To achieve digital inclusion and transformation, Africa needs everyone's help. Companies are taking concerted action to overcome the national and regional challenges that are still hampering that digital ambition.
On Tuesday, October 17, Orange Middle East and Africa and Smart Africa Alliance, a political initiative for the promotion of the digital sector in Africa, signed a partnership aimed at supporting digitization on the African continent.
The agreement, which covers collaboration between the two parties, was initialed by Lacina Koné (photo, left), Managing Director of Smart Africa Alliance, and Jérôme Hénique (photo, left), CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa. It was signed on the sidelines of the second edition of Mobile World Congress Africa 2023 being held in Kigali, Rwanda.
As part of the cooperation, the two companies will work together to encourage the creation of innovative digital solutions, respond to local challenges, and contribute to sustainable development in Africa.
According to Jérôme Hénique, the partnership will contribute to "Smart Africa and Orange's shared objective of developing the digital skills of Africa's youth, particularly women, while supporting innovative entrepreneurship."
For three years, the two organizations will collaborate on activities such as training young people and women to support their employability in new digital professions through their digital skills development programs, notably the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) and the Orange Digital Center (ODC) network, which is present in 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East, and 8 European countries.
They will also work together to strengthen innovative entrepreneurship by reinforcing incubation, acceleration, and financing capacities for entrepreneurs in priority sectors such as the environment, e-agriculture, e-health, e-commerce, etc.
For Lacina Koné, the new partnership will enable African citizens, especially young people, to be equipped for the jobs of the future. The aim is to actively contribute to the continent's digital transformation. "Joining forces with Orange will accelerate our collective efforts in this regard," he said.
Samira Njoya
Last September, President William Ruto visited the U.S., inviting investments from Silicon Valley giants. This time, he is in the Middle Kingdom to attract more partnerships for his country.
On Monday, October 16, Kenyan President William Ruto signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese technology giant Huawei in Beijing, China. The aim is to develop Kenya's information and communication technology infrastructure and contribute to the digitization of sectors such as transport, e-administration, education, and digital energy.
“We regard Huawei as a reliable partner in improving our digital infrastructure, with its pioneering strength in ICT technologies. We look forward to a stronger partnership for positive outcomes in our ICT infrastructure and industrial digitalization,” President Ruto said.
Since taking office in September 2022, the Kenyan president has stepped up his partnerships with strategic players in the technology ecosystem to boost the sector and accelerate digital transformation in his country. Last March, Kenyan authorities signed an agreement with Huawei to provide ICT training for 20,000 Kenyans, including 12,500 civil servants, to increase the number of digital services available to the population.
“We are ready to work closely with the Kenyan government, facilitating progress in connectivity infrastructure, data centers, and solar power generation. [...] We value collaboration, openness, and win-win results, and we're committed to investing in cutting-edge technologies for the digital economy in Kenya,” commented Liang Hua, Chairman of Huawei's Board of Directors.
In recent weeks, Huawei has signed partnerships with a number of African countries, in addition to Kenya. They include Cameroon, Chad, South Africa, and Sierra Leone, among others. At Huawei Connect last September, the company announced a $200 million investment to create Africa's first public cloud center.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Through its commitment to technology education, skills development, and entrepreneurship, Mt Kenya Hub promotes inclusive economic growth in Kenya and across Africa.
Founded in 2015 by Savio Wambugu, a software developer, Mt Kenya Hub is a key player in Kenya's technology ecosystem. Located in the heart of the country, this innovation and incubation hub is dedicated to training, skills development, and mentoring for young entrepreneurs. It is a meeting place for all those interested in innovation.
Mt Kenya Hub offers a physical platform to support entrepreneurs and startups. Its events, training, and entrepreneurship programs transform ideas into job-creating businesses and add value to the African economy in general, and Kenya in particular. One of its flagship programs is Mt Kenya Innovation Week Acceleration, an intensive six-month program designed to help entrepreneurs and innovators grow their businesses and take them to the next level.
An example of its notable initiatives is Mt Kenya Innovation and Investment Week, an annual event that aims to bring together inventors, entrepreneurs, and innovators for a week of discussions, panels, conferences, exhibitions, and hackathons. The event gives young people, startups and women access to fundamental knowledge, digital tools, and platforms to enable them to become better innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders.
In addition to its incubation and acceleration activities, Mt Kenya Hub offers an innovative and user-friendly coworking space to provide an environment conducive to meeting, networking, and collaboration. It provides services ranging from small-scale investigative research to large-scale data collection and analysis. It also offers consulting services in several fields.
The center also organizes competitions to reward the best entrepreneurs and encourage innovation. In 2022, its Mt Kenya Innovation Week Awards challenge awarded $3,000 to three of the best innovators. It was then in its second edition.
Melchior Koba
Aklilu Tadesse is an innovative and ambitious entrepreneur contributing to the development of the logistics sector in Ethiopia. His company Garri Logistics is supported by Google through various programs.
Aklilu Tadesse (photo) is the CEO and one of the co-founders of Garri Logistics, an Ethiopian startup that facilitates domestic freight and digitalizes supply chain processes. He graduated from the University of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering.
In 2020, he launched Garri Logistics, together with Daniel Temesgen and Michael Andersland. The idea is to enable shippers and importers to easily and reliably move their goods anywhere in the country, using approved carriers. With that in mind, Garri Logistics takes care of all aspects of the supply chain, from requesting quotes to delivering paperwork, including real-time transport tracking. The logistics company is also beneficial to professional drivers, who can earn more money per trip, have a safer and more flexible work experience, and develop better relationships with shippers. It strives to find multiple, round-trip routes to minimize empty miles and maximize user revenue.
In 2022, Garri Logistics was selected as one of the 60 startups in the second cohort of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund for Africa program. More recently, on October 5, 2023, the company was selected to participate in the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First program.
Prior to Garri Logistics, Aklilu Tadesse was a Business Systems Analyst at Construction Solutions. In 2006, he became a Quality Engineer at Flintstone Engineering, an Ethiopian construction company. As a senior consultant with GIZ Ethiopia, he has helped over 100 construction companies achieve ISO 9001 QMS certification, and trained over 2,500 people in leadership, project, operations, and quality management as well as process analysis and optimization.
Melchior Koba
Electricity is a key asset for socio-economic development in Africa. However, it is still inaccessible to millions of people due to the weakness of public distribution systems. In that context, private initiatives are multiplying around off-grid products.
Earlier today (October 17), French telecoms group Orange, through Orange Energie –its division dedicated to the promotion of energy solutions across Africa– launched solar freezers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The product was developed by Koolboks, a company specializing in innovative solar cooling solutions. It is equipped with solar panels and batteries providing up to three days of autonomy. The solar equipment also includes LED bulbs and USB ports for recharging equipment such as phones and tablets. Accessible via Orange Energie's pay-as-you-go platform, the solar freezers can be purchased using an adjustable fractional payment system via the Orange Money service.
The partnership with Koolboks “marks a new phase in our ambition after providing access to essential services. The new phase entails enabling families to contribute to the development of their communities,” said Nat-Sy Missamou, Senior Vice President Africa and Middle East at Orange Energie.
The solar-powered freezers will enable families to light up, communicate, and generate additional income by opening local businesses, among other things. Ayoola Dominic, founder and CEO of Koolboks, explains that "this product was designed to meet a need, and enable small traders and families living in off-grid areas to store food and have light."
In Africa, where almost 600 million people still have no access to electricity due to the poor coverage of public distribution systems, the Orange and Koolboks offer is a strategic move to make essential services accessible to as many people as possible. For Orange, in particular, this collaboration reinforces its ambition to be a multiservice operator.
After the DR Congo, Orange Energie and Koolboks plan to market solar freezers in eleven other countries. These are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Jordan, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
Digital transformation has greatly accelerated in Africa over the past three years. Aware of the stakes involved, African governments are taking initiatives to develop digital technology and democratize the Internet.
In Congo, the telecom regulator ARPCE will deploy 3rd generation (3G) mobile technology in 184 white zones across the country. The new territories, located in the Likouala and Cuvette-Ouest departments, were identified on Tuesday, October 11 in Brazzaville, during the presentation of a study commissioned by the regulator to open up white zones.
According to the study, carried out by the consulting firm Smart World Partners, by bringing 3G to these new localities, at least 250,000 inhabitants will be reached by high-speed telecom services. Among other things, the technology will give them the ability to communicate better, access online learning or business opportunities, get better informed, and even access certain government services that are going digital.
The 3G rollout plan falls within the framework of the Digital Transformation Acceleration Project (PATN) and the national strategy for the development of the digital economy, Congo Vision 2025. It will be financed by Congo’s universal service fund FASUCE, whose necessity for the development of broadband connectivity and digital inclusion was reaffirmed in the study. To date, the fund has enabled the government to connect 153 localities or "white zones" to high-speed telecoms services and to build 19 multimedia rooms across the country.
During the presentation, after the FASUCE’s importance was reaffirmed, Telecoms Minister Leon Juste Ibombo (photo, center) assured that all the stakeholders involved would make sure the “most remote Congolese localities can access the Internet, online education, and public digital services.” He also called the stakeholders to “responsible commitment” and transparency in the management of identified projects.
Samira Njoya
The Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications (CIT), the sponsor of Egypt's digital industry, is currently participating in GITEX Global 2023 with 19 Egyptian tech companies.
The said companies are currently showcasing their expertise to other participants in Dubai. The aim is to establish partnerships with international companies and explore the latest trends and innovations in the communications and information technology sector.
With the streaming industry booming worldwide African platforms are trying to make their mark in this market, dominated by giants such as Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music.
Colorfol is a digital solution developed by a Cameroonian startup. It gives users access to audio and video content promoting African music and independent artists.
Through its mobile app –Available for Android and iOS devices, users can create an account by inputting their e-mail address and password. Once created, the account allows the user to browse the various contents offered by the application. They can browse depending on their taste with either the free plan or the premium one, which costs €0.2/day.
With the free plan, users can access all the platform's content, from songs to podcasts, but ads are unavoidable. The premium plan is to get rid of ads and access song lyrics, be able to listen to songs offline or access online radio. Audio quality is also better with the premium than the free plan.
In addition to these features, Colorfol integrates an online ticketing service where users can purchase tickets for showcases, concerts, shows, or cultural events featuring various artists. The startup integrates several payment methods such as mobile money, bank cards, and money remittance applications to carry out transactions on the platform.
Since its launch, the Android version of its mobile application has been downloaded more than 5,000 times. Colorfol is one of the ten African startups that won the 2023 edition of the AFD Digital Challenge.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
iiDENTIFii, a startup that developed facial authentication technology for smartphones and computers, announced last week the signing of a partnership with Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZANACO). The partnership aims to roll out the startup’s ID solutions in Zambia. "In Zambia, we aim to address challenges related to digital exclusion, limited access to services, and identity fraud. Many individuals across the continent lack recognized identification, which hampers their access to banking, healthcare, and government services,” explained Gur Sheva, founder of iiDENTIFii.
Since 2016, Sony has upped its investments to develop the tech sector in various parts of the world. In Africa, the company has decided to bank on an industry it knows quite well.
Last week, Japanese tech firm Sony Group Corporation announced the launch of the Sony Innovation Fund: Africa, a seed fund to support African startups. The new fund, launched in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is endowed with $10 million capital. It will target startups in the entertainment industry, notably in the gaming, music, cinema, and content distribution subsectors.
"Through the activities of Sony Innovation Fund: Africa, we hope to accelerate the growth of the African entertainment industry and contribute to the progress and development of the region by providing opportunities for collaboration with the entertainment businesses within [Sony Group Corporation]," commented Executive Deputy President and CSO, Sony Group Corporation.
The entertainment industry is booming on the continent. Giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Canal+ are investing in African cinema and local content creation. Last April, Netflix said it has invested over €160 million in film production in Africa since 2016. Yet startups in the sector are struggling to attract capital, capturing just $42 million in 2022, or 0.9% of total venture capital investment attracted by the continent over the said period, according to data from Partech Africa.
"The entertainment field has been a key area of focus for Sony Innovation Fund since the beginning and will continue to be. Africa, in particular, has a vibrant community of creators and entrepreneurs looking to invent new ways to enhance entertainment experiences for audiences and that propelled Sony to establish SIF: AF," explains Gen Tsuchikawa, CEO of Sony Ventures, the corporation in charge of the management of all of Sony’s venture investment activities.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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In Africa, the use of VPNs has grown significantly with the frequent Internet blackout strategy used by governments to prevent access at times. Some may soon be unable to access that solution.
On Friday, October 13, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) issued a public notice calling on individuals and companies whose activities depend on virtual private networks (VPNs) to “declare their VPN and all relevant information including IP address.” The deadline for compliance is set to October 30.
Paragraph 2 of Article 16 of the Electronic and Postal Communications Act 2020 stipulates that "it is prohibited to make, possess or distribute any technology, program, application or any other related element that enables or helps users to access prohibited content." The law provides for a fine of at least 5 million Tanzanian shillings (approx. $1,996) or imprisonment for at least twelve months, or both.
VPNs enable users to protect themselves online by creating a private connection between their devices and the Internet. They drastically reduce the risk of hacking, encrypt IP addresses, and grant users a new online identity. However, it is also used by cybercriminals who favor it for the anonymity it offers. In some countries, such as China, India, and Russia, the use of VPNs is highly restricted.
Tanzania is no pioneer in this field. By identifying VPN users, the authorities want to keep an eye on everyone –honest people and potential criminals alike– to be able to take effective action if necessary. Tanzania is one of 22 African countries with National Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs), and one of 18 on the continent with national cybersecurity strategies.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In January 2019, Senegal signed a memorandum of understanding with France's National Centre for Space Studies and Ariane Group. The first spinoffs were expected for 2021, but it seems things are finally falling into place.
The Republic of Senegal will receive its first satellite, baptized GAINDESAT, on November 10, after three years in the making, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (MESRI) announced in a press release published on its web portal on Friday, October 13.
"After three years of hard work, Senegal's first satellite will be delivered on November 10, 2023, during a ceremony to be presided over by the MESRI on the premises of the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier [CSUM] in France," the release points out.
The nanosatellite is part of the SenSAT space program launched by the government to meet the country's needs for space products and services and to make the space sector a key driver for its socio-economic and sustainable development. It is the result of a partnership agreement signed, in January 2019, by MESRI and the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier.
The €1 million agreement catered for the training of eight engineers and five technicians in the manufacture and operation of space tools. Under the supervision of MUSC engineers, the beneficiaries designed and built Senegal's first satellite.
Once the satellite is delivered, the government will set a date for its launch. The satellite was initially scheduled for launch in 2021, but COVID-19 and its impacts forced the government to postpone the operation until this year.
According to Senegalese authorities, the nanosatellite will connect to all the stations on each pass, draw in all the data recorded by these stations, and transmit them directly. The data, in turn, will help prevent and combat bushfires, floods, and erosion, as well as develop agriculture, among other things.
Samira Njoya
On the sidelines of the Regional Cybersecurity Week Abu Dhabi, October 8 to 13, Chad's Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Mahamat Allahou Taher, and the head of the UAE government's Cybersecurity Council, Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, signed a memorandum of understanding.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two countries will collaborate in the fields of cybersecurity, the fight against cybercrime, and international cooperation in cyber matters, among other things.
Some 2.6 billion people still have no access to the Internet across the globe. In remote areas, where conventional networks seem limited, satellites are positioning themselves as a reliable alternative.
On Friday, October 6, American e-commerce giant Amazon launched the first two satellites of its 3,236-satellite constellation. Dubbed "Project Kuiper", the satellites will orbit lower around the Earth to provide high-speed, low-latency satellite Internet services like Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Project Kuiper aims to bridge the digital divide by providing fast, affordable broadband to communities unserved or underserved by traditional communications technologies. To achieve this, Jeff Bezos's company intends to invest $10 billion.
"Our goal with Project Kuiper is not just to connect unserved and underserved communities, but also to delight them with the quality, reliability, and value of their service. [...] From day one, every technology and business decision we’ve made has centered on what will deliver the best experience for different customers around the world, and our range of customer terminals reflects those choices," explained Rajeev Badyal, Amazon’s vice president of technology for Project Kuiper, last March.
Amazon, which is still lagging in terms of satellite deployment, ultimately wants to compete with Starlink in the satellite internet segment. For that purpose, it plans to launch more than 1,500 satellites before 2026 to retain its operating license granted in 2020 by the US Federal Communications Commission. Meanwhile, Starlink already has over two million active users worldwide with plans to conquer the African market. This year, it intended to enter 23 African markets but currently, it has effectively launched in six owing to various legislations.
It is worth noting that the costs of Starlink’s equipment are pretty high for the average African. Earlier this month, the company decided to reduce the cost of its equipment by 21% in Nigeria, from 378,000 naira (around $487) to 299,000 naira. Last September, Kenyan President William Ruto also asked Starlink to reduce the price of its services. The equipment costs 89,000 Kenyan shillings (approx. $595), with a delivery charge of 3,100 shillings. In Zambia, the equipment costs 10,774 kwachas (around $505).
Will Amazon’s equipment be more affordable for Africans?
Amazon wants to offer three antenna models for its customers. The firm revealed that the production cost of the standard model is around $400, which implies that the standard selling price will be higher than this amount. Truly, equipment is a one-off expense but, at this rate whether it is higher than that practiced by Starlink in African markets or not it remains high. What's more, after reducing its prices in Nigeria, Elon Musk's firm will probably continue this pricing policy in other markets to standardize its offerings across the continent.
As a reminder, the number of people covered by fixed broadband in Africa remains below 10%. This is the lowest level in the world. With conventional networks’ failure in this area, satellite Internet remains the most attractive alternative for remote and underserved areas to access broadband Internet.
Adoni Conrad Quenum