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How the digital economy is improving lives in Africa?

Drones will be used by South African miners for mineral exploration. (Image source: Gabriel Garcia Marengo

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has made tangible progress in introducing new technologies, with mobile phone penetration reaching 44 per cent in 2017, with over 400 million subscribers. Mobile has effectively leapfrogged fixed-line telecoms infrastructure

Technology raises income levels and enhances the quality of people’s life. Over time, transportation and communication costs fall, logistics and regional supply chains become more effective and trading costs will decline. That, in turn, opens new markets and drive economic growth across Africa.

Various examples of advanced technologies being used by African governments, businesses and consumers cut across sectors. East Africa has led the development of mobile money (m-pesa) in Kenya, facilitating access to financial services to millions of ‘unbanked’ populations. New start-ups like EC CASH provide mobile money transfer and micro financing, while FarmDrive connects smallholder farmers with lenders and hello tractor links farmers with the nearest tractor owner. South Africa uses biometric data and payment cards to deliver social security across the country.

Rwanda boasts the worlds first cargo drone delivery service with Silicon Valley start-up Zipline, which delivers critical medical supplies to remote health centres thanks to recent regulations that gave drones the status of government flights. And in Malawi, a drone test corridor for humanitarian purposes was launched in 2017 in a partnership between the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (Unicef) and the government. 

Drones are also deployed by South African miners for everything from mapping to mineral exploration to tracking stockpiles. Drones deliver samples from sites thus surveyors spend less time gathering data in the field and more time interpreting it. The use of drone mining helps track deposits in deep mines. 

Further examples of innovative local services include VULA Mobile (medical diagnosis app) in South Africa connecting health workers with specialists. Biscate is a mobile-recruitment service for blue-collar workers in Mozambique. In education, fundi bots offers science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training in classrooms and communities and KYTABU has improved access to textbooks and audio books. More significantly, 3D printing can tackle Africa’s chronic housing deficit by building a house in 24-hours at a low cost. In Ghana, Global Positioning System (GPS) is used to establish addresses where street names and numbers or maps are incomplete.  

New technologies are vital to boost agricultural productivity - SSA is endowed with 60 per cent of globe’s uncultivated arable land. Farmerline, a Ghanaian agro-tech company uses cellphones to provide timely information to farmers on weather forecasts, market prices and financial services. iCOW advises farmers and herders on crop cycle, fertilising, seeding, poultry and best practices; FAMEWS collects data and maps the spread of fall armyworm infestation to protect crops and livestock.

By economist, Moin Siddiqi

*The full report: “Preparing the African Continent for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” will be published in African Review March 2019.

 

The Bell team in Richards Bay consists of more than 800 machinists, welders, and assemblers. (Image source: Bell)

GFE Power Product’s extensive range covers generators from 10 kVA up to 3,000 kVA. (Image source: GFE Power Products)

The funding is the largest-ever equity raise in the minigrid industry according to Husk. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The initiative will help African contractors participate in annual infrastructure investments. (Image source: Afreximbank)

ITS has evolved into a sophisticated systems approach, providing numerous opportunities to revolutionise road networks. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Invest International’s Lara Muller; Ivory Coast Minister of Finance and Economy, Adam Coulibaly; and Ambassador Designate to Ivory Coast, Jeroen Kelderhuis. (Image source: Invest International)

The Yellow Metal Machine Rental team with some Wacker Neuson equipment. (Image source: Wacker Neuson)

Although displaying resilience, the report warns that African banks remain exposed to physical climate risks due to both sovereign and industry lending. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

WAA and VCMI will seek to establish regulatory frameworks to enable access to high integrity and fair voluntary carbon markets for WAA member countries. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The parties will also promote the mutual exchange of information and expertise in the field of export credit policies and practices. (Image source: TBD Group)

Inside Condra’s Johannesburg factory: an overhead crane positions an electric motor during assembly of hoist and crab. (Image source: Condra)

IVECO is renewing its entire product range, all at once. (Image source: IVECO)

The MoU was signed alongside the Africa Health Business Symposium. (Image source: Africa CDC)

Both the IMF and EIU expect SSA to rank as the world’s second fastest growing economy in 2024. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

There has been a focus on the sugar industry. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Evolving concept of energy security must address energy demand, system flexibility, technology access and infrastructure development, says IRENA. (Image source: IRENA)

World Bank & African Development Bank partner to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030, leveraging public-private investments. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

(L-R): Dr Diane Karusisi, CEO, Bank of Kigali and Dr Reda Helal, group managing director – processing, Africa and co-head group processing, Network International. (Image source: Network International)

At WFES, Gotion High-tech will showcase its latest products and leading green energy solutions at its booth. (Image source: Gotion High-tech)

The new Perkins 5012 is a full-authority electronic engine optimised and purpose-built for power generation applications. (Image source: Perkins)

SSAB will begin deliveries of the new products in 2026.

The key issues restricting sub-Saharan Africa’s manufacturing sector will be unpacked at Manufacturing Indaba later this year. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Through the innovative solution, each vessel can fill two tank containers on average between two ports. (Image source: Maersk)

Hyphen is developing sub-Saharan Africa’s largest, most advanced and only fully-vertical integrated green hydrogen project. (Image source: Hyphen)

According to Liebherr, the Used Equipment Marketplace is extremely user-friendly. (Image source: Liebherr)

Electricity storage will be pivotal in unlocking renewable projects and meeting energy demand. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

With RFID, assets can be given unique digital identities that enable users to identify and locate them all at once, from a distance, in real time. (Image source: Brady)

Africa Data Centres and DPA SA have broken ground on their solar farm in the Free State. (Image source: Africa Data Centres)

A Cat PM310 Cold Planer in action. (Image source: Caterpillar)

A larger stockholding of WEG products facilitates ready access for customers. (Image source: WEG Africa)