Can Africa take control of its digital future?

Just under 20 years ago Kenya pioneered the use of mobile money. Since then, other countries in Africa have carved out a share of the digital market for themselves, from gaming in Morocco to artificial intelligence in Tunisia. But the picture is not the same across the whole continent. A lot of governments face too many socio-economic challenges and limited resources to spend money on digital infrastructures. Instead, foreign countries like the United States and China are investing in the African tech market.

The bulk of South Africa’s data centre investment comes from American providers of cloud, networking and storage services. And while this may provide a boost for local economies and create local jobs, it also creates some risks, as data resides outside of the country.

There are efforts at the continent, national and regional levels to reposition the continent from being a consumer to a creator in the digital marketplace, but there are concerns that there isn’t enough joined up thinking to allow Africa to take control of its digital future?

(Photo: A robotic waiter stands on standby at Robot Café in Nairobi, Kenya, the country's first restaurant to employ humanoid robots as waiters. The robot, equipped with a serving tray, is positioned among curved blue seating, modern lighting, and café tables, with the café counter visible in the background. The image was taken on August 27, 2024. Credit: Tony Karumba via Getty Images)

Contributors: Mark Kaigwa, data and AI specialist, founder and CEO, Nendo, research and marketing agency, Nairobi, Kenya Juanita Clark, co-founder and chief executive, Digital Council Africa, Pretoria, South Africa Teki Akuetteh, founder and executive director, Africa Digital Rights Hub, Accra, Ghana Dr Seydina Moussa Ndiaye, head of ALIVE (AI Living Lab for Innovative and Viable Ethical Policies and Systems) research group, Université Numérique Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Dakar, Senegal

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Toby James Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas Production management assistant: Liam Morrey Editor: Tom Bigwood