The African Digital Hub aims to take advantage of Tunisia’s geographical and geo-digital positioning to create a global digital hub.

During the TICAD 8, held in Tunisia last August 27-28, volunteer organization Tunisian Smart Cities (TSC) presented African Digital Hub, a pan-African project aimed at connecting Africa to the world. 

According to the TICAD 8 whitebook published by the Tunisian-Japanese chamber of commerce and industry, the digital infrastructure offers an opportunity to establish a set of digital cardinals on the African continent, ensuring “the inter-connection of Africa with the rest of the world through a sovereign mesh of submarine cables.” 

For Akil Sadkaoui, manager of the African Digital Hub project, the infrastructure will help boost connectivity in Africa, “therefore allowing residents to capitalize on new value chains in a context marked by growing e-commerce and mobile payment activities at a time when artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and soon quantum networks are constant discussion topics.”  

The African Digital Hub will be implemented following a public-private partnership model. During its first phase (US$307 million), Green's Data Cities will be built, forming the building block of a large backbone network that will benefit allied cities.  

The project is expected to create some 500 direct jobs. It aims to create a green digital sector that leverages green energy sources and an academic research program. For connectivity expert Damien Bertrand, thanks to the African Digital Hub, Tunisia could become the northern gateway of a sovereign and autonomous Africa while Bizerte will be the building block of that gateway. 

Let’s note that the Bizerte governorate (in Tunisia) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have already launched the feasibility study of the first phase of the African Digital Hub. 

Samira Njoya