Africa energy sector is showing an emerging trend in adopting digitalisation, which is expected to increase innovation to new market technologies and development of a new skill set within companies
According to the industry experts, African countries are considered to add value of US$300bn to the continent’s economy by 2026 due to adaptation of digitisation.
Digitisation and the implementation of Industry will feature prominently at the upcoming Africa Energy Indaba in Johannesburg from 20-21 February 2018, focusing on the new age of digitalisation and its impact on the African energy sector.
As South Africa is supported by a macro-economic environment, it is relatively more digitally advanced than its African neighbours. The industry players operating in South Africa demonstrate established levels of digital readiness in an area such as digital operations.
However, African countries are showing emerging trend in adopting digital maturity in order to enable the distribution of energy.
In Nigeria, many businesses make use of the national grid as a secondary or backup source of energy. Innovative entrepreneurs are developing solutions, which include portable solar-powered mobile charging stations to support the digital economy.
The experts have opined that the digital maturity in Africa is extremely diverse and its socio-economic needs can be solved through digitalisation. According to them, the emphasis should be placed on implementing disruptive technologies in a different way.
Electricity supply networks that use digital communications technology, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or Power-Line Communication (PLC), to analyse, detect and react to local changes, are increasingly being incorporated into the African power utilities’ action plans.
A panel of industry experts are expected to discuss this issue and engage with the audience to explore the implementation of digitisation and the benefits of the adaption of digitalisation during the conference.
