Delegates at the ministerial forum hosted at AfricaCom 2024 signed position papers to advance Africa’s digital ambitions.
The forum, hosted by Huawei and the African Telecommunications Union , saw the co-signing of three position papers by Tonny Bao, VP of Huawei; Juanita Clark, CEO of Digital Council Africa; John Omo, Secretary-General of the ATU; and Angela Wamola, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at GSMA.
According to the World Bank, 60% of the Sub-Saharan population lacks electricity. The International Telecommunications Union notes that 23% of people in rural areas – including South Africa – have access to the internet, compared to 57% of people in urban areas.Omo said these challenges are further compounded by regulatory practices that discourage investment,competition often outweighs collaboration, stifling initiatives that could drive progress.
Huawei and the IDC have introduced the Global Digitalisation Index 2024 that reflects the positive correlation between the GDI and GDP.