For a digital Africa post pandemic

During this sudden outbreak, the world faced an accelerated transformation to digital alternatives in all possible sectors globally. This change was experienced at different levels from government responses to the pandemic, the education, and private sectors. We can say that the African experience was different as it has its own challenges to adapt to the situation.

The COVID-19 pandemic is considered a turning point for the African continent toward a digital revolution taking into consideration the particularities of the African context. One of the major issues faced in the continent is related to the political situation in many African countries where sudden shutdowns of internet connections are common and frequent. Other local challenges should be taken into consideration too, as underdeveloped infrastructure and cultural determinants.

Africa is a hub of unmet needs and full of opportunities for young ambitious entrepreneurs who are eager to solve real-life challenges and consider social impact using digital tools. This crisis is an acceleration for the tech trend in Africa and could be a growth opportunity for the industry in many countries. One of the major digitalization challenges of the current outbreak is the lack of population access to technological devices due to poverty that’s why partnerships with big tech companies around the world are strongly needed and recommended. These partnerships can be by investment and incubation of young tech startups meeting the needs of the continent by its own talents.

In this direction and in order to adapt to the global pandemic, the African Youth Leadership Summit is organized this year virtually under the theme “Digitalization for an Africonnected” in four days with the aim of reflecting on how to transfer, diffuse and adopt the Information and Communication Technologies within the African context through interactive workshops and open discussions with a large network of engaged and responsible participants from the continent all sharing the same challenges