Africa must unite in digitalisation: Theofelus

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African countries need to work together in synergy in the area of information and communication technology (ICT) as this will maximise development and improve the lives of citizens.

This was said by the Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing AfricaCom and AfricaTech Festival in Cape Town.

Theofelus said regionally, many African countries share similar challenges hence the need to work together to enhance collaboration and improve trade through the digital economy.

“During our robust ministerial discussions on Monday, this observation came out strongly. Solutions are quite similar so why not collaborate on them so that we enhance development,” she said.

The deputy minister noted that the African population is getting younger and it is predicted that by 2050, the continent will have the youngest population in the world thus the need to invest in ICT.

“Many are not only doing the traditional way of working, learning or business, but they are also using the internet. They are using artificial intelligence as they prepare for the fourth industrial revolution as a basis of their every day to day life,” she explained.

The digital economy requires that businesses need to go online hence the need to make sure that data is affordable and readily available, she added.

“Digital transformation will not wait for anybody. We are ready as we go and we just need to leverage emerging technology because it is constantly changing at a high speed. We have to up our game,” she said.

Once again, she expressed the importance of having legal frameworks and investments, especially for the youth who are coming up with better and more efficient ideas on how to get services and how to influence production.

She said with new developments, there are bound to be pros and cons with the emergence of digital innovation.

“There has to be the protection of persons online and data privacy by giving the consumer the right to decide how their data should be used. This is where the law comes in handy beyond individuals and business,” she concluded.

The 25th Africa Tech Festival kicked off in Cape Town on Tuesday and was officially opened by James Williams, Director of Events at Informa Tech.

Source: The Namibian News Agency