The digital revolution in Africa

The Fourth industrial revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work, and progress. It is a new chapter of our lives also known as the “Digital revolution”, it improves our standards of living through advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain that can enhance new job opportunities and emerging markets.

The ICT sector in Africa has been growing in recent years, various studies note, the “information economy” is becoming one of the main drivers of economic growth in some countries, such as South Africa, Tunisia, and Tanzania. Mobile technologies and services have generated 1.7 million direct jobs (both formal and informal), contributed to 144$ billion of economic value (8.5 percent of the GDP of sub-Saharan Africa), and contributed 15.6$ billion to the public sector through taxation (*).

The African continent has its own particularities facing this new digital era. 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, such as underdeveloped infrastructure, cultural determinants, and the lack of population access to technological devices due to poverty. Despite these obstacles, the African market is full of unmet needs and good entrepreneurial opportunities for young local entrepreneurs.