Ministers and senior officials sign a joint communiqué committing to inclusive and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. From left to right: Kabbyanga Godfrey Baluku, the Republic of Uganda; Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u, the Republic of Kenya; Solly Malatsi, the Republic of South Africa; John Omo, Secretary General of the ATU. Picture: Supplied
The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and the South African Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) signed a joint communiqué to reaffirm their commitment to promoting inclusive and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa.
The signing was done earlier this week at the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town.
The ministers and high-level representatives of communications and digital technologies from Uganda, South Africa and Kenya, together with the ATU signed the joint statement.
These parties all agreed that such action will start with the technologies that push for the development of national cloud infrastructures to meet the needs of intelligence and AI adoption.
Government is also looking to develop solar micro-grids to rapidly increase electricity coverage across sub-Saharan Africa.
In addition, the ministers and key stakeholders are also looking to expand Africa’s network connectivity coverage in rural areas and developing smart education to further bridge the urban-rural divide.
Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies said it was important to create synergy between the development of ICT technology and renewable energy such as solar power.
"The digital future of our country and the continent depends on our ability to integrate renewable energy with digital infrastructure,“ he explained.
“As we embark on this journey, it is important to remember that digital transformation is not simply about technology. It's about empowering individuals, it's about empowering communities and it's about empowering nations to realise their full potential.”
Malatsi emphasised that it is both government’s responsibility and the private sector to work hand in hand and ensure that the digital revolution is one of inclusion, sustainability and opportunity for all.
Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information Communication and Digital Economy of Kenya, shared her country’s plans to drive comprehensive and inclusive digitalisation.
"We are taking a comprehensive approach to make sure that we are developing technologies, we are building infrastructure, we are improving access, we are building capacity, and we are raising awareness, not just for those working in the public sector, but for the entire population," she noted.
Hover Gao, president of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa said that the tech company is working closely with all parties in order to contribute to the ongoing development of a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable Digital and Intelligent Africa.
Gao also introduced the Global Digitalisation Index (GDI) at Africa Tech and said it was developed in collaboration with IDC.
He said that the GDI provides a measure of a country's ICT industry maturity, based on a number of digital infrastructure indicators, including computing, storage, cloud, and green energy.
The research also found that a $1 (R18.2 million) investment in digital transformation yields a return of $8.3 (R151 million) in a country's digital economy.
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