He is reshaping Africa's trade networks through a digital approach that connects informal businesses with established industries. His journey combines innovation, strategy, and international outreach, reflecting a vision focused on modernizing local commerce.
Raphael Afaedor (photo), a Ghanaian entrepreneur specializing in distribution and e-commerce, is reshaping trade networks in Africa through a digital approach that connects informal players with industry. He is the co-founder and CEO of Kyosk Digital Services, a Nairobi-based company structuring retail trade on the continent.
Founded in 2019, Kyosk Digital Services connects small informal retailers, kiosks, farmers, and suppliers through a digital platform. This platform simplifies the distribution of essential goods while facilitating the financial and logistical inclusion of millions of economic actors.
The platform enables small shopkeepers, known as "dukas," to order food, electronics, or personal care products and receive deliveries in less than 24 hours. It provides manufacturers and suppliers with real-time visibility into the supply chain while reducing traditional logistical constraints.
In 2023, Kyosk Digital Services acquired KwikBasket, a company specializing in distributing agricultural products and providing services to farmers, commercial kitchens, and food chain participants.
Before founding Kyosk Digital Services, Afaedor co-founded the e-commerce startup Jumia Group in 2012, serving as CEO until 2014. That same year, he co-founded Supermart.ng in Nigeria, an online retailer of groceries and consumer goods.
Afaedor earned a bachelor's degree from the Czech Technical University in Prague in 2003, and a master’s degree in marketing in 2006 from the University of New York in Prague. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration and management from Harvard Business School.
His professional career began in 2004 in the Czech Republic at Monster, where he worked as a software engineer. In 2008, he joined Goldman Sachs in the United Kingdom as an investment manager. In 2009, he joined Notore, a food products company, as marketing and business development manager for West, Central, and North Africa.
Melchior Koba
• Gabon plans to restore IAI as a leading African tech training center.
• Reforms target curriculum, governance, and member state coordination.
• Move addresses aims continent-wide digital skills shortage.
The Gabonese government aims to restore the Libreville-based African Institute of Computer Science (IAI), founded in 1971, to its former status as a leading center for training high-level computer engineers on the continent. This initiative is part of the administration's broader effort to revitalize the pan-African institution.
Mark Alexandre Doumba, Gabon's Minister of Digital Economy, Digitalization and Innovation, met on Tuesday, July 22, with the IAI leadership to conduct a full review of the current situation. He reaffirmed his commitment to continuing a deep overhaul of the Institute, aligning with a pledge made by his predecessor.
“While the IAI long embodied excellence and innovation in the digital field in Africa, structural and organizational difficulties in recent years have slowed its development and influence,” the ministry stated in a press release published on Facebook.
Among the priorities discussed were modernizing training programs, implementing a new educational and managerial approach, overhauling governance, and developing a comprehensive recovery plan. The minister also announced the upcoming convening of an extraordinary board meeting with member states to approve a coordinated relaunch.
The government’s commitment comes amid a digital transformation marked by a growing demand for digital skills. According to the World Bank, 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital competencies by 2030, with a strong concentration in digital services. These opportunities will demand profiles equipped with intermediate or advanced skills.
However, a study by Talentum, a fintech specializing in human resources, indicates that most African countries still train fewer than 5,000 computer engineers per year, while demand is often ten times higher. This shortage of technical skills significantly slows the progress of digital transformation on the continent.
For now, the revival of the IAI remains a strong political will that still needs to be implemented. Questions remain about the sustainability of reform financing, the institution’s capacity to keep pace with rapid technological changes, and the effective commitment of all member states. These include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Togo, and Congo.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Yao Baku uses technology to simplify business operations, automate vital processes, and turn internal company challenges into effective solutions.
Yao Baku is a Ghanaian entrepreneur specializing in financial technology. He co-founded and currently leads Regulon, a start-up focused on streamlining onboarding and automating regulatory compliance.
Founded in 2024, Regulon is building a platform to cut customer onboarding time from weeks down to seconds across African and European markets. The platform centralizes compliance checks and lowers the costs tied to these procedures.
Regulon offers several automated tools. Its platform features an identity verification system that checks companies and beneficial owners against over 140 official registers and multiple data sources to verify entity legitimacy. It also includes a compliance analyzer and a fake-document detection system. Additionally, the platform assesses the online presence and activities of client firms.
Regulon employs "Artificial Narrow Intelligence," a focused AI that collects, synchronizes, and verifies documents. A virtual agent named Rosa manages this process, automating onboarding decisions and ensuring proper data handling.
Before Regulon, Yao Baku co-founded Pennysmart, another fintech start-up, in 2018, where he served as chief growth officer until 2022. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Real Estate from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2015. Later, in 2022, he completed a postgraduate diploma in Information and Communication Technology from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
In 2020, Baku joined Flutterwave as a Product and Growth Associate. From 2022 to 2024, he worked as product manager at London-based Verto, a payment solution helping businesses send funds internationally.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Algeria plans a digital portal and centralized system to monitor public infrastructure projects nationwide.
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The system will track real-time progress, detect delays and cost overruns, and enhance transparency.
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Authorities aim to improve public investment performance and tighten control over budgets through digital tools.
Algeria moves to modernize its public works sector by adopting digital technology to boost project management. The Ministry of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure announced plans on July 19 in Algiers to launch a digital portal and centralized system for overseeing infrastructure projects across the country.
Minister Lakhdar Rekhroukh said the system will serve as a real-time dashboard to aid quick decision-making and raise implementation efficiency. He explained that the platform will monitor every project phase at both central and local levels, providing an instant snapshot of work progress.
The two digital tools will help stakeholders spot delays and cost overruns promptly while delivering actionable data to administrators, project engineers, financial controllers, and local officials. This access aims to make project management more efficient and transparent.
This digital move fits a broader government effort to digitize public procurement in Algeria. The infrastructure sector faces issues like chronic delays, unexpected cost hikes, and opaque monitoring—factors that hinder public investment and strain state finances.
Developed by the French Treasury’s National Equipment Fund for Development(CNED), the platform combines performance indicators and automated reports. It links spending directly to actual progress on project sites.
By centralizing and updating information instantly, the system will improve cost control, help meet deadlines, and boost transparency in public fund usage. Officials expect it to lay foundations for stronger investment governance and higher quality infrastructure delivery.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum
The partnership directly addresses several systemic barriers slowing Africa’s digital transformation—particularly low internet access, weak innovation support systems, and fragmented regulatory environments.
AfriLabs, an African network of innovation hubs, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the specialised organ of the African Union in the field of Telecommunications/ICTs, to drive inclusive digital innovation across the continent. The partnership, announced July 18, brings together ATU’s 52 member states and AfriLabs’ ecosystem of over 500 hubs spanning 53 African countries to empower local solutions, close digital divides, and catalyse economic transformation.
“This collaboration with AfriLabs seeks to provide a framework that enables innovators to focus on solving real problems rather than battling regulatory barriers,” said John Omo, Secretary General of ATU. “Our entrepreneurs have the ideas and resilience, but they face fragmented regulations and limited continental visibility.”
Signed at ATU’s Nairobi headquarters, the agreement marks a critical step toward bridging Africa’s widening digital gap. It will support joint programs and communication across both organisations’ networks, such as integrating AfriLabs' capacity-building programs with ATU-led initiatives, like the Africa Innovation Challenge. It will also nurture innovation in emerging sectors like mobile internet and 5G.
Crucially, the MoU includes a framework for strengthening intellectual property (IP) protection for African innovators. The two bodies will advocate for startup-friendly IP policies and promote commercialization strategies, ensuring that African innovations are safeguarded and scaled both locally and globally.
The collaboration is aligned with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa 2020–2030, which is a continental blueprint designed to leverage digital technologies for inclusive development and economic growth across Africa. By aligning regulatory support with grassroots innovation, the partnership aims to ensure this growth translates into inclusive digital services, thriving tech ecosystems, and scalable African solutions.
Hikmatu Bilali
She works on projects in Senegal that focus on education and digital tools, always considering local practices and the specific needs of communities.
Ndeye Amy Kebe (photo), a Senegalese social entrepreneur and expert in information and communication technologies applied to agriculture, founded and directs Jokalante. Her social enterprise received the Impact Award at Challenge+ Dakar 2025.
Founded in 2016, Jokalante focuses on digital inclusion and agriculture. It provides farmers, herders, and rural communities with tools to access technical, climate, and health information, regardless of language or literacy. The company contributes to food security and climate change adaptation through accessible educational content and digital tools. It also facilitates dialogue between field actors and experts.
Jokalante developed a multichannel platform integrating several solutions. It broadcasts voice messages and SMS in Wolof, Serer, Pulaar, Diola, Mandinka, French, and English for wide dissemination to rural populations. It also offers an interactive voice response service for phone access to advice without an internet connection.
Users can ask questions, report difficulties, or share observations through the platform, which strengthens awareness efforts. Since 2024, Jokalante has deployed Nafoore, a voice chatbot powered by generative artificial intelligence that adapts responses based on weather, soil type, or crops.
Kebe also owns Caman, a vocational training organization launched in 2018. She earned a master's degree in education and adult training from the University of Lille in 2013.
She began her professional career in 2008 as a local accounting manager at the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie. In 2014, she became an e-learning project manager at the Institut universitaire de technologie et de commerce (ITECOM) in Senegal. Between 2014 and 2015, she worked as an instructional designer at the Virtual University of Senegal.
Melchior Koba
Orange operates in 17 countries across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, with 16 of those in Africa. The company currently offers fiber internet services in 10 of these markets.
Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) reported 1.4 million fiber-optic internet subscribers in 2024, a 28% increase from 2023. The data comes from the company's 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility report, published July 3.
While OMEA did not specify the exact driver of this growth, the company invested $1.4 billion in its regional network during the year. This investment covered fixed, mobile, and next-generation technologies. The growth reflects a digital transformation with increasing demand for high-speed connectivity from both businesses and individuals. By the end of 2024, Orange had already extended fiber coverage to 4.9 million households in the region to meet this demand.
"For Orange, creating sustainable value first means enabling as many people as possible to access connectivity, an essential digital service. To achieve this, we deploy and operate fixed and mobile networks on a global scale, in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. For businesses, operators, and content providers, we offer an optimized global network and next-generation connectivity solutions," Orange Group stated in its 2024 integrated annual report.
Orange views fixed broadband, including ADSL, fiber, and radio networks, as a key growth driver in Africa and the Middle East. For example, in a July 2024 article, the company announced a 125 million euro ($145.5 million) investment in fixed networks by 2025. This investment aims to connect an additional 800,000 households to fiber, reaching a total of 1.3 million fiber customers in the region. An additional 100 million to 200 million euros were also planned to strengthen international connectivity infrastructure, particularly submarine cables.
Orange provides fiber internet services in 10 countries across Africa and the Middle East: Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company's fixed internet customer base also includes 1.6 million households with 4G or 5G fixed wireless access and nearly one million households connected via ADSL.
Fixed broadband revenue in the region increased by 19.5% between 2023 and 2024. This contributed to Orange OMEA's total revenue of 7.683 billion euros, an 11.1% increase from 2023. The region accounted for 19% of the Orange Group's total revenue.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
The Africa Money & DeFi Summit West Africa is set to return to Accra on September 24–25, 2025, bringing together top fintech and crypto stakeholders from across the continent and around the world for two days of networking, business development, and investment exploration.
To be held at the Mövenpick Hotel, the summit will connect Africa’s rapidly evolving fintech, decentralized finance (DeFi), and Web3 ecosystem with global investors, technology providers, and industry pioneers.
Startups will gain exposure to investors and accelerators, while corporates and regulators will explore partnerships and emerging policy frameworks in areas like digital currencies, open banking, and responsible crypto innovation.
Lamine Barro, a young Ivorian entrepreneur, is using technology to transform how African youth learn and work. Through his startup Etudesk, he blends data, accessibility, and digital tools to build skills and drive digital transformation across West Africa.
Barro, founder and CEO of Etudesk, launched the company in 2016. Since then, it has grown into a key player in the digital education sector, supporting both public services and private organisations with data-driven solutions.
Etudesk offers a platform that centralises and updates socio-economic and urban data in real time. Governments, investors, and businesses use it to make informed decisions and better understand local dynamics. But the company’s impact goes further—especially in the fields of education and employment.
One of its flagship tools is Etudesk LMS, a learning management system designed to boost the skills of African talent. The platform lets users create, manage, and distribute educational content. Organisations and companies can build training programs that combine videos, quizzes, documents, and assessments.
In March 2025, Etudesk launched a custom data platform for Côte d'Ivoire's Agence Emploi Jeunes (AEJ). The system integrates AI-driven diagnostics that assess each user’s profile, skills, and goals to offer personalised recommendations—a tool aimed at matching youth with job opportunities that fit their aspirations.
Beyond Etudesk, Barro plays a wider role in the Ivorian tech ecosystem. He is co-founder and vice-president of #Ci20 (Côte d'Ivoire Innovation 20), a coalition of leading technology firms. He also serves on the scientific council of Mission Laïque Française, a French-based non-profit that operates schools around the world.
Before entering tech, Barro studied biology. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Université Péléforo Gon Coulibaly in Korhogo in 2015.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has launched a blockchain-powered platform to combat fake diplomas and speed up slow administrative procedures. The new digital solution, called “e-Diplôme,” aims to secure and digitise the issuance and verification of state diplomas.
The government unveiled the initiative on July 18 during a Council of Ministers meeting in Kinshasa.
“The e-Diplôme platform represents a decisive turning point in the modernisation of the Congolese education system,” said Minister of Communication and Media Patrick Muyaya Katembwe. “This major step towards transparency, modernisation, and digital sovereignty positions the DRC’s education system as a model of governance in Central Africa.”
Accessible at www.schoolap.cd, the platform allows centralised, digital management of academic records. Each diploma will be stored and authenticated using blockchain technology, enabling instant online verification by graduates, employers, universities, and embassies.
The system ensures permanent digital archiving, protecting records from data loss, forgery, and physical damage.
The move comes as the DRC—like many African nations—struggles with rampant diploma fraud. The e-Diplôme platform is part of a wider government push to modernise public administration, strengthen digital sovereignty, and digitise essential public services.
By removing paper documents and manual processing, the system aims to streamline interactions between schools, ministries, and recruiters. It will reduce verification delays, limit human errors, and simplify procedures for graduates.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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In launching the ACTS AI Institute, Africa is making a clear statement: the future of AI on the continent will not be outsourced. It will be developed by Africans, for Africans—rooted in local values, driven by local needs, and shaped through global collaboration.
The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) has launched the ACTS AI Institute (ACAII), an initiative aimed at advancing responsible, African-centered AI research, innovation, and governance. Positioned as a continental hub for ethical and inclusive AI, the Institute seeks to empower local communities, drive sustainable development, and ensure that AI technologies reflect Africa’s unique values and priorities.
For the Executive Director of ACTS, Prof. Tom Peter Migun Ogada, “The Institute builds on the experience and network consolidated over a period of five years, since ACTS started implementing projects related to development and deployment of responsible AI solutions and related policies. This launch is therefore meant to enable us to do what we have been doing better, with a wider mandate across the continent.”
Backed by the AI for Development (AI4D) program—with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)—ACAII builds on a foundation laid by the AI4D Scholarship Program. This initiative has already enabled researchers from historically underrepresented communities to design and scale AI solutions tailored to African contexts.
At the heart of the Institute’s mission are five strategic pillars: responsible AI solutions, AI policy and governance, AI and jobs, capacity building, and data science. Through these, ACAII aims to address critical challenges across agriculture, healthcare, education, and climate resilience. For example, the Institute is developing AI-driven weather prediction models and crop yield tools that can assist Africa’s 60% smallholder farmers, as well as telemedicine platforms that expand access to healthcare in remote communities.
The Institute also sees AI as a vehicle for economic inclusion and transformation. By exploring labor market trends and encouraging AI-driven entrepreneurship, ACAII aims to equip young Africans with the tools to create new industries and jobs, rather than be displaced by automation.
This people-first approach is echoed in ACAII’s dedication to education and training. The Institute is actively working with African policymakers, researchers, and educators to develop curricula and training programs that will build long-term human capacity in AI governance, ethics, and development.
To ensure its impact is felt across the continent, ACAII is building a wide coalition of partners—from government and academia to civil society, the private sector, and the media. This ecosystem approach is key to scaling innovations responsibly and ensuring the benefits of AI reach those often left behind by previous waves of technological change.
Despite growing interest in AI, Africa still lags in global AI development. The Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index (2022 edition) reported that Sub-Saharan Africa’s average score was approximately 29.4, which is significantly below the global average of 44.6.
ACAII is actively working to close these gaps by developing Africanized AI policy frameworks, ethical standards, and localized toolkits to support responsible scaling.
Hikmatu Bilali
In less than ten years, 5G has gone from being a technological privilege to a concrete reality in nearly 30 African countries. A significant advancement that confirms the continent’s foothold in the global digital economy, despite ongoing challenges.
5 G technology is rapidly advancing across Africa, driven by growing momentum throughout the continent. According to the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), 79 telecom operators in 41 African countries were investing in 5G in 2024. Among these, 35 operators had already launched commercial networks in 21 countries. In June 2021, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) reported seven active 5G commercial networks across five African markets. Vodacom Lesotho was the first operator to launch 5G on the continent in 2018.
In 2024, 5G technology accounted for 25% of mobile network coverage in urban areas, compared to 73% for 4G, as per the International Telecommunication Union. Regarding subscribers, 5G had over 26 million users out of approximately 600 million unique mobile subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024.
Including North Africa, particularly Tunisia and Egypt, where commercial 5G became available in February and June 2025, respectively, these figures would likely be higher for the entire continent. Agence Ecofin data from June 2025 shows 48 telecom operators had already launched 5G in 28 African countries.
|
Country |
Operator |
Launch Year |
|
Lesotho |
Vodacom |
2018 |
|
South Africa |
Rain |
2018 |
|
Libya |
Al-Madar |
2019 |
|
South Africa |
Vodacom |
2020 |
|
South Africa |
MTN |
2020 |
|
Seychelles |
Cable & Wireless |
2020 |
|
Togo |
Togocom |
2020 |
|
Madagascar |
Yas |
2020 |
|
Angola |
Unitel |
2022 |
|
South Africa |
Telkom |
2022 |
|
Kenya |
Safaricom |
2022 |
|
Zimbabwe |
Econet Wireless |
2022 |
|
Tanzania |
Vodacom |
2022 |
|
Nigeria |
MTN |
2022 |
|
Zambia |
MTN |
2022 |
|
Botswana |
Orange |
2022 |
|
Egypt |
Orange |
2022 |
|
Kenya |
Airtel |
2023 |
|
Ethiopia |
Ethio Telecom |
2023 |
|
Tanzania |
Airtel |
2023 |
|
Nigeria |
Mafab Com. |
2023 |
|
Nigeria |
Airtel |
2023 |
|
Zambia |
Airtel |
2023 |
|
Mozambique |
Vodacom |
2023 |
|
Gambia |
Qcell |
2023 |
|
Mauritius |
Emtel |
2023 |
|
Uganda |
MTN |
2023 |
|
Uganda |
Airtel |
2023 |
|
Lesotho |
Econet Wireless |
2024 |
|
Kenya |
Equitel |
2024 |
|
Zimbabwe |
NetOne |
2024 |
|
Gambia |
Africell |
2024 |
|
Somaliland |
Telesom |
2024 |
|
Senegal |
Sonatel |
2024 |
|
Somalia |
Hormuud Telecom |
2024 |
|
Mauritius |
Mauritius Telecom |
2024 |
|
Congo |
MTN |
2024 |
|
Benin |
MTN |
2025 |
|
Comoros |
Comores Telecom |
2025 |
|
Comoros |
Yas |
2025 |
|
Tunisia |
Orange |
2025 |
|
Tunisia |
Tunisie Telecom |
2025 |
|
Tunisia |
Ooredoo |
2025 |
|
Eswatini |
Eswatini Mobile |
2025 |
|
Rwanda |
MTN |
2025 |
|
Egypt |
Telecom Egypt |
2025 |
|
Egypt |
Vodafone |
2025 |
|
Egypt |
e& egypt |
2025 |
Source: Ecofin Agency
Given the high number of telecom operators interested in 5G, notably in Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cape Verde, new commercial rollouts are expected by the end of the year. However, many obstacles continue to hinder widespread 5G adoption across Africa.
Challenges and Opportunities
The primary barriers to 5G adoption in Africa remain in five key areas: mobile devices, services, infrastructure, spectrum, and policy or regulation. The ATU explains that the high cost of 5 G-compatible phones prevents mass adoption of 5G services. The ATU suggests that while 5G compatible phones are available from vendors starting at $150, many people in African countries cannot afford smartphones at current prices. Therefore, governmental, regulatory, and operator-level interventions will be necessary to make devices more affordable and foster an environment conducive to continued 4G growth and 5G adoption.
The underdeveloped nature of practical 5G use cases also slows the technology’s uptake in Africa. This includes both personal and industrial applications involving emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things, covering smart cities, smart ports, immersive remote learning, health monitoring systems, smart grids and surveillance, and automated production chains. Without concrete applications, the ATU notes that 5G is primarily used to improve internet speeds. The organization warns that if this trend continues, 5G may remain a luxury product reserved for businesses and affluent segments of society.
Furthermore, other challenges limiting the widespread rollout of 5G networks in Africa include the high cost of deploying telecom technology, the unavailability of essential 5G frequency spectrum, the lack of capacity and availability of fiber optic networks, insufficient incentives for inter-industry collaboration, and the absence of standards or guidelines on cross-border data exchange management. The African branch of the ITU emphasizes that appropriately addressing these issues will make 5G a growth lever for African economies.
By 2030, the GSMA estimates that 5G alone could contribute $10 billion to the regional economy, representing 6% of the mobile sector's total economic impact.
Muriel Edjo
In Africa, many people still lack access to traditional financial services. Palm, an Egyptian startup, aims to change this by redefining how citizens build and manage their savings through its web and mobile platforms.
Palm, a fintech solution from a young Egyptian startup, offers a smart mobile savings app. It helps users gradually build capital with flexibility and autonomy. Founded in Cairo in 2024 by Mazen El Kerdany and Ahmed Ashour, the startup announced a successful, undisclosed funding round in July 2025 to support its growth.
The fintech plans to expand its offerings by adding features such as group savings, loyalty rewards, and financial management educational tools. It specifically targets young professionals and individuals with irregular incomes, groups often overlooked by traditional banking services.
Peter Orth, co-founder of 4DX Ventures and an investor in Palm, said, "We believe Palm has the potential to transform financial well-being across the continent. By making saving easier, offering real returns, and unlocking significant discounts on major expenses, Palm helps users build sustainable wealth. This aligns with our mission to support ambitious teams fostering long-term prosperity in Africa, and we’re excited to partner with seasoned operators like Mazen and Ahmed to realize this vision."
Palm's mobile app allows any user, even those without a bank account, to save money simply, automatically, and securely. The app analyzes spending habits, suggests personalized saving strategies, and encourages users to reach short or medium-term financial goals.
Palm is part of a wider regional fintech trend focused on micro-savings and financial inclusion, as financial practices in the Arab world rapidly digitize.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Artificial intelligence is increasingly a key tool for operational efficiency across strategic sectors, and the telecommunications industry is no exception.
Orange Africa and Middle East is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its core technical operations. The regional arm of the French telecom group Orange outlined several initiatives in its 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. These initiatives have already been implemented in some countries and Orange plans to expand them across its entire operational footprint.
One such initiative is the "Smart Capex," a system that uses machine learning algorithms to analyze real time data on traffic, consumption, and location. By combining this information with environmental data such as sunlight exposure or a site's solar potential, Orange can precisely adjust its network capacity based on actual demand. This also allows the company to direct investments more quickly and accurately to areas where they are most needed.
Artificial intelligence also plays a role in optimizing the energy management of technical sites. AI driven systems automatically adjust the power supply based on local conditions and solar energy potential. This significantly reduces fuel consumption. In some regions, this energy optimization has led to savings of up to 25%.
Furthermore, predictive maintenance, powered by AI, helps prevent breakdowns before they occur. Algorithms analyze equipment behavior and identify early warning signs, enabling interventions before a failure. This approach reduces service interruptions and minimizes emergency trips by technical teams.
Brelotte Ba, Deputy CEO of Orange Africa and Middle East, stated that using AI in their operations creates tangible value for customers, employees, and the network. He described a three pillar approach: the network for AI, AI for networks, and AI for employees, while acknowledging associated risks.
Many telecom operators, like Orange, are focusing on AI. Industry data from the second quarter of 2024 shows that 81% of telecom operators worldwide were already testing AI. By the fourth quarter, 65% had implemented a dedicated AI strategy. Artificial intelligence allows mobile operators to make numerous improvements in both connectivity and customer experience, potentially leading to revenue growth.
As of December 2024, Orange Africa and Middle East served 161 million customers across 17 countries. Over the year, the company reported revenue of 770 million euros, equivalent to about $895.45 million, an 11% increase from 2023. It invested $1.4 billion in infrastructure and technology development.
Isaac K. Kassouwi