News (1575)
The digital component of Congo's 2022-2026 National Development strategy plans the construction of a number of tech infrastructures. To fulfill that ambition, the government is multiplying partnerships with key partners.
Last Friday, Congolese Digital Minister Leon Juste Ibombo welcomed a delegation of the Dubai-based consortium Presight ai Limited-G42.
During the audience, the parties discussed the finalization of a recent partnership aimed at funding several projects that will improve digitization and the construction of key tech infrastructures, which will benefit the population.
"Our partners came with documents that will allow us to reach out to the Ministry of Finance for the financing agreement before the implementation phase. With the negotiations concluded, we will move to finalize the project," Leon Juste Ibombo said.
The visit of the Emirati team is the result of a cooperation process that started a few months ago. Indeed, on March 28, 2022, in the United Arab Emirates, Congo signed a partnership agreement with Presight ai LimitedG42 to combine their digital transformation efforts and expertise.
The agreement is one of the partnerships sealed by Congo for the implementation of its 2022-2026 national development strategy for a strong and diversified economy. In recent months, the country has signed similar agreements with international firms including Indian ATDXT and Canadian Casimir Network. The agreement with Casimir Network provides for the training of local tech talents as well as the construction and operationalization of a data center that will host the country's blockchain services.
Samira Njoya
Charles Kouame is the senior manager in charge of the deployment of telecom group Orange's Djoliba, a fiber-optic network that will interconnect West African countries and even more countries outside the region. With We Are Tech, he discusses the advancement of the project and its prospects.
In 2020, Orange announced Djoliba, its fiber optic network that will connect West African countries. What is the status of the project?
We have already connected six countries namely Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana, and Nigeria. Connection is ongoing in two countries; Liberia and Guinea. We aim to build a network infrastructure that will interconnect most West African countries like the Djoliba river which irrigates a large part of the sub-region. The project was initiated because of the growing demand for broadband connections in Africa.
When Djoliba was launched in 2020, Orange invested a little over EUR 8 million. In 2022, the network, which was already congested of being greatly overrun was upgraded. To improve its capabilities, Orange made an additional investment in the Djoliba project.
Djoliba greatly contributes to the development of connectivity in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea-Bissau. The infrastructure enabled many firms, notably banks operating in the sub-region, to easily interconnect with their headquarters based in Dakar or Abidjan.
The system's capacity is infinite. It can be increased by adding the appropriate equipment. To date, its equipped capacity is 300 gigabytes. The initial capacity was 100 gigabytes but an additional 200 gigabytes have been added this year.
Why was such a large project initiated just for the West African region?
West Africa hosts the largest number of Orange subsidiaries. It was thus selected to host phase 1 which targets eight countries. The second phase will target Central African countries like Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project will also target countries like Morroco, Niger, Mauritania, Togo, Benin, and Sierra Leone. Later, around 2025, we will even consider expanding the network to South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya. The aim is to connect the major capital cities where there is greater internet traffic even in countries where Orange is not present. With Orange group's point of presence on every continent, the Djoliba network, which is interconnected with those points of presence, gives our clients round-the-world reach.
Specifically, what will this infrastructure be used for?
Orange aims to popularize broadband connection by making major investments, which will help offer quality but most affordable internet. In under a year, for instance, Djoliba allowed the Malian subsidiary to make unlimited offers. Djoliba also helps meet the needs of subscribed operators, internet service providers, and firms.
We all noticed that the coronavirus pandemic caused a surge in telecommuting. Some of our lifestyle habits have virtually changed. To improve their operational efficiency, businesses need some online tools and quality broadband is required to access those tools.
Companies in the banking, mining, and telecom industries among others have bought Djoliba's fiber capacities to improve their collaboration with their headquarters and their access to information technologies. Djoliba is also useful for mobile operators. The pan-African network was launched to improve digital inclusion in Africa.
With the advent of Djoliba, affordable broadband connectivity has supported the development of content creation in several countries. Influencers can now give more visibility to their activities. The fiber optic network is also a great opportunity for online services because, with poor or inaccessible internet, their clients cannot buy their online services.
Is Djoliba different from similar projects like 2Africa, where Orange is also committed?
Djoliba is a network built from terrestrial and submarine fiber optic cables. When commissioned, 2Africa will be integrated into Djoliba. Djoliba's current submarine routes include the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), South Africa Transit 3 (SAT3), or the West Africa Cable System (WACS). We have terrestrial routes secured by submarine routes. We are waiting for the arrival of the 2Africa cable to integrate it into the network and offer our customers a resilient network system. Djoliba will also help offer a secured terrestrial extension to the capacities of the 2Africa cable.
The World Bank estimates that hundreds of millions of Africans still live more than 50 km away from a fiber optic network. How does Orange intend to improve access (offer and cost) for populations with a growing need for very high-speed broadband?
Through its subsidiaries, Orange heavily invests in the development of fiber optic networks in its markets. Some of those markets, like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, are virtually virgin territories. Therefore, the investments made by Orange are huge. In the major cities of those markets, Orange is investing heavily to fulfill the strong commitment made by Orange Middle East and Africa. The aim is to bring fiber optics closer to populations and households. The various Orange Middle East and Africa subsidiaries are deploying their fiber optic infrastructure and Djoliba will allow them access to more internet capacities thanks to its network of subsea cables whose international traffic it carries. When 2Africa lands in Dakar and Abidjan, Burkina Faso and Mali will access its capacities through Djoliba, which is a secured transport system.
What is Orange's plan to meet the growing broadband connectivity demand in rural areas?
Orange wants to popularize broadband in the Middle East and Africa. It is therefore making huge investments in domestic pan-African and subsea fiber optic networks. Despite the investments made, some rural areas still have no access to broadband. To meet the demand in those areas, our state can also deploy fiber optic networks in remote areas through universal service funds.
With digital transformation accelerating in most countries, Africa needs a highly-skilled workforce, which is experienced with concrete projects, to achieve the much-awaited fourth digital revolution.
Last Tuesday, Africa to Silicon Valley (A2SV) announced it secured funding from Google to implement its project aimed at boosting tech talent in Africa.
The foundation explained that the funding will support the establishment of a "permanent office in Ethiopia and hire more heads of education and a product manager." "The goal is to expand A2SV’s presence to Ghana and upskill 330 more students in Ethiopia and Ghana over the next two years, building a pool of highly trained, industry-ready candidates who have experience with real-life projects," it adds.
“Aspiring software developers in Africa lack access to experienced mentors and job opportunities. Academic education fails to equip them with the skills they need in real-world contexts. We address this gap through our rigorous training program comprising daily classes, boot camps, and real-life projects," said Emre Varol, A2SV founder and head of executions.
According to a report by consultancy firm Korn Ferry, the global tech ecosystem could experience a shortage of over 85 million workers by 2030. With 400 million young people aged between 15 and 35, Africa has the youngest population and can help fill that gap if its talent pool is built in time.
Africa to Silicon Valley was founded in 2019. Its priority is to build the best talent pool. It offers a rigorous training program that prepares candidates for interviews with leading tech companies. The said program covers aspects like algorithms and data structures, soft skills, and real-world projects.
Samira Njoya
The cable aligns with the government's strategy to develop the digital sector and extend competitive telecom services in remote areas.
Last Wednesday, in Luanda, China and Angola signed an about US$249 million concessional loan agreement for a national broadband project.
According to Pascoal Borges Alé Fernandes (Angola's Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Information Technology), the project will dynamize and extend Angola's network infrastructure.
"We are talking about the implementation of around 2,000 kilometers of terrestrial fiber optics that will make it possible to reach areas not yet reached by telecommunications services (…). And we also have a microwave segment that will make it possible to boost communications in Cabinda," he said.
A few years ago, Angola launched a large digital infrastructure construction project to meet the country's huge demand for digital services. With the new broadband project, the government wants to encourage tech innovation and boost productivity in the public and private sectors.
The project will help provide broadband connection in remote areas, reduce access costs and boost the country's digital economy. For China's ambassador to Angola, Gong Tao (photo, left), the agreement signed opens "new doors and new chapters" in the relations between Luanda and Pekin.
Samira Njoya
African countries are among the most affected by climate change. In that context, initiatives contributing to resilience are important for the continent.
Last Tuesday, VC fund and accelerator Catalyst Fund unveiled a list of 10 African start-ups that will benefit from its new US$30 million VC fund backed by development agency FSD Africa. The ten startups represent the inaugural cohort of that fund.
The selected start-ups are from Egypt, Uganda, Morocco, Kenya, and Nigeria and were chosen for the innovative technologies they have developed to help communities better adapt to climate impacts and increase their resilience.
Each of them will receive "$100K of equity investments as well as $100K of hands-on venture-building support," and "join Catalyst Fund’s existing portfolio of 61 startups across emerging markets and receive capital, bespoke and expert-led venture-building support, and direct connections with investors, corporate innovators and talent networks that can help them scale."
Catalyst Fund's portfolio companies have raised more than US$640 million in follow-up financing to date. They currently serve more than 14 million people and MSMEs worldwide. According to Maelis Carraro, Managing Partner of Catalyst Fund, the aim is to support motivated founders who share the VC fund's "vision of a world where every individual has the tools and opportunities they need to thrive."
Samira Njoya
The funding is announced 18 months after the startup secured US$3 million in seed funding, including US$1 million of debt financing.
Ghanaian logistics startup JetStream Africa announced, Tuesday (January 10), it has secured US$13 million in debt and equity pre-Searies A financing.
The startup, based in Tema (Ghana) operates in 29 countries (14 African countries). With the newly secured funds, it plans to enter new markets and upgrade its platform that "vertically aggregates fragmented logistics and financing vendors in the world of African trade."
“With this funding round, we are excited to use our technology to reflect our customers’ data back to them in the form of business insights, so they can trade more profitably,” said Miishe Addy, co-founder, and CEO of JetStream.
In Africa, it is challenging for SMEs to ship their goods across international borders. As a result, they have access to only a limited number of markets. The continent's population is also larger than production capacities, therefore, the trade deficit is rising in the ever-booming market. According to a recent report by Mordor Intelligence, the African cross-border freight market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 4.5% between 2022 and 2027.
With its new model, JetStream facilitates end-to-end freight, helps reduce costs and also provides funding to SMEs that need it.
According to Miishe Addy, the new investment will allow the company to expand its reach and continue to improve its service offerings. "At Jetstream we aim to help regional companies grow their supply chains faster, and close that gap themselves," she said.
Samira Njoya
Rwanda has undergone a major digital transition in recent years. Several sectors are changing, including the land sector, where reform will now allow the online issuance of land titles.
Last Friday, Rwanda officially launched the issuance of the electronic certificate of land registration. The e-certificate, announced two days earlier by the National Land Authority (NLA), aims to replace the paper copies or physical land titles offered to citizens, reduce the cost and time needed to secure those certificates but also enhance security, therefore reducing fraud that has plagued land transactions in the country.
On Twitter Esperance Mukamana (photo), general director of the NLA, declared that with the e-certificat e of land registration Rwanda was, once again, leading the way.
“From now there will be no more issuance of land titles in paper/hardcopy format. It's an incredible milestone that takes boldness by government,” she added.
The electronic certificate is the result of a process that started a few years earlier. In July 2020, the In July 2020, the Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority rolled out a platform to streamline land buying and selling in the country. Using the platform, Rwandans can check the registered lands’ information.
With the new e-certificate system, land titles will be provided immediately after approval by the registrar. The owner will receive a notification with a link to download and register a digital copy of their land title. A simple and fast procedure widely welcomed by Rwandans.
According to the National Land Authority, the system will remedy title losses and damages and contribute to the achievement of the "zero travel, zero paper" goal in land transactions. It is part of a program that aims to digitalize land services, making it easy and faster for requesters to access the needed services.
Samira Njoya
Rwanda wants to leverage digital technologies to reduce poverty and accelerate growth. In its various programs in that regard, it is supported by several financial partners.
Last Monday, the Franch Development Agency announced a financing agreement to support digital transformation in Rwanda. The agreement concerns a EUR37 million loan and a EUR1.7 million grant.
The loan will support the Rwandan government's digitization efforts."The financing we just concluded today with AFD will support Government of Rwanda’s efforts to modernize the administrative network infrastructure, operationalize a Geospatial Center of Excellence and a Drone Operation Center with the objective of improving government’s efficiency and capacity to deliver services, unlocking drone private sector development, and supporting policy design, monitoring and evaluation across government. It will also support innovation and economic development based on geospatial and drone-generated databases," said Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, Rwanda's Minister of Finance.
In recent years, Rwanda has undertaken a number of digital reforms, including the dematerialization of public services, the improvement of access to quality internet, and the improvement of digital adoption with a number of initiatives that focuses on digital access and inclusion. The said reforms are part of the National Strategic Plan (2018-2024).
For Arthur Germond, AFD Director in Rwanda, the financing “will enable the delivery of quality public services in key institutions across the country, this project will help reduce access gap between the capital and the rest of the country. It will also make the country more attractive and create economic opportunities in Huye district thanks to support for the drone industry.”
Samira Njoya
Côte d'Ivoire aims to become an air hub in West Africa. To achieve this, the government has sought the expertise of California-based start-up Zipline, considered the world leader in instant logistics and drone delivery.
U.S. medical delivery company Zipline will deploy its services in Côte d’Ivoire, in the coming days. Indeed, it recently secured the Certificate of Automated Aircraft Operators (CEAT) from the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) of Côte d'Ivoire.
The CEAT, which is a pre-requisite to fly any automated aircraft in the country, was presented, last Friday, during a ceremony attended by the Ministers of Transport and Health.
According to Diop Boubakar, the Ministry of Transport’s spokesman, air transport is one of the priorities of Côte d'Ivoire’s development plan. To achieve the country’s ambitions in that industry, the Ministry of Transport tasked the ANAC to take the required measures to make the country an air hub in West and Central Africa. ANAC is notably tasked to develop aviation and airport infrastructure. For Diop Boubakar, it has succeeded in doing so with the certification CEAT certificate it granted (the first in Francophone Africa).
In December 2021, Zipline decided to expand into the Ivorian market. At the time, it announced an agreement with the country’s Ministry of Health for the delivery of vaccines, drugs, blood products, and other medical supplies to health facilities all over the country, even in remote and hard-to-reach areas. The partnership is expected to help create many jobs for the local population as Zipline is expected to hire local talent to manage the four distribution centers (to be built and operated by Zipline) where the health products will be stored and distributed to 1,000 health centers across the country. The first distribution center, located in Daloa, should be commissioned in the coming weeks.
Since 2016 when it started its drone delivery operations in Africa (with Rwanda), Zipline has steadily expanded its instant medical logistics business to other African countries, such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.
Samira Njoya
The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the digitalization of several public services in Zimbabwe, including the digital system. In the country, numerous reforms are ongoing to improve the judicial system and dematerialize the process.
Zimbabwe will launch the second phase of the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) next February 1. The web-based system will manage cases and automate and track all aspects of the case life cycle, from initial filing to disposition and appeal.
"On February 1, we are going live at the Labour Court and Administrative Court. [...] We call upon all current and potential court users to register with the system," said Daniel Nemukuyu, the judicial service commission's head of corporate services.
The judicial service commission launched the first phase of the IECMS on February 7, 2022, with the aim of reducing case backlogs, preventing the loss and physical damage of case documents, improving the accessibility of information, and modernizing industry operations.
Under IECMS, several cases have been referred virtually and the Commercial, Supreme and Constitutional Courts are already planning to hold virtual trials. The second phase will integrate the system into the platforms of institutions like police prisons and correctional services, the prosecutor's office, the national prosecuting authority, the legal aid directorate, and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Court.
"We are running training sessions for court staff and other court users on how to use the new system ahead of the official implementation of the second phase on February 1," added Daniel Nemukuyu.
It is worth noting that the project lines up with the government and the judicial services commission's policy, which aims to bring the justice system closer to the population in accordance with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Samira Njoya
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In Africa, internet access is one of the major challenges that can prevent effective digital transformation. In that context, the Morrocan government wants to ensure that every region has access to that utility, even the most remote areas.
Morocco will connect most of its national territory to the internet by the end of 2023, Digital Minister Ghita Mezzour (photo) recently revealed.
Last Monday, while answering the House of Representatives' oral questions on internet connection in rural areas, the government official explained that 9,225 out of 10,740 zones have been connected to the internet during the first phase of the 2018-2023 national plan for the development of broadband and ultra-broadband connection. The remaining 1515 will be connected by the end of 2023, she added revealing that the Ministry of Digital Transformation was already preparing the second phase of the project. The second phase will connect 1700 new zones, with a particular focus on poorly-covered regions.
In recent years, Morocco has implemented numerous actions to boost internet access. According to Cable.co.uk’s “Worldwide broadband speed league 2022,” the country has the ninth fastest internet connection in Africa with mean download speeds of 13.03 megabits per second (Mbps).
During her oral session on December 26, Minister Ghita Mezzour also informed that the four technoparks operating in the country currently support 450 startups whose cumulative turnover is US$86 million. According to the official, 25% of the supported startups export their digital products.
Samira Njoya
In recent years, Niger has taken several actions to improve its internet coverage. The government also plans to create a legal framework for effective digital transformation.
Niger has adopted a new National Cybercrime Strategy to strengthen the country's digital transformation, a statement released after the December 27, 2022, Ministerial council informs.
According to the statement, the initiative aims at “ensuring a sustainable and effective digital transformation in Niger.” It also aims at "consolidating both investors and the public’s confidence in information and communication technologies.” The strategy will enter its implementation phase in 2023 and run for four years.
It will focus on four axes. The first is the enhancement of legislative, regulatory and institutional frameworks to protect users. The second is the protection and securitization of critical national infrastructure by building the capacity of operational institutions and boosting their human resources. The third axis is the development of mechanisms to prevent, detect and repress cyberattacks to improve security and build users’ confidence in ICT tools. The last axis is the promotion of public-private and public-public cybersecurity partnership by strengthening national, regional and international cooperation.
The program comes one year after the Internet development study launched by the government in October 2021. The objective was to allow Nigerien authorities to concretely understand the ecosystem and the national laws governing the use of the internet, assess the digital ecosystem and identify the gaps to be filled to make the Internet a tool for development.
Since 2018, the World Bank is committed to helping Niger develop Internet access, both in urban and rural areas, and to make connectivity a tool for socio-economic growth.
Jean-Marc Gogbeu
With demand for broadband connectivity accelerating across Africa, South African authorities want to provide more capacity to enable Internet service providers to meet the needs.
In the recently published draft amendment to the current radio frequency regulations, South Africa’s ICASA proposed additional radio spectrum for the provision of high-speed wireless internet.
ICASA explains that its decision to update the regulations is justified "by the need to keep the provisions of the regulations current with the existing and emerging technologies aimed at revolutionizing the electronic communications sector." It, therefore, proposes the allocation of the lower part of the 6 GHz band (5925 MHz to 6425 MHz), as well as the 122 GHz to 246 GHz band for non-specific short-range applications.
The ICASA's decision follows pressure from South Africa's Internet service providers in recent months to free up more spectrum in the 6 GHz band. According to the Wireless Access Providers Association (WAPA), this band is expected to enable the deployment of Wi-Fi 6E, the latest Wi-Fi technology, fetching up to US$57.76 billion to the rainbow nation over the next ten years.
According to ICASA, the release of additional spectrum in the 6 GHz band "will provide a much-needed boost for Wi-Fi availability and uptake, and is expected to enable faster data communications between devices connected to wireless infrastructure, reduce latency, and improve efficiency and data throughput."
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Zimbabwe's economy is largely dependent on the exploitation of natural resources. With the fourth industrial revolution underway, Harare wants to make digital technologies the foundation of the country's development by 2030.
Zimbabwe approved, Tuesday (Dec.20), the national 2023-2030 broadband program. The program aims to accelerate broadband penetration in the country and reduce the cost of access to 2% of the average monthly income per capita from the current 10.1%.
The program plans several key projects that will be funded by the government and private investors. In addition, a broadband committee will be established to provide a periodic assessment of progress, facilitate coordination and collaboration, and make suggestions for adjustment.
The broadband program is part of the Emmerson Mnangagwa government's strategic vision to make Zimbabwe a high-income economy by 2030. The government wants to drive access and adoption of broadband services across government agencies, businesses, households, and individuals to transform Zimbabwe's growth trajectory from one driven largely by natural resource exploitation to one driven by innovation.
For Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa, “the importance of broadband and its transformative benefits include the following: enhancement of global competitiveness, job creation, increased productivity, improved national security, and enhancement of performance in education, agriculture, health, and governance. [...] All of these are prerequisites for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Isaac K. Kassouwi