News (1790)
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
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
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
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
Although financial inclusion has recently improved in West Africa, small businesses in the region still consider financing a major barrier to their growth. This new partnership intends to change this dynamic by providing loans.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) recently partnered with Orange Bank Africa, the digital bank of the Orange Group. The World Bank’s private sector arm made the announcement last Monday, July 3. The move, according to the source, aims to effectively and sustainably support, financially, small businesses in West Africa, including those in rural areas.
"This innovative investment demonstrates our firm commitment to leverage the power of digital financial services, especially in regions where financial inclusion remains limited. It also has the potential to set a precedent in digital lending," said Olivier Buyoya, IFC's Regional Director for West Africa.
Under the partnership, the IFC will partly cover loans made by Orange Bank Africa to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), in Ivory Coast, first, then in Senegal, and other West African countries, once the digital bank has received approval to operate there.
In detail, the IFC will cover 50% of the $30 million in loans that Orange Bank Africa will provide in the form of microcredits accessible via mobile to its clientele of small businesses and individuals. The bank, which has been operating in the Ivorian market since July 2020, also plans to allocate "larger loans" to local actors in the creative industry. This will enable the 100% digital bank to distribute an additional 300,000 loans by 2025.
According to Jean-Louis Menann-Kouamé, CEO of Orange Bank Africa, the partnership will accelerate the financing of MSMEs with concrete solutions, thus bolstering their productivity, making them more competitive on local and international markets, and creating jobs.
A year ago, in July also, the IFC inked a first agreement with Orange Bank Africa, to increase access to financing for agents and traders operating in the mobile money ecosystem in West Africa.
Samira Njoya
Burundi is getting ready to deploy 5G. Investments in networks are planned to accommodate this technology, which could potentially breathe new life into trade and services based on internet-dependent models.
The commercial launch of 5G mobile technology in Burundi is planned for July 2024. This is indicated in the schedule established by the Telecommunications Regulatory and Control Agency (ARCT) in its "Roadmap for the Deployment of Fifth-Generation Mobile (5G) in Burundi".
According to the regulator, "The first part consists of ensuring the availability of frequency bands identified for 5G but which are currently used for other purposes, through rearrangement and sharing mechanisms of said bands. The second part consists of planning the frequency bands allocated to 5G, and the third part consists of assigning the released and planned frequencies by the end of 2025".
To meet requirements for the launch, traffic-wise, the ARCT plans to assign each operator a continuous band of 60 to 100 MHz in the bands below 6 GHz and at least 800 MHz in millimeter wave bands (above 6 GHz). From next December, the regulator also plans to release spectrum in the 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz, and 26 GHz bands, with authorizations granted to test 5G from January 2024.
Deploying 5G in Burundi is key to the country’s strategy for digitizing its economy, and foster digital inclusion nationwide. Under the ARCT’s roadmap, 5G will not just represent a simple increase in data rates, but it will drive Burundi’s economic digitization.
Also, it will yield new uses, particularly thanks to the decrease in latency times, thus opening the way to new possibilities and applications, especially relative to the Internet of Things and connected objects in general.
According to the GSMA's "5G in Africa: Realising the potential" report, 5G mobile phone networks should represent, across their entire value chain, an economic contribution of $26 billion in Africa by 2030.
Samira Njoya
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By 2050 Africa’s digital economy could grow to $712 billion or 8.5% of the continent’s GDP. Being a promising area, several African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, have been taking steps to speed up their digital transformation.
Amadou Coulibaly, the Ivoirian Minister of Digital Economy, inked on June 28, two memoranda of understanding with Cybastion Institute of Technology, a US tech consortium. The Ivoirian sealed the deals during a trip to the US. They will support two major projects in his country, knowingly the establishment of an administrative city and the construction of a data center.
The MoUs will enable the physical regrouping of all Ivoirian public bodies involved in the digital economy. They will also help set up an emergency data center where all of Côte d’Ivoire’s administrative data will be transferred, thus contributing to national digital sovereignty.
Two events led to the signing. The first is a trip to Côte d’Ivoire by a delegation from the US chamber of commerce, in 2022. Next is the signing of an MoU between the Ivoirian Ministry of Digital Economy and Cybastion Institute of Technology on December 15, 2022, during the Africa-USA Summit.
According to Thierry Wandji, CEO of Cybastion Institute of Technology, the new MoUs pave Côte d’Ivoire’s digital revolution.
Côte d’Ivoire, it should be emphasized, is seeking a lot of funds to implement its digital infrastructure program. Last October, the West African country said it needed $3 billion (over CFA2,000 billion) for the project.
Besides the recent MoUs, the two parties signed a framework contract to bolster cybersecurity support in Côte d'Ivoire.
Samira Njoya
The adoption of AI will have a significant impact on the continent. To foster sustainable adoption of AI in Africa, creating positive ecosystems among stakeholders is essential. This includes policymakers, research institutions, businesses, startups, and government agencies, working together to ensure the technology's long-term viability.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology announced, on June 30, it is finalizing a draft national AI policy. The policy aims to harness the potential of AI technology and promote its responsible and sustainable implementation nationwide.
Over the past five years, Ethiopia has witnessed significant growth in its AI sector, prompting the need for a well-defined policy framework. The draft AI policy document addresses crucial policy issues, focusing on both the existing realities and future directions for AI development and growth in the country.
The policy encompasses various key areas, including data management, human resource development, research and development, assistance and encouragement, infrastructure, law and ethics, and cooperation and coordination. By addressing these critical aspects, the Ethiopian government aims to create an enabling environment for AI innovation and adoption while safeguarding the rights and well-being of its citizens.
Huria Ali, Minister of State for Innovation and Technology, emphasized the importance of the draft policy, highlighting its incorporation of national guidelines for data sharing, research quality and ethics, regulatory frameworks, and guidelines for the utilization of human resources. She emphasized the collaborative nature of the policy, calling for the active involvement of regional states, municipal administrations, international institutions, partners, and stakeholders in its implementation.
Taye Girma, Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Institute of Artificial Intelligence, expressed the institute's commitment to transforming Ethiopia into a center of excellence in AI. He emphasized the significance of developing and utilizing AI technology to propel Ethiopia's growth and development.
The development of the draft national policy on AI involved extensive collaboration. The Ethiopian Institute of Artificial Intelligence, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Addis Ababa University's Policy Research Institute, representatives from the private sector, and other stakeholders actively participated in its formulation. This inclusive approach ensures that the policy reflects a wide range of perspectives and is aligned with Ethiopia's unique needs and aspirations.
As Ethiopia nears the finalization of its national AI policy, the country is poised to position itself as a hub for AI innovation and advancement. With a comprehensive framework in place, Ethiopia aims to leverage AI's transformative power to drive economic growth, enhance public services, and address societal challenges while upholding ethical standards and ensuring inclusivity.
The Ministry of Innovation and Technology is set to unveil the finalized national policy on artificial intelligence in the coming months, heralding a new era of AI development and deployment in Ethiopia.
According to the “State of AI in Africa 2023 report,” The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in African countries will have a significant impact on various aspects of life that involve human intelligence and interaction. AI technologies can be utilized by businesses and institutions to customize tasks, streamline processes, foster innovation, and enhance and support staff operations.
By 2030, PwC predicts that the global gross domestic product (GDP) will witness a significant boost of over $15 trillion due to the integration of AI and related technologies.
Hikmatu Bilali
In 2021, Gabon started a three-year acceleration plan for economic transformation. This comprises several priority projects including the construction of a national datacenter to store all administrative data.
Last Thursday, June 29, Gabon's Minister of Digital Economy, Jean Pierre Doukaga Kassa, and the CEO of the Indian company Shapoorji-Pallonji, Ransit Gajave, signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a national data center in Gabon.
The Ministry of Digital Economy said on social media that the project is a high-priority one. Thus, “he instructed the general manager of the Digital Heritage and Infrastructure Company (SPIN) to sign the memorandum with Shapoorji-Pallonji, which holds a leading position in India for data center construction.”
Before the MoU’s signing, a delegation from the Indian contractor was in Gabon last March. At the time, the Asian firm said it wanted to help the African country design, build, and maintain its digital infrastructures, including data centers.
The national data center is extremely important for the Gabonese government and that is why the minister of digital economy quickly sealed the deal with Shapoorji-Pallonji. The official was well aware of the firm’s experience and achievements in Africa, including Egypt, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Building the infrastructure, according to Doukaga Kassa, aligns with Gabonese authorities' ambition to make Gabon a digital hub in the Central African sub-region.
Samira Njoya
The adoption of technology in all government transactions is emerging as the solution to the bottlenecks caused by corrupt officials who divert government revenues from their intended destination in Africa's public sector.
The Kenyan government launched the e-Citizen Portal, on June 30, providing citizens with access to over 5,000 government services. This digitalization initiative aims to streamline processes, foster transparency, and minimize corruption.
Under President Ruto's leadership, all ministries, departments, and agencies have digitized their services for the portal. The platform also offers easy access to essential healthcare services, revolutionizing healthcare delivery.
President Ruto announced that citizens can access the services through the e-Citizen platform's USSD code *2222# as well as Gava Express, an offline government service in collaboration with banks and fintechs.
“Gava Express will be available in more than 250,000 M-Pesa shops, 28,000 KCB shops, 40,000 Equity shops, and 22,000 Cooperative Bank shops to serve those without smartphones,” he said
The e-Citizen Portal enables citizens to own and manage their health records and engage in interactive sessions. According to the President, the system eradicates inherent inefficiency, corruption, wastage, and discrimination present in human interactions.
With the e-Citizen Portal, Kenya embraces technology for efficient public service delivery, transparency, and citizen empowerment. The government's vision of a digitized and inclusive future becomes a reality.
Hikmatu Bilali