While it might seem like Africa is far behind in progress to the external world, a deeper look at the nation shows a high level of progress. According to statistics, Egypt is now known as the first country on the digital competitiveness index with a score of 258 points. The county is then followed by other states, including Gambia and Tanzania, with a score of 160 and 135 points, respectively.
The Future Of Digitalization
When the internet is widely used, we may say that the digital revolution has occurred, and they are moving toward a completely electronic society. Digital technology has the potential for a similar impact on Africa as it had on the western world during the first industrialization.
Despite Africa’s steady economic progress over the last two decades, the continent is constantly working on delivering many of the necessary ICTs facilities and networks and various services other areas offer. All of this makes the digital future look promising.
The Effect Of COVID On Tech Adoption
COVID-19 has accelerated Africa’s ability to speed up the digitalization process. During the implementation of the stay-at-home orders, individuals resorted to mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers to go on with their daily lives.
Regarding network infrastructure, telecom company use costs, and even educational standards, there were evident restrictions on particular nations, the availability of devices that provided connection, and the ability to pay for such products. Despite this, the overall trend was obvious.
The finest illustration of this is education. When schools in Africa were shut down and pupils were forced to remain at home, instructors had to come up with other ways to teach. Technology businesses that had difficulty persuading educators and parents that their products were worthwhile were flooded with requests. The number of people using digital platforms increased dramatically.
The Future Of African Industries
Different industries are excelling thanks to digitalization, and progress can be seen. A clear example of the medical domain excelling can be seen in the work of Temie Giwa-Tubosun. LifeBank was launched in 2016 to improve the delivery of plasma and medical specimens in Nigeria and Kenya. For instance, hospitals may buy certain genetic traits from licensed blood banks using an internet portal. An AI-based distribution system and more user-friendly technologies like the USSD or SMS system make the service more convenient for customers.
Even the world of consumer goods is benefitting. Africans and companies like Jumia were compelled to explore the advantages of online marketplaces as the epidemic forced them to use digital platforms for everything from manufacturing to healthcare to real estate and garbage management. As a result, platforms and their suppliers and subcontractors saw a rise in demand, which led to increased job opportunities.
With a growing youth demographic, evolving nature of employment, climate change for the better, rise of various platforms, and connectivity as the driving forces, it is very much possible that the entire continent will adapt technologically at a faster pace than ever before.