Regional leaders agree to embrace technology for economic development.

Victoria Falls (New Ziana) -African leaders meeting for the 6th edition of the Transform Africa summit have agreed that the use of technology can enable large-scale investments and fast growth of economies.

The meeting opened in the resort town on Wednesday with the African heads of state agreeing that digital innovation can transform the continent.

The summit, which features over 5 000 delegates from more than 100 countries, is meant to engage on the digital transformation of the continent across multiple sectors.

Giving a keynote address during the official opening, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the summit comes after the continent is emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and it gives impetus for Africa to develop its own capabilities, across the social, economic and industrial spectrum.

“To realise our vision of Transforming Africa through ICT, the young African innovators are challenged to deploy our continent’s abundant raw materials for the production of ICT related hardware and gadgets. Our institutions of higher education and techno-preneurs should also be supported to design relevant software solutions that speak to the intricacies of African economies and communities,” he said.

To embrace technology, Zimbabwe has enhanced the availability of ICT devices at affordable prices, especially for the youth.

President Mnagagwa said Zimbabwe continues taking deliberate steps towards food security and food sovereignty riding on the rapid innovations in science, communication and digital technologies.

“Under the Smart Africa Alliance and Smart Agriculture Flagship programme, Zimbabwe is privileged to be spearheading the development of the AgriTech Blueprint for Africa. This has seen my government adopting
an Agritech Strategy and implementing an Integrated Agriculture Information Management System towards increasing agriculture productivity and value chain development as well as efficient land use and environmental management practices.

“We are determined to boost agriculture and rural development through improved access to valuable ICT based information that enable agriculture stakeholders to make best decisions. Enabling policies that support and strengthen the AgriTech ecosystem are being continually improved. These relate to ICT infrastructure, food production and processing, irrigation and water management, disaster management, telecommunication, transportation and financing, among others,” he continued.

He encouraged stakeholders to embrace the use of technology in their daily lives.

“As we scale up the use of ICT in all facets of our respective economies, it is equally necessary to deliberately popularise and boost scientific literacy across our societies, both in rural and urban areas,” he said.

The Transform Africa Summit goes hand in glove with the national economic agenda which also feeds into Vision 2030 being implemented through the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

Speaking at the same occasion, Malawi President Dr Lazarus Chakwera echoed similar sentiments saying the development of the continent of Africa has been delayed and derailed throughout history and the coming
of technology is an answer for development.

“We have been left behind in agricultural production, in standards of education, in tourism, in mining, in health, in security, in infrastructure development, in trade, and many other sectors.”

“And so when it comes to the socio-economic development of Africa, the only way for us to catch up is to take a short cut, and the only shortcut available to us now are technologies that allow us to go digital in every sector of our economy,” he said.

Malawi is the newest member among the 36 members of the Smart Africa Alliance.

Meanwhile, the African Development and Smart Africa Alliance has launched a $1.5 million project to enhance digital trade and e-commerce ecosystems across the continent.

Smart Africa Alliance chief executive officer Lacina Koné said the introduction of cross border e-payments through the Digital Payments and e-Commerce Policies for Cross-Border Trade Project (IDECT) will be facilitated for governments, the private sector and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The three-day summit is running under the theme “Connect, transform and innovate”, which focuses on regulation and policy, digital infrastructure financing, capacity building, skills development and digital continental trade.

New Ziana