At the recent Africa Technology Festival in Cape Town, collaboration emerged as the dominant theme—repeated in panels and discussions more often than the keynote speeches themselves.
Yet, while the concept is celebrated, true collaboration in Africa’s digital transformation remains more aspirational than actionable.
Across industries—from telecom operators to governments and financial institutions—there’s a near-universal call to “work together.” But despite years of rhetoric, meaningful cross-sector collaboration remains scarce.
The challenge lies in translating talk into action. Subsea cables spanning continents have been successfully laid—an engineering and financial feat requiring international coordination—yet bottlenecks persist at the national level.
Regulatory red tape, territorial disputes, and fragmented coordination continue to stall progress. Ironically, it’s not the physical infrastructure but these bureaucratic and structural barriers that pose the greatest threat to Africa’s digital future, deepening the digital divide.
The persistent barriers to connectivity
Africa’s digital transformation is still hindered by significant connectivity challenges. Mobile broadband, once a beacon of progress, has slowed noticeably.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), only 37% of Sub-Saharan Africans had internet access in 2023—a glaring gap in a region where mobile phones are ubiquitous—this lack of access limits opportunities in education, healthcare, financial services, and economic empowerment.
Despite technological advancements, infrastructure gaps remain acute in rural areas, where connectivity is sparse or non-existent. High infrastructure costs—exacerbated by currency fluctuations—compounded by complex licensing and exorbitant right-of-way fees continue to obstruct progress.
National policies often conflict, stalling cross-border initiatives and leaving underserved regions behind. Telecom operators, too, tend to focus on commercially viable areas, leaving vast swathes of the continent disconnected.
Beyond infrastructure, challenges such as digital illiteracy, rising cybersecurity risks, and sluggish financing further complicate the picture.
Funders often adopt a “wait-and-see” approach, delaying the investments necessary for widespread digital transformation. These barriers must be addressed head-on if Africa is to unlock its digital potential.
Overcoming infrastructure and regulatory hurdles
A major impediment to building telecommunications infrastructure in Africa is the fragmented regulatory environment.
Telecom operators must navigate inconsistent and often opaque regulations across countries, driving up costs and delaying deployment.
Even basic processes—like securing permits for fibre optics or cell towers—can be delayed by bureaucratic inefficiencies and competing demands from government officials, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
Governments must address these challenges by enacting policies that incentivise investment, streamline regulations, and foster collaboration. Digital infrastructure is the backbone of modern economies, enabling access to global markets, education, healthcare, and essential services.
Policymakers must prioritise creating enabling environments that simplify licensing, reduce fees, and encourage infrastructure sharing, particularly in underserved areas.
Without a clear vision and proactive policy support, the digital divide will only widen, leaving millions on the wrong side of economic and social opportunities.
Equally important is communicating the broader benefits of digital access. Connectivity isn’t just about faster internet; it is a catalyst for economic growth, improved quality of life, and social inclusion.
Bridging the digital divide must be seen as an economic imperative and a matter of social justice, ensuring all Africans can participate in the digital economy.
Telecom operators also have a key role in raising awareness about the dangers of digital exclusion.
While progress has been made in expanding services, more must be done to highlight the risks of leaving people behind in an increasingly digital world.
Policies that promote infrastructure sharing and improve regulatory coherence can help reduce costs and accelerate deployment.
Encouraging collaboration between governments and telecom operators to share resources—such as towers and fibre networks—can ensure broader coverage and lower infrastructure costs, particularly in rural regions.
Some examples of successful collaboration offer a roadmap. Ghana’s government has promoted open-access fibre networks, reducing redundancy and improving efficiency.
Policies supporting 5G rollout through infrastructure sharing have further accelerated progress. At the just-concluded AfricaTech Festival, Solomon Richardson of Ghana’s National Information Technology Agency shared how the government has worked to ensure that rural areas are included in the digital infrastructure agenda by installing core networks and reducing licensing fees for wholesale networks.
Regional frameworks like those developed by ECOWAS also help address cross-border challenges, such as equipment supply and cable resilience, demonstrating the power of coordinated strategies.
Collaboration for financial inclusion
Financial exclusion remains a major barrier to economic participation, with over 66% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa unbanked.
The lack of access to documentation, credit services, and physical bank branches disproportionately affects rural populations, perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Telecom companies are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap. Partnerships with financial institutions have proven transformative, as seen with Kenya’s M-Pesa, which provides savings, credit, and insurance services to millions.
Leveraging mobile money platforms and customer data, telecom operators can extend financial services to the unbanked, fostering economic inclusion.
Scaling such initiatives requires deeper collaboration. For example, telecoms could share mobile usage data with financial institutions to assess creditworthiness, enabling microloans for those without formal credit histories.
By combining resources and expertise, these partnerships can unlock new opportunities for millions of Africans.
Investing in digital infrastructure
Building telecommunications infrastructure remains costly, particularly in sparsely populated or remote regions. The capital-intensive nature of fibre-optic networks, cell towers, and data centres often makes such investments economically unviable in underserved areas.
Innovative solutions like Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks—such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper Project—offer a promising alternative.
These satellites provide high-speed, low-latency internet, bypassing the logistical challenges of traditional infrastructure.
Pragmatism will be key: whether it’s terrestrial networks or satellite solutions, the focus must remain on connecting as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
Regulatory coordination is key
Regulatory alignment across countries is vital for effective collaboration. Policymakers should streamline licensing, lower fees, and foster public-private partnerships to break down barriers. For instance, Funke Opeke of MainOne highlighted at the AfricaTech Festival how streamlined regulations can attract investment and drive infrastructure expansion.
Regulators can help catalyse growth and development by creating the right environment.
A stronger digital ecosystem for economic growth
Investing in digital infrastructure doesn’t just enable connectivity; it drives growth across industries.
For instance, the collaboration between MainOne, the Lagos State Government, and the Co-Creation Hub to roll out fiber in the Yaba contributed to Lagos’s emergence as a tech hub, enabling startups like Andela and driving ICT’s contribution to GDP.
Also, education, healthcare, and government services all stand to benefit, improving quality of life and reducing inequalities. Initiatives like telemedicine, online education, and e-governance can be game-changers for underserved populations.
Collaboration is essential for Africa to overcome its connectivity and financial inclusion challenges. Governments, telecom operators, and financial institutions must collaborate to streamline regulations, share infrastructure, and leverage data.
The African digital revolution isn’t just about laying cables—it’s about building partnerships that drive inclusive growth and empower millions.
With the right strategies and collaborations, Africa can bridge the digital divide and emerge as a leader in the global digital economy.
