As Africa emerges as a digital powerhouse, global and local companies are increasingly investing in transformative fields like cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
This wave of innovation presents a unique opportunity for Africa to shape its own technological future through localised solutions. However, funding and infrastructure challenges must be addressed to fully realise this potential.
In fact, the continent’s digital transformation is now in a period of accelerated growth and is set to increase in value from $22.67 billion as of last year to $45.76 billion by 2029, a compound annual growth rate of 15.07% during this period according to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s Africa Digital Transformation – Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024-2029) report.
Growth, unsurprisingly, is being driven by Africa’s youthful, tech-savvy demographic. Africa, known for its ability to leapfrog when it comes to technology such as M-PESA, is also home to the youngest population in the world, with more than 400 million young people aged between the ages of 15 to 35 years.
While infrastructure is still a challenge, technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cloud computing are on the rise thanks to growth in mobile network advancements such as 4G and the growth in the rollout of 5G.
In fact, as Deloitte’s Tech Trends 2024 report into the African landscape puts it, technology is now absolutely vital as it can be a catalyst for faster economic growth as well as allowing entrepreneurs and companies to enter new market segments through the borderless nature of ICT.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also making itself increasingly known in Africa, with Brookings noting that this technology could double the gross domestic growth rate of African countries by 2035. AI and other technologies that have come to the fore during the fourth industrial revolution, such as IoT, Big Data, and Business Intelligence, can assist with three main economic sectors in Africa: agriculture, industry, and services.
One example where technology can make a difference is when it comes to combating climate change as machine learning can help with weather forecasts to identify potential disasters, making better use of electricity systems, and speeding up clean energy development such as solar panels to take advantage of Africa’s abundant sunshine.
Beyond this, AI offers an exciting opportunity for Africa to become a leader, and a game changer, in technological developments across the globe.
Deloitte notes that what it calls the “industrial metaverse,” which will be driven by an evolving form of computing known as spatial computing: computers blending data from around the world in a natural way, paves the path for many new developments.
Among these is the exciting world of new user experience and interfaces. These will no longer be confined to a flat screen such as a smartphone or laptop but will transition to 3D environments. Those who wish to design in this space must be aware of aspects such as depth perception, spatial context, and natural hand interactions, all the while ensuring that devices such as augmented reality glasses are comfortable and accessible for people across Africa.
As we have often seen, it’s nigh impossible to cut and paste international solutions into an African environment. There are cultural nuances, specific needs such as geographic demographics, a need for remote schooling, understanding of privacy laws, as well as infrastructure challenges that need to be considered. Here, local designers have a distinct advantage as they will be able to develop devices for an audience that they know.
Machine learning, too, needs to be localised. Outputs from Generative AI, such as text, images, videos, and music, must be Africa-centric and be designed for specific needs such as level of education, or helping young people become entrepreneurs through localised teaching methods that meet them where they are.
Africa may well be a consumer, and not a developer, of such technology, yet its people have the potential to lead when it comes to meeting Africa’s needs. By Africans for Africans needs to be the standard here.
However, there are challenges. Implementing hardware such as servers for cloud computing and developing software requires large investments. In addition, among the socio-economic challenges the continent faces is a lack of infrastructure as well as massive inequality.
Africa needs to work as one to overcome these challenges: embracing new technology, encouraging investment from global companies such as Amazon.com, and developing uniform frameworks within which to enable a business-friendly environment that will open the door to massive opportunities made possible by AI.
By Dr. Jannie Zaaiman, Secretary General of Technology Information Confederation Africa (TICON Africa)
