Africa needs to recognise that the digital economy comprised various facets that included infrastructure development, applications and skills development and in all these facets, the continent is lagging behind the global average.
This is according to African Telecommunications Union (ATU) secretary-general John Omo, who spoke at the Ministerial Forum on Developing Africa’s Digital Economy held in Cape Town yesterday.
The market for infrastructure development in each of the continent’s countries was very small. Transnational business between South Africa, Botswana and the SADC region was much bigger and attracted a lot better global investments.
“We need to harmonise as much as possible our laws, regulations and policies for attracting global tech into our sphere. Then ensure the development of infrastructure across borders,” Omo said.
He said SADC was a bigger market than South Africa.
“So, somebody who wants to invest in this region should look at SADC as one market rather than the individual countries that comprise it.”
The African Union had adopted digital transformation for the continent.
Dr Charley Lewis, a counsellor for the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa and its interim chair, said the subject of the digital economy raised a much broader set of policy questions.
“As a regulator, our role is an enabling role. We apply legislation to assist the development of the digital economy which is very much at the forefront of our strategic plan,” Lewis said.
Leo Chen, president of Huawei Southern Africa Region, said that the digital economy was anchored by the digital infrastructure, the digital applications as well as digital literacy.
He said the continent required skills for policymakers to formulate regulations, young people to secure employment and everyone else to be able to benefit from the digital economy.
BUSINESS REPORT