UNLOCKING AFRICAN'S TECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL

Africa is on the verge of a tech revolution and investors,entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and decision-makers the world over are paying attention. A large number of African nations are at a critical juncture in which key urban hubs on our continent are transforming to knowledge-based centers and hotbeds of innovation. As such investments carry huge potential, hundreds of millions will be brought out of poverty, and standards of living will begin to match those of developed countries. But all of the wealth and innovation being created and the lives being changed hinge largely on three things: government and
private-sector efforts, and the partnership between them.
On the government side, there is a clear understanding in Africa among the more rapidly developing economic players that in order to continue the pace of our progress, technology must be brought more and more to center stage. The red hot start-up scenes in Kigali, Nairobi, and Lagos are excellent examples of the promise that entrepreneurship and technological development offer to both
strengthen the economy and serve
the needs of their specific
populations.
One great model for this success is In India, which a short while ago was more or less in the same stage that many African countries are in today – on the cusp of major success. Exceptionally successful over the past 20 years, India has grown its tech industry to tens of
billions of dollars, directly and indirectly employing more than 10
million people. Indeed, their model
and others have proven that
channeling technological
innovation to strengthen a wider
economy is a way to
simultaneously boost growth while
strengthening the foundation for
future success. That is exactly why
many African countries are well on
their way to making infomation
and communications technology a
core component of their long term
growth strategies, including my
own country, Rwanda.
Below are a few key factors that we
in Rwanda have identified as the
most critical to enabling us to
unlock Africa’s economic potential
through technological innovation.
Of course, many of these apply not
just to the burgeoning tech
economies on our continent, but to
any nation looking to compete on a
global scale by developing their
innovation ecosystems.

1. Prioritizing infrastructure
To truly ensure that technology
remains a critical channel to
economic growth, we must
prioritize the foundations for long
term growth. Businesses and
individuals must be able to connect
and engage with mobile technology
every day, following the model of
other cosmopolitan countries. Cities
looking to become “smart’”will
need to give service providers the
ability to provide access to their
users at all times. Rwanda has
already made Internet access a
priority throughout the country
and soon will introduce Wi-Fi to
public places in major cities. A
small investment in connectivity
offers service providers the ability
to engage with customers on a level
that competes with international
metropolitan centers.
The rise in tech hubs across Africa
– right now there are
approximately 50+ – is part of a
strategy to give young software
developers and recent computer
science and engineering graduates
the training, skills, and support
necessary to compete in the
international tech economy. Up-
and-coming tech entrepreneurs
now have dozens of accelerators
and centers of innovation
combining established tech
companies with startups – often set
in urban centers – to develop their
product and get guidance from
seasoned and experienced mentors.
Without the infrastructure
foundation that only public-private
partnerships can provide, the full
potential of this sector will never
be achieved.

2. Facilitating adoption across
sectors
The benefits of technology can be
felt far outside of the classic high-
tech industries. Information and
communications tech developed at
one of the many African tech hubs
can be used to address critical
needs that affect people
everywhere. From mobile payments
systems like M-PESA, which many
suggest has leapfrogged the West in
terms of ubiquity and ease of use,
to introducing the world’s first
drone-port to deliver medical
supplies, African nations are
certainly aware that the application
of technology to more traditional
industries is exactly what
governments can and should be
fostering through their programs.
What’s more, the technology that is
solving a problem also contributes
to the economy by providing jobs
and injecting cash to fix potentially
outdated systems. Technological
innovation is not limited to the
direct impact of a specific startup,
but has far wider implications from
producing new waves of potential
entrepreneurs to enabling
innovations that can revolutionize
the way African populations engage
with everything from healthcare to
banking to transportation and
more.

3. Attracting international investment

African countries have been actively debunking the myth that
the only successful capital
injections in the region come in the
form of aid from the West or
investments in mining and
resources. Governments are using
business-friendly policies and tax
incentives to great effect, and these
activities are helping change
perceptions and unlock new
opportunities. Rwanda’s system is
structured to enable anyone to
establish a new business in just
three hours, and flexible visa
policies have allowed Kigali to
become a hub for regional
entrepreneurs. These types of
actions help create a more effective
win/win scenario, where the local
economy and foreign investors can
benefit equally … and substantially.
Investment opportunities in
information and communications
tech are rich and span from mobile
connectivity to hardware
development. Top research
universities in the West are
establishing degree programs in
our nations, including Carnegie
Mellon in Rwanda, Monash
University campus in South Africa,
and the University of London
campus in Nigeria, and major
companies like Microsoft and Intel
have invested in Africa’s potential
with new programs across the
continent. This type of foreign
involvement gives valuable
guidance to the budding
entrepreneurs in our young tech
ecosystem. Corporate partnerships
with tech giants like Apple,
Samsung, and HP demonstrate that
international corporations have
identified African companies as
smart partners, and we must
actively work to fulfill on our
promise in this regard.
Many are pointing to Africa as the
next major tech market. But there
is much hard work to be done, and
wise government policy is
necessary to foster a smart and
sustainable ecosystem, as well as
more wise investment from
international partners. Africa
should not be seen as a charity
case, but as a continent with an
unparalleled consumer base that
offers incredible opportunity and
value for investments, whose
governments are increasingly
partnering with the private sector
to make these investments even
more worthwhile.
At the World Economic Forum on
Africa in Rwanda this week, there
is a unique opportunity to forge a
wider vision for establishing
technological innovation as a core
channel to achieve our wider
socioeconomic development goals
and to establish lasting
partnerships with key partners
from the global innovation and
investment ecosystems, to the
benefit of all.

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