The digital revolution offers huge opportunities for Africa. To fully tap into these opportunities, African countries have decided to collaborate with one another.
The Tanzanian Minister for Information, Communication, and ICT, Nape Moses Nnauye, and Malawian Minister for Information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on digital communication and cooperation in Lilongwe, Malawi, on July 7. The deal should improve data accessibility in Malawi by connecting it to submarine cables through non-commercial routes.
Speaking after signing the agreement, the Malawian Minister of Information noted that cooperation with Tanzania in the digital sector will notably help Malawi have country-to-country connectivity, reducing data transmission costs.
"Currently, we are connected to Tanzania and other countries via provider cables, but by connecting directly via a state-to-state infrastructure, in this case, the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM) and the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL), we will reduce the cost of operating bandwidth in the country, thereby lowering the overall cost of data for consumers in the country," he said.
The MoU is the fruit of bilateral talks held during a working visit in Malawi of Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s leader.
The deal, for Malawi, aligns with its 2021-2026 digital economy strategy aiming to extend affordable internet to 65% of the country. For Tanzania, it adds to a series of partnerships recently signed by the Tanzanian government for the development of the internet in the country. The goal is to connect nearly 80% of the population to the Internet and to increase the usage of broadband from 45% to 80% by 2025.
According to Nape Moses Nnauye, the agreement will enable both countries to effectively transform digital spaces, which are now a catalyst for development in all sectors globally.
Samira Njoya
Earlier this year, the Republic of Congo launched a project to speed up its digital transformation. In support of the move, the country’s partners have launched the "Mangwele" application designed to enhance the health information system.
On Wednesday, July 5, Congolese and Japanese authorities launched the "Mangwele" application, an SMS-based vaccination reminder system, at the Tenrikyo Integrated Health Center in Makélékélé.
The new system aims, among other things, to remind parents, particularly mothers, of their children's vaccination appointments according to the schedule of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
Lancement ce matin au CSI de Tenrikyo de MANGWELE. Grâce à ce projet financé par @JapanGov, votre bébé est enregistré dès la naissance et vous recevez un 📩 de rappel 3 jours avant chaque rdv de💉 #UNICEFTHXJAPAN @MofaJapan_en @ODA_mofa_japan @UNICEFinJapan pic.twitter.com/l7OFaArnn8
— UNICEF Congo Brazza (@UNICEFcongoBZV) July 5, 2023
"Through this project, health personnel will be able to follow the status of birth registrations and track each child's vaccinations by recording this information in a national database. This system will allow for individualized monitoring and ensure that all children receive all the necessary vaccines, even if they move regions," explained Satoko Morito, the First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Congo, representing the ambassador.
Mangwele’s launch is part of the UNICEF’s Digital Health System Support Project which fights infectious diseases in Africa. Japan spent $3.3 million on the launch.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin are the two other beneficiary countries of Japan's financing for the implementation of the digital introduction project for the fight against infectious diseases in Africa.
In the long run, the project will help improve vaccination rates across the continent but also make it easier to analyze and use real-time data, thus enabling better estimation of actual vaccination rates, including routine and COVID-19 vaccination.
Samira Njoya
Egypt has invested a lot of money in the digital industry in recent years. The massive investment underscores the importance of outsourcing in bolstering the country’s digital exports and economic growth.
Exports of digital services should generate $5.5 billion for Egypt in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, thus raising telecom’s share in the country’s GDP to over 5%. The forecast was disclosed last Saturday, July 8, by the Egyptian Minister of Telecom and IT, Amr Talaat. This was during an interview at Cairo’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC).
Talaat attributes the positive forecast to recent foreign investments, including the opening of local outsourcing centers by US and Indian tech giants. Indeed, last December, Egypt inked 29 agreements with international companies, including IBM, Amazon, Microsoft, and Dell Technology, to build outsourcing centers in the country.
The various investments fall under Cairo’s 2022-2026 digital strategy for the outsourcing industry 2022-2026. Launched in February 2022, the strategy has four pillars: IT services, business process services, knowledge services, and engineering and research and development.
The Egyptian government wants to leverage the strategy to triple its digital exports earnings, which should add $1 billion to the country's digital exports by 2025 and create more than 34,000 jobs.
In the 2021-222 fiscal year, digital exports earned Egypt $4.9 billion, against $3.6 billion in 2018-2019.
Samira Njoya
Amid the global rise of giants like Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix, digital service imports have significantly increased in Africa in recent years. And African governments intend to surf that wave.
Last week, the Ugandan government revived a project for imposing a 5% tax on the revenues of non-resident digital companies that offer digital services in the country. Henri Musasizi, the Minister of Finance and Development, defended the project on July 4, in front of the Parliamentary Finance Commission.
"I recommend that you approve Article 16 of the Income Tax Amendment Bill, 2023, to allow the imposition of a tax on revenues earned by non-residents from the provision of digital services in Uganda," Minister Musasizi told the deputies.
"We propose that 5% of the revenues earned by these companies in Uganda be allocated as taxes. This tax is distinct from those levied on resident companies, and it is not a reintroduction of the Over the Top Tax [tax on the use of social media platforms] which was abolished by the government in 2021," he added.
Indeed, this initiative, described in Article 16 of the 2023 Income Tax Bill, resurfaced after President Yoweri Museveni decided to send the bill back. Reversing his decision, the President asked the Parliament to reconsider its previous rejection of the same proposal.
The tax targets companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Netflix, Amazon, and other platforms offering paid services in Uganda.
While the State believes this law will profit the country, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and other parties fear that the law, once adopted, would increase digital taxes borne by consumers of digital services who are already heavily taxed in Uganda.
It is worth noting that the proposed tax is part of a set of fiscal laws aimed at guiding the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) in defining and collecting taxes during the 2023/2024 fiscal year, which began in July.
Samira Njoya
To ensure internet access for all schoolchildren in Rwanda, the government has set up the "School Connectivity Program". Launched in March, the pilot phase of the project takes into account 500 schools throughout the country.
As part of this program, US firm Starlink recently deployed the internet in 50 schools across the country’s rural zones. The news was disclosed by the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation on July 5.
According to the source, the first stage of the project marks an important step towards reducing the digital divide and ensuring that all Rwandan schools have internet, especially in remote areas.
Announced a few months ago, the project falls under the government’s School Connectivity Program launched in March 2023. It is the product of a collaboration between the Rwandan government, Starlink, and a contribution from Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Through his foundation, Blair has committed to connecting 10% of the 500 schools in the pilot phase of the project.
With the Internet, the more than 18,000 students enrolled in the schools covered by the project will have access to online courses and be able to improve their academic results.
In Rwanda, 44% of the schools do not have access to the Internet. Last February, the Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, stated that about 3,000 of the 6,756 schools in Rwanda were not yet connected to the Internet.
Samira Njoya
As the continent experiences a technological revolution, new startups keep emerging in Africa, in every sector. AfricArena, in this context, plays a vital role as a catalyst for technological innovation and entrepreneurship on the continent.
Based in Cape Town, South Africa, AfricArena is a startup accelerator founded in 2017 by entrepreneur and investor Christophe Viarnaud, who also serves as its CEO. The startup promotes collaboration between the key players in Africa's technological ecosystem and helps startups expand by making them more visible and providing them with funding opportunities.
The accelerator aims to connect African startups with investors, businesses, and potential partners worldwide. Each year, it organizes regional and international summits that bring together all stakeholders in Africa's tech sector, providing a platform for continental startups to showcase their ideas, build valuable connections, and access funding opportunities. The accelerator is set to hold its next regional summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 6. AfricArena organizes regional events throughout the year, thus creating opportunities for startups from different African regions to connect with local and international investors.
Since its inception, the accelerator has launched several open innovation challenges for Africa's top tech startups. Whether for businesses specializing in deep tech, logistics, mobility, health tech, artificial intelligence, agritech, edtech, or fintech, these challenges allow founders to demonstrate their entrepreneurial talent and innovative technology to investors, businesses, and the pan-African tech ecosystem.
AfricArena is a staunch advocate of diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. It strives to promote equal opportunities by supporting female entrepreneurs and encouraging the participation of young African talents through initiatives such as the Fem-Tech Startup Innovation Challenge, organized in partnership with Amazon Web Services.
The accelerator collaborates with various national and international institutions, including Bpifrance, Hello Tomorrow, Vinci Energies, Sanofi, energy company Engie, La French Tech, Viva Technology, Air France KLM Group, and Wesgro, and many more.
Melchior Koba
Amidst the digital revolution, an increasing number of African countries are embracing technology to drive development, with the continent's sizable youth population presenting a significant advantage.
The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), Liberia’s telecom watchdog, plans to launch a project that will revolutionize the sector and accelerate digital advancements nationwide. Known as the Liberia Digital Transformation Project, the initiative will be launched in collaboration with the government.
The project was unveiled by LTA’s Chairperson, Edwina Crump Zackpah. According to her, it will enable Liberians to embrace e-business solutions and smart technologies. This project will “unlock our digital economy,” she said.
The focus of the transformation project, Zackpah stressed, is to enhance technical skills in areas such as eCommerce, software utilization, and tech entrepreneurship. Seed funding will support sustainable tech solutions addressing local challenges.
The Liberia Digital Transformation Project is a huge step in Liberia's path to economic prosperity and digital advancement. Using technology, the West African country wants to shape its future and transform lives.
Digital transformation will unlock new opportunities, drive economic growth, and empower citizens in Liberia. The government's commitment to technological advancements underscores its vision for a prosperous and digitally-enabled future.
Hikmatu Bilali
This tech entrepreneur already heads an edtech but still decided to venture into the fintech sector.
GoFree is a technological solution developed by a Nigerian startup. Available on iOS and Android, the mobile app gives access to financial services, e-commerce, and instant messaging. Based in Nigeria and the US, the startup was founded in 2022, by Lekan Adejumo.
Adejumo, according to a Medium post, claims that "if data can freely circulate between different mobile phone operators, money should be able to do the same.” The post further explains that the founder “wanted to create the equivalent of GSM for money, allowing seamless transactions between various financial services". Thinking of this interoperability was one of the reasons that pushed him to put together a team to solve the problem.
Users must first set up an account to use the app’s various services. Information needed includes a phone number, which will be linked to the user's banking services, virtual cards, payments, and social services on GoFree. A Naira wallet is automatically created upon setting up the account; this eases access to the fintech’s financial services, such as sending and receiving money, paying bills, or managing one's finances. The wallet can be topped up by various means such as bank wiring, Nigerian-issued bank cards, Flutterwave, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
The messaging function, on the other hand, allows for exchanging instant messages with colleagues, friends, or family, sharing files and documents, and collaborating on projects. The application also integrates e-commerce services. Users can publish items on their GoFree profile and also sell them to other users. GoFree doesn’t charge fees for in-App transactions. According to Play Store statistics, the Android version of the app has been downloaded more than 500 times.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Given the centrality of digitization in development, it is now crucial for the population to possess digital skills to adapt to forthcoming changes. Consequently, numerous governments are taking steps to empower their citizens, ensuring the achievement of developmental objectives.
The Kenyan Ministry of Information, Communications, and The Digital Economy has introduced a nationwide digital literacy program. To drive economic transformation, the initiative will establish laboratories across the country to enhance digital skills and literacy. Over 23,000 devices will be installed in educational institutions and ICT hubs.
During the inauguration of a digital laboratory at Maseno School in Kisumu County on July 5, Eliud Owalo, Cabinet Secretary (CS) of the Ministry, emphasized that the initiative is in line with the government's objective of digitizing services. “We want our youth and the public at large to uptake digital skills so that they are relevant in the current operating environment,” he said.
The program aims to benefit youth and the public, aligning with the government's digitization efforts. The government is also facilitating e-commerce through free public Wi-Fi, a national addressing system, digital identification cards, and affordable smartphones. Discussions with global tech giants are underway to create online work opportunities for Kenyan youth.
Additionally, to maximize the utilization of the government's digital infrastructure, affordable smart mobile phones that are locally assembled will be launched in August, aiming to cater to a wide range of Kenyans.
Hikmatu Bilali
She is an internationally renowned entrepreneur and business leader. She co-founded and heads Kwara, a startup that helps financial cooperatives better manage their operations using technology.
Cynthia Wandia, a Kenyan electrical engineer and entrepreneur, founded the start-up Kwara with David Hwan in 2018. Kwara, which she steers as CEO, offers financial cooperatives and their members a secure, enjoyable, and affordable online and mobile banking experience.
Based in Kenya, Kwara's mission is to enable the 3 billion under-served people worldwide to become financially stable and balanced. To achieve this, the start-up is modernizing and equipping savings and credit cooperatives with a banking services platform that updates and improves their back-office operations.
In January 2023, the startup, which already serves over 100,000 members, raised $3 million in seed capital and signed an exclusive digital solutions distribution agreement with the Kenyan Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Kuscco), representing over 4,000 savings and credit cooperatives (Saccos) in Kenya.
"We believe that we have barely scratched the surface of the Kenyan market. That's why we're going to invest in products and services that will allow us to deepen our relationships here," said Cynthia Wandia.
"The logic of the agreement is clear: it's an opportunity to generate leads and distribute our core product as quickly as possible, and to deepen our competitive edge," she added.
Cynthia Wandia holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, obtained in 2009 from Yale University. In 2014, she co-founded ASTRA Innovations, an energy company where she served as CEO until 2017.
Before founding Kwara, she worked for several companies. In 2010, she served for six months as a business development consultant for the Mexican business accelerators network Aceleradora de Empresas ITESM. Between 2012 and 2014, she worked at E.ON Climate & Renewables, successively as a fleet performance analyst and director of special projects. In 2017, she joined Finparx, a business creation studio, as a project developer.
In 2018, the Kenyan newspaper Business Daily Africa named Wandia one of the country's 40 most influential women under 40.
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Social networks have an important place in Africans’ daily life, despite the continent having a low penetration rate for the Internet and smartphones. In this context, some local tech entrepreneurs have been building African solutions to tap into this market.
Turaco is a social network platform developed by a Central African start-up. It allows users to interact by posting reviews, photos, videos, or even listening to the radio. Founded in 2021 by Gamando Marius Roméo (pictured right), the start-up signed a partnership agreement on Friday, June 30, with the private institute Gutschool. The agreement provides Gutschool with an account on Turaco to publish information related to the university, similar to Facebook or Twitter.
"Turaco is a social network created by a Central Africans for Central Africans, and the goal is to encourage the sons and daughters of this country to use this social network. As in Marketing, the Turaco application is a product and it needs to be consumed. We are trying to boost this application, which is why we are calling on young people of all ages to come to this platform to connect freely and at a lower cost," declared Turaco's founder.
The solution has a mobile application accessible only on Android. After downloading, the user will create a profile and begin interacting with contacts already present on the platform. It is possible, among other things, to contact other users via private messaging, to create discussion groups or join existing ones, listen to the radio, or access information via mass media.
"Through this network, compatriots here and elsewhere can follow the news of the country and listen to several radio stations live. The novelty is that subscribers can already make calls like on Messenger," explained Gamando, three months after the app’s launch.
On Android, the app has been downloaded over a thousand times, and the Central African firm is working to get more people to use the app. For example, it gave out smartphones to top users on several occasions.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The African e-mobility sector is attracting giants from all over the world. In Sudan, a tech entrepreneur has partnered with his friends to establish a solution to compete in his country.
Tirhal is a technological solution developed by a Sudanese start-up. It connects passengers and drivers in four regions of Sudan. Based in Khartoum, the start-up was founded in 2016 by Mohamed Elzakey, Omer Elzakey, Yaser Abba, and Siddig Eltaj. Since its launch, it has already raised approximately $500,000 to support its growth and develop its technology.
"Tirhal's vision is to work to facilitate people's lives by providing various transport services that suit all groups," the platform states.
The mobile App is available on iOS and Android. Users register by creating an account, allowing them access to various features of the app. To take a ride, users simply input their destination, the type of vehicle, and the starting point, and Tirhal displays the fare for the ride. It is also possible to book a taxi for a future ride.
The start-up also offers delivery services, such as delivering parcels and taking orders from restaurants. Tirhal has a fleet of more than 200 motorcycles. For taxis, the start-up works with 2,900 vehicles that have already traveled more than 100,000 kilometers. A laudable record, despite rocky beginnings.
"When we started, we only had three cars, my uncle's and two of my friends'. Today, we have 45,000 drivers and 4.5 million customers," Mohamed Elzakey explained in 2019.
Tirhal charges 10% of the ride fare. This is a low percentage compared to what start-ups operating in the sector earn. However, this strategy, coupled with the quality of the fleet's vehicles, has allowed the start-up to dominate the Sudanese market. According to Play Store statistics, the Android version of the application has already been downloaded more than a million times.
In 2023, it was among the finalists of the AfricaTech Awards, an event that took place last June 15 on the sidelines of the Parisian technology exhibition, VivaTech.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In a bid to analyze data on South African consumer behavior, tech entrepreneurs have decided to set up a custom application.
Maholla is a technological solution developed by a South African start-up. It allows users to earn bonus points on all purchases made. The start-up, based in Amsterdam and Cape Town, was founded in 2021 by Adam Reilly and Jed da Silva. Since its launch, it has raised approximately $2.1 million to support its growth, among other things.
The application is available on iOS and Android. Users create an account with their email and phone number and then begin scanning their receipts on the app. Regardless of the store where the purchases were made, users will earn bonus points which can be accumulated and exchanged for various gifts such as airtime, access to the in-app games, etc. Users earn more points when scanning receipts from the start-up's partner brands.
Data collected by Maholla is used for marketing purposes. "Data collected by more than half a million receipts on the Maholla app indicate that members of our youth are turned to wholesalers and bulk retailers to make ends meet," Adam Reilly, co-founder of Maholla, explained in a report. The app collects data on the consumption habits of South Africans, which could help its partner firms adjust their policies as needed.
At present, on Android, the App has passed 100,000 downloads and it successfully raised $1.5 million in a funding round last April. Maholla has recorded more than 8.5 million receipts, according to its data.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
As Africa experiences a rapid digital transformation, countries on the continent grapple with digital security issues, and governments double down on efforts to protect various platforms that may be subject to cybercriminal attacks.
South Africa's Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJCD) has been fined 5 million rands ($268,000) by the Information Regulator (IR), according to the South African government's official press agency.
The fine was levied following the DOJCD's non-compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act (POPIA) and a previous antivirus software license renewal order issued by the regulator.
"The enforcement notice required [the department] to provide proof within 31 days of receipt of the notice that the Trend antivirus license, the SIEM [Security Information and Event Management] license, and the intrusion detection system license had been renewed," said the regulatory body.
The notice sent to the department specified that if it failed to comply with this requirement by June 9, 2023, it could face a fine of up to 10 million rand.
As the Department of Justice failed to comply, "[...] the regulatory body concluded that it did not comply with the enforcement notice served on it under POPIA. As a result, the regulatory authority fined the department an administrative penalty of 5 million rand for non-compliance with the enforcement notice," added the regulator.
In September 2021, the ministry suffered a major ransomware attack. Documents containing personal information were compromised and many files were lost. This attack disrupted courts’ operations and all electronic services provided by the ministry for several months.
Since then, the country's authorities have undertaken to secure the ministry's digital infrastructure.
Samira Njoya