,000%.
Several other countries also experienced blackouts due to public protests, including Guinea, Mauritania, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Algeria, Chad, and Zimbabwe. The report by digital security and privacy research group Top10VPN also cites other reasons for social network censorship in Africa. These include information control, conflicts, military coups, and electoral interference as additional causes of Internet blocking.
Samira Njoya
The United Nations has identified affordable internet access as a key sustainable development goal. However, some leaders, despite their ongoing efforts to develop their countries, are restricting internet access to their populations for various reasons.
Since November 24, 2023, the Guinean government has imposed restrictions on internet access and social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. According to the British platform Top10VPN, these measures have cost the country approximately $47.4 million. The Guinean authorities have not yet explained the restrictions.
This blackout, which has lasted over 40 days, is not the first instance of such restrictions. In May 2023, amidst popular protests, the government limited access to social media for three days. According to the 2022 annual report of the local telecom regulator ARPT, Guinean internet users experienced 3,720 hours of internet outages and social media restrictions in 2023, affecting 6.98 million mobile internet subscribers.
Earlier this year, the Guinean tech industry association RESTIC –Rassemblement des entreprises du secteur des technologies de l'information et de la communication– called for the immediate restoration of internet access in the country and appealed to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for assistance in persuading the current regime.
Despite the ongoing digital transformation in Africa, several regimes have used internet restrictions to silence their populations. Senegal and Ethiopia, for instance, lost $57.5 million and $1.59 billion respectively in 2023 due to internet and social media blackouts, according to Top10VPN. Notably, Ethiopia is the second country to incur such significant losses due to internet and social media blackouts. It's worth noting that this practice is not exclusive to African countries. Amidst the war in Ukraine, Russia has resorted to similar measures, as have countries like Iran, Iraq, and Brazil.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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Digital skills are set to play a pivotal role in the upcoming global technological revolution. According to a report by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the demand for digital skills is projected to grow at a faster pace in sub-Saharan Africa compared to other global markets.
The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the European Union (EU) launched a digital training program for Ivorian youth, named "WE.CODE", in Abidjan on Monday, January 8. The program aims to provide 300 young individuals, aged between 18 and 35, with the necessary digital skills for the job market, thereby facilitating their professional integration.
This initiative is a part of the Invest for Jobs program, co-funded by GIZ and the EU. "By offering programs tailored to the needs of the digital job market, we aim to equip our learners with the skills they need to excel in an increasingly connected world," said Marc Levesque, a representative of the Invest for Jobs program.
Selected candidates will receive training in full-stack development, data management, and IT security. The training will be conducted in collaboration with two major digital sector entities in Côte d'Ivoire, Epitech University and MStudio.
The WE.CODE program, implemented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is developing a package of measures to support German, European, and African companies in investment activities that have a high employment impact in Africa. The program aims to create up to 100,000 jobs and improve working conditions and social protection in its eight African partner countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia.
Applications for the program can be submitted until Thursday, February 15, 2024, via the program's website.
Samira Njoya
Across Africa, progress in bridging the digital divide remains uneven, with some regions lagging despite efforts by governments and international organizations. Initiatives to create a critical mass of digital specialists continue to fall short, leaving many countries struggling to fully capitalize on the digital revolution.
Commonwealth Business Women Africa (CBW-A), a Nigerian organization focused on empowering African women in leadership and entrepreneurship, has partnered with educational technology firm Kodris Africa to train one million girls in coding across 22 African countries.
The initiative aims to transform the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and promote gender equality in the tech industry. According to Kodris Africa CEO Mugumo Munene, the program equips young girls with 21st-century skills such as design thinking, critical thinking, and algorithmic thinking. “The coding skills they acquire will also lead them to online environments where they can pick jobs as soon as they attain the age of 18, deliver remotely, and receive payments from the comfort of their homes,” he added.
As Africa navigates the ongoing technological revolution, initiatives like the U.S. government’s TechWomen program aim to increase the representation of African women in STEM professions. Networks such as the WomenTech Network support women in various tech roles, fostering an environment conducive to their self-fulfillment.
“Across Africa, the underrepresentation of girls in STEM fields remains a significant challenge,” said Nana Wanjau, CBW-A’s Vice President for Africa. “According to UNESCO, women make up only 28% of STEM graduates globally, and the situation is even starker in Africa, where girls often face cultural barriers and limited access to quality STEM education,” she explained.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has achieved remarkable strides in 2023, with its deployment accelerating globally. The technology’s transformative potential is finding significant traction in Africa. However, its full adoption on the continent requires careful consideration and the implementation of several precautionary measures.
With interest growing for artificial intelligence in Africa, Seydina Moussa Ndiaye, a member of the United Nations' AI advisory body, urges African nations to exercise control over the burgeoning field. In an interview with UN News, he expresses concern that Africa could become a testing ground for new AI solutions without adequate oversight.
Ndiaye, who has contributed to the digital transformation of higher education in Senegal and the development of the Pan-African AI strategy, warned that the combination of AI and advances in biotechnology could be exploited, with Africa potentially serving as the testing site for these new solutions.
“The power of AI combined with advances in biotechnology or technology could be used, and Africa could be the place where all these new solutions are actually being tested,” he said.
He criticized the current regulatory framework, arguing that it fails to account for certain aspects and is ineffective in applying existing ideas and regulations. "In concrete terms, and when you don’t control these things, it could happen without anyone knowing. We could have Africa being used as a Guinea pig to test new solutions, and this could be a great, great threat for the continent," Ndiaye cautioned.
Despite these concerns, Ndiaye acknowledged the immense potential AI holds for Africa, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and healthcare, where it could address issues including staff shortages. He also highlighted the role of AI in promoting African cultural identities, which he believes have struggled to gain global recognition.
In response to the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in Africa, Ndiaye revealed plans for a forthcoming pan-African strategy aimed at guiding the development of the technology across the continent.
After developing various e-health applications, the Canadian firm is looking to take on new challenges in the healthcare technology sector.
Yulcom Technologies, a Canadian IT and AI consulting firm with operations across Africa, announced a $2 million two-year investment in developing an AI-powered medical diagnostic aid system.
"Our solution contributes to solving a major public health issue, that of supporting medical staff who are under pressure from a shortage of healthcare workers," said Yulcom’s CEO, Youmani Jérôme Lankoandé, on Wednesday.
Across Africa and the world, AI is increasingly infiltrating diverse sectors, including healthcare, where its potential for revolutionizing diagnosis is attracting substantial interest. Yulcom, led by Burkina Faso-born entrepreneur Lankoandé, is joining this wave with its upcoming Diagnostic Assistance System.
"YULCOM puts forward an innovative vision in the design of AI models that can reduce waiting times for specialist consultations and improve survival rates for patients in the most remote or under-served areas," explains Komi Sodoké, Yulcom's director of AI Projects.
However, concerns regarding AI ethics and responsible use remain prominent. In November, 18 countries, including Nigeria, signed an agreement to prevent AI misuse. The United Nations also established an AI advisory committee to underscore responsible AI development and implementation.
Adoni Conrad Quenum