How digital innovation can drive Africa’s economic future

This article was contributed to TechCabl by Daniel Novitzkas According to the World Bank, access to broadband internet among the African population increased from 26 to 36% from 2019 to 2022, while the internet penetration rate (which measures the percentage of a population that has internet access) for the Southern Africa region was at 73.1 percent by January 2024.  These are just some of the many statistics that provide a cursory outlook of the efforts to close the digital divide. While the gaps still exist, Africa’s journey of attaining the global standard of internet and digital access is not impossible anymore.  But while internet access is one thing, do we ever ponder the positive impact digital education (digital tools and technologies to facilitate teaching and learning) and innovation can have on a community, especially if said community has previously been technologically excluded from the rest of the world? This is a conversation worth having today, especially in South Africa, where a number of people live in outlying, rural, or otherwise remotely based communities.  By improving our country’s digital infrastructure, we can collectively ensure the delivery of digital education to underserved regions across the country. This has the potential to unlock a wave of cascading benefits aimed at community development and economic empowerment over the short, medium, and long term.  On the surface, citizens living in remote locations could enjoy access to quality education by leveraging digital platforms from across the world, especially those that offer high-quality educational resources and courses that may not be available locally otherwise. While this ensures that community members, especially youth and adults, enjoy a number of diverse learning opportunities, it also empowers them to access the best standard of education, regardless of where they live.  With access to quality education opportunities such as online courses and digital learning tools, members of rural communities can also embark on a skills development drive and acquire new skills relevant to modern industries and entrepreneurship. Citizens can be empowered to participate in a wider range of economic activities, with the potential to start their own businesses. Think of how a local community member could upskill their woodworking and open a small furniture-making business within their community, thereby creating employment opportunities for other members of the same area and passing on those skills to them.  There can be no doubt about it: continued digital education and innovation in remote regions will encourage a greater culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among South Africans who gain access to market trends, business management, and technological advancements.  This undertaking could play a critical role in ensuring that South Africans are not restricted to running a business locally. With the right knowledge and access to information, they could endeavour to compete with other businesses across the country and the world.  Digital education further provides the opportunity to improve capacity building in our society. Teachers and other educators can access teaching resources and training programmes that can empower them to apply new teaching techniques and practices that have the potential to improve the overall quality of education within their communities.  Digital education also provides the opportunity for remote learning. This would enable community members in the most rural corners, who may be logistically unable to access traditional schools, to engage in quality education and virtual training. It is in this manner that no one can be left behind. Most importantly, digital education can connect South Africans to global networks that foster collaboration, partnerships, and opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing Digital education can empower locally-based communities to share their stories, culture, and identity with the rest of the world. If used strategically, digital platforms can also preserve, promote, and educate a community’s indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage, while guaranteeing that these practices and values are passed down to younger and future generations alongside modern education.   Overall, by leveraging digital education strategically, we can successfully empower citizens living in remote locations with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to thrive in a rapidly changing global environment.  To visualize this differently, consider the story of Estonia, which has aggressively driven innovation over the past decade. This effort has fostered a vibrant startup ecosystem, resulting in the proliferation of unicorns—privately held startup companies typically valued at over $1 billion. An example includes the e-hailing company, Bolt. Now think of how accelerated digital education and innovation could nurture a flourishing African startup ecosystem that offers African-centric services and products to the rest of the world. African economies would no longer need to solely rely on tourism to the continent for those interested in seeing herds of wild animals during Safari visits but can also experience the herds of African unicorns and the products and services they offer, bolstering growth for local economies and opportunities for entrepreneurs.   In a world where digital education, infrastructure, and innovation remain at our fingertips, there is no reason why Africa should be left behind. ____ Daniel Novitzkas is co-founder and chairman of Specno, an app development and digital innovation agency that has helped start-ups and fully-fledged businesses alike grow and expand their operations in and outside of the country.