Connected Africa Summit: Breaking Barriers Through Public-Private Ties
Industry leaders, policymakers and technology stakeholders have called for stronger public-private collaboration. In addition to fewer regulatory barriers that will help Africa build a more connected digital economy.
The call made during the 15th annual Connected Africa Summit, held at the Edge Convention Centre. Speakers said the continent has a major opportunity to create a unified digital market. They noted that Africa already has many of the right conditions. Including a young population, rising digital use and growing infrastructure investment. However, they said progress will depend on better coordination between governments, regulators, businesses and citizens.
Public And Private Sector Collaboration Takes Centre Stage
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Connected Africa Summit. Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said Africa’s digital growth will require deeper cooperation between the public and private sectors.
“To unlock Africa’s full potential, we must deepen collaboration between governments and the private sector. By working together, we can create enabling policies, invest in the right infrastructure and accelerate public sector digitisation in a way that is inclusive, scalable and impactful for millions of Africans,” he said.
He remarked a wider message from the summit: digital transformation cannot be delivered by one sector alone. Speakers said governments must create clear and supportive policies, while the private sector can bring investment, innovation and technical capacity.
Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki also stressed the importance of partnership and citizen involvement in Africa’s digital journey.
“The public sector does not have a monopoly on resources. In order to achieve inclusion in the digital market, we must collaborate with the private sector and the citizens themselves,” he said.
Safaricom Showcases Integrated Digital Services at Connected Africa Summit
During the Connected Africa Summit, Safaricom presented its converged services model, which brings together its Enterprise Business, Financial Services, Public Sector Digitisation and Transformation, and Technology teams.
The approach supports governments with more connected, secure and citizen-focused digital services.
