The Africa Tech Festival began on Monday in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing together government officials, business leaders, tech experts, and investors to explore the future of Africa’s digital transformation.
South Africa’s deputy minister of communications and digital technologies, Philemon Mapulane, said the festival marks a significant milestone in Africans’ collective pursuit of a digitally empowered continent.
“We are here not merely as representatives of our respective nations and organizations, but we are here as architects of a shared vision and future that envisions an Africa propelled into a future where possibilities of connectivity are boundless,” Mapulane said.
Speaking at a ministerial forum held on the sidelines of the festival, stated that the collaboration with Huawei underscores the importance of international partnerships in shaping Africa’s digital future.
On his part, Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa Region President Chen Lei urged countries to focus on constructing national broadband backbone networks that are extensible across multiple domains.
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“Let’s bear in mind coverage gaps still remain in the continent, therefore it is important to cover more people through various connectivity technologies such as 4G and 5G,” Chen said.
Chen applauded collaborative efforts that resulted in the deployment of high-speed internet on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro and Africa’s first 5G-enabled coal mine in South Africa while highlighting recent successes in continental digital connectivity.
Featuring two main events — AfricaCom and AfricaTech, the festival delves into connectivity, digital inclusion, enterprise transformation, and emerging technologies.
