GlobalData stated that 5G could find its major use case in helping IoT applications to overcome 4G limitations. (Image source: Christoph Scholz/Flickr)
GlobalData has revealed how 5G can influence the deployment of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, robotics and drones, and virtual reality (VR)
Nigeria has a mobile penetration rate of about 90 per cent. (Image source: WorldRemit Comms/Flickr)
In a move that underscores its mission to deliver the right offer to the right customer at the right time, fonYou has opened a new office in Nigeria, where more than 30mn new mobile subscribers are expected to come online by 2025
Beehive will sell and support its products across the continent, helping customers take the next step beyond customer communications. (Image source: rawpixel.com/Pexels)
Customer communications expert Quadient has partnered with financial services specialist Beehive Online Solutions to spread customer experience revolution across 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 objective of Mowali is to increase the usage of mobile money by consumers and merchants. (Image source: rawpixel.com/Flickr)
Orange Group and MTN Group, Africa’s mobile operators and mobile money providers, have announced a joint venture, Mowali (mobile wallet interoperability), to enable interoperable payments across the continent
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)
Inside Condra’s Johannesburg factory: an overhead crane positions an electric motor during assembly of hoist and crab. (Image source: Condra)
The Yellow Metal Machine Rental team with some Wacker Neuson equipment. (Image source: Wacker Neuson)
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)
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)
IVECO is renewing its entire product range, all at once. (Image source: IVECO)
Both the IMF and EIU expect SSA to rank as the world’s second fastest growing economy in 2024. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The MoU was signed alongside the Africa Health Business Symposium. (Image source: Africa CDC)
There has been a focus on the sugar industry. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Dietmar Siersdorfer speaking at Africa Energy Forum in Barcelona. (Image source: Siemens Energy)
The generator set fitted with a Perkins 1103 is providing vital backup power at the St Patrick School in Uganda. (Image source: Perkins)
5G technology deployment will take place later this year. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Spiro will draw from its experience in Kenya, Benin, Togo, Rwanda and Nigeria as it launched in Uganda. (Image source: Spiro)
According to IRENA, concrete policy actions and massive mobilisation of finance at full speed is required in order to meet the 2030 target. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The distributor will hold specialised training and empowerment sessions to enable its channel network to effectively deliver Vertiv’s portfolio, as well as managing inventory to serve the market. (Image source: Vertiv)
The HQ is expected to be completed and handed over by February 2025. (Image source: ECOWAS)
Africa’s share of global manufacturing only sits at around 2% today. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
There are numerous but not insurmountable challenges facing Africa's aviation sector, according to IATA. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Africa Energy Forum 2024 was held in the Fira de Montjuïc in Barcelona. (Image source: ACP)
The quality design and manufacture of SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa’s panels and enclosures can be suited to any customer requirement wall mounts. (Image source: SEW-EURODRIVE)
African countries will require over US$45bn in the coming eight years to plug the gap in its transmission systems. (Image source: Synergy Consulting)
BII commits US$75mn to second Green Basket Bond with Symbiotics Investments to finance small-scale green projects in Africa, South, and South-East Asia. (Image source:
Transforming Africa's digital economy: Data Centres powering growth, innovation, and sustainability in the digital era. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The Linnhoff TSD1500 Asphalt Mixing Plant is undertaking crucial work on two rural road projects in Kenya. (Image source: Lintec & Linnhoff)
