Africa’s young population has the potential to drive technological and economic growth, but this depends on investment in ICT infrastructure, and such needs need to be high on the agenda of every event that looks at funding development needs for the continent, writes Dr Jannie Zaaiman, Secretary General of Technology Information Confederation Africa (TICON).
Africa is uniquely positioned to benefit from rapidly changing technologies given its growing youth population and an incredible can-do spirit that has already seen her people leapfrog technologies in emerging markets through innovations such as M-Pesa.
The continent houses the world’s youngest population, with more than 60% of those living in Africa being under the age of 25 according to the World Economic Forum. And the number of young Africans is expected to continue to grow – from 1.4 billion currently to 2.5 billion by 2050 – a gain of almost 80%.
Young people under the age of 25 are inherently more familiar with emerging technologies than older generations and often pick up new devices with a seemingly in-built ability to use them. Those currently of this age and younger – the so-called Generation Z or Zoomers – are known for being the generation raised on the internet and social media.
This generation, otherwise called the Gen Zers, is also characterised by wanting more flexibility when it comes to the work environment, a proper balance between work and their lives, and employee benefits that aren’t considered traditional, such as company culture and whether the perks and align with their lifestyles.
Zs are also intrinsically entrepreneurial, are ambitious, and seek personal development. They want to work from wherever, whenever. They are keener to start their own business than any other generation. Given an unemployment rate of almost 12% on average in Africa, starting a business is certainly a viable option for many.
By 2035, there will be more young Africans entering the workforce each year than in the rest of the world combined. This makes Africa an incredibly fertile ground for rapid advancement – not just in technology, but also in the way we do business – driven by entrepreneurial ambitions. Our citizens will doubtless pioneer new solutions and take the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement to new heights.
What, exactly, the continent will look like ten years from now cannot be imagined yet. It is, however, a future that promises to be bright, invigorating, and just as colourful as Africa’s people.
Yet, there is a caveat to this.
There is no way that Africa’s people can reach their full potential without access to quality education and that surmises, at the very least, decent ICT infrastructure. Without access to fibre, mobile networks, and devices, we cannot drive knowledge, education, and collaboration.
There simply won’t be sustainable and inclusive growth unless people can access the very tools that make growth possible.
ICT is a key aspect of the African Union’s continental development strategy, Agenda 2063, which has a vision of a highly connected continent. In fact, of such importance is ICT that the AU subsequently expanded its vision via the Draft Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030).
This strategy, determined in May 2020, aims to, in its own words, provide a common and coordinated guide to enable African leaders to reap the benefits of digital transformation, but to also help mitigate the risks that might accompany these developments.
It notes that implementing the plan will mean that there needs to be political commitment at the highest level, private sector and civil society engagement, aligning of policies and sector regulation, as well as a massive increase in investment and the dedication of resources towards vital sectors to enable digital transformation.
Think tank the South African Institute of International Affairs points out that the ICT infrastructure deficit is a huge hinderance to economic growth and development, with investment worth some $3 billion each year required to catch up to the rest of the globe.
It is vital that we, as a sector, help address these challenges so that the potential of Africa’s youth can be fully realised in a way that will contribute massively to continental-driven economic growth and sustainability.
We cannot be bystanders.
We need to make our voices heard when there are events that discuss very key infrastructure challenges that affect all Africans.
One such event is the Finance in Common Summit, set to be held in Cape Town at the end of the month [Feb], which seeks to find creative financial solutions for pressing infrastructure challenges.
ICT needs to be high on such agendas. Let’s make it so, for the benefit of all who live on this magnificent continent as we advance ICT into the next industrial revolution.