DAR ES SALAAM: THE Information and Communication Technologies Commission (ICTC) Director General, Dr Nkundwe Mwasaga said recently in Nairobi that Africa holds significant potential to thrive in the digital economy, provided there is a united effort to produce smartphones for both the African market and international markets.
Dr Mwasaga was speaking during “the Smartphone for Africa Summit” which aimed to highlight the importance of increasing the production of modern mobile phones within Africa.
The summit themed “Increase local smartphones manufacturing” organised by Qhala, GSMA, Smart Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) spun around two days from November 21-22 in the Kenyan capital-Nairobi.
The summit brought together key stakeholders from across the continent, including government officials, business leaders, mobile network operators, local manufacturers and international development partners.
The event aimed at accelerating the growth of local mobile phone production across Africa, but also to foster dialogue, collaboration and engagement that would facilitate the production and use of affordable mobile phones to support digital transformation in Africa.
Explaining to participants, he said that local smartphone production would not only enable many citizens to own phones due to lower costs but also create numerous job opportunities and boost the digital economy, thus enhancing national revenue.
“For us to be able to create economic scale we have to look at the strategy of East Africa Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the strategy for West Africa so that we can create a one single market that can make economic viability of production of this smartphone, “said Dr Mwasaga.
ALSO READ:Cyclists on phones face jail under Japan’s new laws
He said, local production has the potential to create jobs, promote an inclusive economy and enhance digital inclusivity. However, challenges like low scales of economies and trade barriers in the regional integrations have to be addressed. According to Dr Mwasaga, it is estimated that less than 44 per cent of Africans own mobile phones. He said lack of access to digital services, economic opportunities and economic development, high production costs, taxation challenges and limited manufacturing capacity are among hindrances for the affordability and accessibility of mobile phones.
The summit provided a unique opportunity for stakeholders to explore strategies to overcome the existing challenges and develop practical solutions with participants shared ideas on creating a collaborative mobile phone production system that will meet the growing demand for affordable devices across Africa.
The AfCFTA is set to transform Africa’s economic landscape by promoting a unified digital market, with a combined GDP of 3.4 US trillion dollars, the AfCFTA is poised to offer a solid foundation for leveraging digital technologies to enhance trade and economic connectivity.
