Africa's Leap Into a Digital Future
Africa Digital Infrastructure is a burning opportunity to run towards - Hardy Pemhiwa, the CEO of Cassava Technologies
🌟Good morning, entrepreneurs & tech enthusiasts!
Today, we are delving into the revolution of Africa’s digital infrastructure, a key movement in bridging the continent's internet connectivity gap. Hardy Pemhiwa accurately describes this gap as a "burning opportunity," a sentiment widely shared in the African tech sector.
Despite the continent's booming tech startup scene, only 36% of Africans have access to the internet. This low rate of internet access poses a big challenge for startups as they try to scale, with most of their potential customers still offline.
Bridging the internet connectivity gap is the key to unleashing the full potential of Africa’s tech revolution, and companies, both local and global, are rising to the challenge.
A shining example is Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a subsidiary of Strive Masiyiwa’s Cassava Technologies, which has established itself as a digital infrastructure titan in Africa. By 2021, they had established the continent's largest fibre network, spanning 100,000 km across 15 African countries. The company has also forged partnerships with giants like Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Facebook to deliver connectivity for individuals and provide advanced cloud and cybersecurity solutions to businesses on the continent.
Global tech giants are making big bets on Africa's digital transformation.
In 2021, Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced a $1 billion investment over five years to advance the continent's digital infrastructure and startup ecosystem. In another significant move in 2022, Google established its first African Cloud region in South Africa, connecting the continent to its global cloud network.
Meta (formerly Facebook) is also not far behind with their 37,000 km subsea internet cable, 2Africa. The network is set to link 16 African countries with Europe and the Middle East.
2023 marks a turning point with Elon Musk’s Starlink making its African debut.
Starting in Nigeria and quickly moving to Rwanda, Mauritius, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Malawi, Starlink's satellite-based internet service adds a revolutionary dimension to Africa's digital infrastructure. By 2024, the company plans to be in 19 African countries. Starlink has the greatest potential to revolutionize internet connectivity in Africa by offering a high-speed internet alternative that can easily reach rural and remote areas.
For young entrepreneurs on the continent, these developments are incredibly promising.
The landscape is changing rapidly, and the investments in digital infrastructure will be profound. Just think about how much startups like Econet, Flutterwave, and M-Pesa could grow in the next 10 years.
As the digital revolution in Africa unfolds, its going to change not just how Africa is seen in the world of technology but also how everyday life is for its people. This is the perfect moment for entrepreneurs to jump in and be part of shaping this new digital era.