Senegal's government launched the third annual Digital Back-to-School event on Thursday, September 19. The theme for this year's event was 'The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Employment Challenges.
Senegal is undergoing a significant shift towards artificial intelligence (AI), according to the government, which is calling for a complete overhaul of the national education system to keep pace with the technological advancements.
Bitilokho Ndiaye, Director of Digital Economy Promotion and Partnerships, made the announcement on Thursday at the 3rd edition of the "Digital Back-to-School" event.
"Our country has already turned towards AI, but it's crucial to accelerate this transition," Ndiaye said. "Ensuring no one is left behind means revamping our education system."
AI has become a driving force in digital transformation worldwide. While Africa currently accounts for only 2.5% of the global AI market, according to the GSMA, emerging applications could boost the continent's economy by up to $2.9 trillion by 2030.
"We cannot afford to miss this revolution. AI offers immense opportunities to enhance productivity, innovate in public services, and address local challenges like providing universal access to quality healthcare," Ndiaye added.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
He aims to streamline Moroccan daily life by providing technological solutions that automate repetitive household chores, saving time and effort.
Majid Benslimane (photo) is a Moroccan digital innovation expert and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Presta Freedom, a platform offering subscription-based home services.
Founded in 2020, Presta Freedom connects Moroccan households with qualified cleaning agents through an intuitive web platform. Users can entrust their home cleaning to certified professionals, with services completed between 45 minutes and less than 3 hours, depending on the requirements.
Presta Freedom offers a wide range of services designed to simplify daily life, including laundry, gardening, pest control, repairs, handyman work, pet grooming, laundry pickup, pool maintenance, and grocery delivery. The company’s team of experts is equipped to meet the diverse needs of its clients.
Since 2009, Majid Benslimane has also served as Deputy General Manager at Uniforce Informatique, an IT solutions integrator. The company is part of the Medtech group, which includes several firms specializing in new technologies.
Benslimane holds an engineering degree in electronic and microelectronic engineering, which he earned in 2003 from the University of Moncton in Canada. He began his career the same year at Uniforce Informatique as Director of Development. In 2008, he joined the Young Leaders Center (CJD), where he participated in the commission on the Good Governance Code, leaving the center in 2012.
Melchior Koba
His aim is to simplify daily life for South Africans. A qualified accountant, he utilizes technology to provide financial solutions that cater to both individuals and businesses.
Andre Hugo (photo), a South African accountant and entrepreneur, is the co-founder and CEO of Spot Money, a fintech startup. Founded in 2019, Spot Money offers a comprehensive banking platform that empowers South Africans to manage their finances more effectively.
Founded in 2019, Spot Money offers a banking platform in South Africa that allows users to manage their finances more effectively, whether for saving, spending, or investing. The app combines payments, traditional banking services, rewards, alternative credit, and a marketplace for shopping, all within a single interface.
With Spot Money, users can scan any QR code to make payments. The app also provides loans and insurance through an open banking marketplace. Additionally, users can earn rewards in airtime or data when purchasing from Spot Money’s partners. The company, which does not charge account management fees, already boasts over 100,000 users.
Before launching Spot Money, Andre Hugo co-founded Money for Jam (M4JAM) in 2014, where he served as CEO until 2016. M4JAM delivers impartial, real-time data from actual consumers to brands, businesses, and organizations. The platform supports market research, mystery shopping, merchandising, product training, brand activations, as well as large-scale audit and compliance solutions that are faster and more cost-effective.
Andre Hugo holds two bachelor's degrees in accounting, auditing, and taxation, earned from the University of Cape Town in 1991 and the University of South Africa in 1993. In 1995, he became a Certified Information Systems Auditor. His career began in 1992 at P.A. Becker and Co., a German auditing firm, where he started as a trainee.
He later worked for major firms such as Deloitte between 1996 and 2013, holding various roles, including Director of Innovation, Marketing Director, and Head of Digital. From 2017 to 2020, he joined Virgin Money, a Scottish financial company, where he served as a strategic advisor and later as CEO.
Melchior Koba
In 2021, according to research firm Xalam Analytics, Africa accounted for only 1% of the world’s data center space. As countries across the continent strive for digital sovereignty, they are increasingly seeking partnerships to host a greater number of these critical infrastructures.
Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli discussed plans on Wednesday, September 18, to create a green data center in collaboration with a global consortium. The new infrastructure will rely on renewable energy and aims to export data storage and processing services. The initiative aligns with Egypt's goal of boosting its digital services exports to $9 billion by 2026.
Data centers have become increasingly important in Africa due to the continent's growing digital sovereignty drive. As highlighted in the "Data Centres in Africa" report by Oxford Business Group, commissioned by the Africa Data Centres Association, data sovereignty regulations which require data to be stored locally or within Africa's five sub-regions will drive demand for localized data storage services. Africa currently has just over 100 data centers, with more than half located in South Africa.
Egypt, strategically positioned at the crossroads of telecommunications cables connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe, could serve as a key hub for global data center providers. Several major players, including Huawei, Amazon Web Services, Google, Oracle, and Microsoft, have established data center infrastructure across the continent in recent years, with locations in countries like Kenya, South Africa, and Angola. Egypt's geographical and digital strategy offers a compelling alternative for global providers looking to expand in Africa.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Enhancing data protection compliance fosters trust among consumers and businesses, which is vital for the expansion of the digital economy. It ensures that data is managed responsibly and securely.
Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Youth Development signed an agreement with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) yesterday, September 18, to train 5,000 youths as data protection professionals. This initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to boost job creation in the digital sector.
For Ayodele Olawande, the minister of state for youth development, who signed on behalf of the Ministry, “..this initiative is aimed at equipping 5000 youths with the requisite technical skills for jobs in the data protection ecosystem.”
The NDPC has authorized the Institute of Information Management to certify these professionals, aiming to enhance local capacity and competitiveness.“We have already licensed an in-country certification body who will issue globally recognized certificates to eligible trainees,” said Vincent Olatunji, the CEO of NDPC.
Hikmatu Bilali
Digital transformation, a key focus of the United Nations for the past three decades, emphasizes the modernization of public services as a crucial driver of development. While Africa has historically trailed behind other regions in this area, the gap is rapidly closing.
Gabon, South Africa, Tunisia, Mauritius, and Ghana remain leaders in the implementation of e-government within their respective regions, according to the "E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development" report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). These countries were already the leaders in the 2022 survey.
South Africa continues to lead both in Southern Africa and across the continent, boasting a very high development index. Mauritius remains the frontrunner in East Africa, while Tunisia retains its top spot in North Africa, climbing one position in the continental rankings to third, after being fourth in 2022. Ghana, the leader in West Africa, ranks seventh continentally, while Gabon leads in Central Africa, though it has dropped to fifteenth overall, down from eleventh in 2022.
These five nations stand out due to their e-government development index (EGDI) scores, which exceed the African average of 0.4247 (on a scale of 1.0000). Their strengths lie in telecommunications infrastructure, human capital development, and online services, approaching the global average of 0.6382.
As regional leaders in e-governance, these countries set an example for others across Africa. Their advancements highlight the importance of investing in digital infrastructure, human capital, and enhancing online services. If this momentum spreads across the continent, it could significantly accelerate Africa's digital transformation, foster economic growth, and support sustainable development.
Samira Njoya
His goal is to help parents better support their children in their studies. He also leads two startups specializing in educational technologies.
Nick Miller (photo), a South African mechatronics engineer and entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Teach Me 2, a tech startup specializing in youth learning.
Founded in 2006, Teach Me 2 is a South African tutoring startup that simplifies the process of finding and managing tutors, helping parents avoid the hassle of searching for teachers for their children. The platform automatically schedules sessions, offering the flexibility for students to receive tutoring at home or online. It provides tutors in a wide range of subjects, including accounting, chemistry, economics, mathematics, physics, statistics, French, history, and life coaching. Since its launch, more than 35,000 parents have trusted the company.
Miller is also the founder and CEO of Coachbit, a startup launched in 2019 that offers a scientifically-based life and learning coaching program with personalized content, specifically designed for preteens and teenagers.
Before these ventures, Miller co-founded Clickego in 2008, serving as CTO until 2012. Clickego specializes in online ad management. In 2011, he co-founded Rental Connect, a software engineering firm, and in 2014, he created Storie, a startup he led as CEO until 2016, which offered a mobile app for easily creating and sharing videos.
Miller holds a bachelor's degree in mechatronic engineering from the University of Cape Town, specializing in facial recognition, image processing, and signal processing, which he earned in 2007. From 2013 to 2016, he also worked as a content creator on YouTube.
Melchior Koba
Many Africans in the diaspora, eager to invest in construction projects in Africa, are deterred by scams and the difficulties of such ventures. To overcome these challenges, the IT specialist turned entrepreneur has created Wizodia.
Yao Attignon (photo), a Togolese IT specialist and entrepreneur, is the co-founder and CEO of Wizodia, a tech startup that simplifies real estate projects in Africa for diaspora members looking to build in their home countries.
Founded in 2017 by Attignon and Lionel Menzan, Wizodia offers a comprehensive platform that supports African emigrants throughout the entire construction process. The platform provides easy access to quotes, connects users with a network of reliable professionals, and allows them to track project progress in real time.
Through Wizodia, users can receive up-to-date information on their construction projects, with photos and videos captured by on-site teams, as well as access to all related documents. An internal messaging system allows for direct communication with project stakeholders. Today, the startup operates in Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, and Senegal.
Yao Attignon co-founded Wizodia to address the challenges emigrants face, particularly real estate scams, when trying to launch construction projects in their home countries. “I spent 10 years in IT consulting. During my career, being of Togolese origin, I wanted to invest back home. That’s when I discovered the obstacles faced by those looking to undertake real estate projects in Africa,” explains the entrepreneur.
Attignon graduated from the Institut Supérieur d’Informatique Appliquée (INSIA Paris) in 2006 with a degree in computer engineering. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, he worked (from 2011 to 2014) as a SAP consultant at ALiA Consulting, a business process management software company. Between 2016 and 2018, he was a project manager and SAP consultant at SEIZE Consulting, another IT services firm.
Melchior Koba
As digital transformation rapidly takes hold in Africa, digital skills have become indispensable. To facilitate this shift, numerous organizations, businesses, and institutions are launching initiatives and programs aimed at bolstering digital literacy.
Chinese tech firm Huawei launched, last Monday, a two-week training program for teachers at the National Institute of Post, Information Technology, and Communication (INPTIC). The program aims to equip educators with essential digital skills and prepare them to obtain certification upon completion.
"By the end of this training, these teachers will be equipped with the necessary skills to pass on to their students," said Lee Nesta Veronne Komault, head of human resources at Huawei Gabon.
The initiative is part of Huawei's ICT Academy program, a school-business cooperation project designed to provide students with access to the latest technologies and ICT knowledge.
According to the "Skills for Employability and Productivity in Africa (SEPA) Action Plan, 2022–2025," published by the African Development Bank, Africa is expected to create 230 million digital jobs by 2030.
In addition to INPTIC, the training program will be conducted in other institutions across Gabon. Huawei aims to accelerate scientific and technological innovation on the continent by investing in knowledge development and talent cultivation. "By strengthening cooperation between schools and businesses, Huawei aims to align academic programs with industry sectors, course content with professional qualifications, teaching structures with production processes, and talent development with employment," the company explained.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Digital transformation in Africa requires massive investments. The search for strategic partners, both financial and technological, is crucial to support this ambition and ensure the success of ongoing initiatives.
Mauritania and the Sultanate of Oman are working to expedite the implementation of a digital cooperation memorandum of understanding signed between the two nations. This was the focus of discussions between Ahmed Salem Bede Etvagha, Mauritania's Minister of Digital Transformation and Administrative Modernization, and Jassim bin Eid bin Abdullah Al Saadi, Oman's Chargé d'Affaires in Mauritania.
According to the Mauritanian Press Agency, the meeting yielded concrete cooperation projects, particularly in cybersecurity and the digital transformation of services. Minister Etvagha expressed his department's interest in learning from Oman's digital transformation experiences, emphasizing the localization of digital expertise and alignment of technological projects with the cultural values of both countries.
This meeting aligns with Mauritania's 2024-2027 National Strategy for Administrative Modernization and broader digital transformation efforts. Oman's selection as a partner reflects its significant digital progress. The Sultanate's modernization of services has propelled it to 41st place in the UN's 2024 e-Government Development Index. Additionally, Oman's impressive strides in communication infrastructure, ranking 22nd globally, underscore its technological advancement.
By collaborating with Oman, Mauritania aims to close its digital divide. The agreement seeks to localize technological expertise, tailor digital projects to national needs, and explore new investment opportunities to support the country's digital development.
Samira Njoya
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The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will host the SDG Digital event on September 20-21 in New York. The event will spotlight digital innovation’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SDG Digital will showcase how digital technologies can drive a more sustainable and inclusive future. Leaders from various sectors government, civil society, private industry, youth, and academia will discuss the trends, risks, and opportunities of emerging technologies.
Since 2018, the Tunisian government has been working on developing and adopting a national artificial intelligence strategy. This aligns with the executive's ambition to position the country as a digital hub in Africa.
American tech group Nvidia announced the launch of an artificial intelligence (AI) innovation center in Tunisia on Tuesday, September 17. Located in the Novation City technology park, the center aims to empower Tunisian developers with training, technology, and networking opportunities to foster AI adoption across Africa.
This initiative comes as Tunisia prepares to adopt a national AI and digitalization strategy, part of a broader vision to establish the country as a digital leader in Africa. Earlier this year, the University of Tunis launched Tunisia's first public institute dedicated to AI, further encouraging its integration.
AI adoption across various economic sectors is expected to drive socio-economic development. For instance, in agriculture—employing around two-thirds of Africa’s workforce and contributing 15% to the continent’s GDP, according to the World Bank—AI can enhance productivity. It can help develop better seeds tailored to local conditions, advise farmers on optimal crops for their soil and climate, and aid in developing medications and vaccines for livestock.
Tunisia ranks 81st out of 193 countries in AI readiness, with a score of 46.07 out of 100, according to the 2023 "Government AI Readiness Index" by Oxford Insights. Within Africa, it ranks third, behind Mauritius and Egypt.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
He has over 15 years of experience in the fintech sector. His goal is to create innovative and secure solutions tailored to the needs of professionals and individuals in Africa.
Moussa Dembele (photo) is a Malian computer scientist and entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Danapay, a fintech startup focused on improving access to international payments for Africans. Based in France, Danapay was founded in 2017 by Keita Gaoussou, Moussa, and Demba Dembele. The company leverages blockchain technology to simplify financial transactions between African businesses and individuals and the rest of the world. Additionally, it enables transactions via USSD and SMS.
Danapay allows individuals to transfer up to €6,000, while businesses can transfer up to €30,000, with the option to increase this limit to €70,000 by providing the necessary documentation. Africans residing in Europe can send money to 12 countries in West and Central Africa.
Moussa Dembele holds a degree in computer engineering from Polytech Marseille, which he earned in 2008, and a master's degree in organizational consulting from EM Lyon Business School, obtained in 2013.
His professional career began in 2009 at Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking as a software engineer. In 2011, he joined AXA Investment Managers as an IT architect. By 2013, he became an information systems consultant at Sentelis, a consulting firm specializing in strategy, governance, and IT architecture. From 2018 to 2020, he worked as an IT consultant at CGI in Luxembourg, a company known for its technology services and business process management.
Melchior Koba
Developed with the support of multiple technical partners, the solution assists parents in tracking their children's vaccination schedules.
Mangwele is a digital health solution developed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to help parents keep track of their children's vaccination appointments from birth until the age of one. Launched in July 2023 with support from the Japanese government, the platform is designed to streamline the vaccination process.
“This project will allow healthcare workers to monitor birth registrations and track each child’s vaccinations by entering this information into a national database. The system enables individualized tracking to ensure all children receive the necessary vaccines, even if they relocate,” said Satoko Morito, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Congo.
From the moment a child is born, midwives collect key information such as the child's name, the parents' details, and their phone numbers. Fifteen days before each vaccination date, Mangwele sends SMS reminders to parents, notifying them of the upcoming appointment. These dates are pre-set according to the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) calendar.
In addition to aiding parents, Mangwele helps healthcare professionals monitor birth registrations and track each child’s vaccinations, contributing to a national database. Currently available in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, authorities plan to expand the app’s use across the entire Congo in the coming months.
Adoni Conrad Quenum