African digital entrepreneurs leading the way for COVID recovery & SDG acceleration
Covid has acted as a global digitalization booster (ITC-Avasant, 2020: www.intracen.org/publication/African-market-trends-in-technology-services). The current world context is pushing organizations to accelerate the adoption of digital innovations in both the private and public sectors. Despite challenges related to lower connectivity and hardware baselines in comparison with other regions. there is growing evidence that the pace of digital transformation has been accelerating as well on the African continent.
Even before the pandemic, the continent was a global leader in terms of mobile money accounts (300 M in 2020) and there are more than 500 African companies offering disruptive financial technology services. African entrepreneurial ecosystems are also maturing: more than 600 technology hubs (incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces) for instance are supporting innovators to kick-start their businesses around the continent.
This side event organised by ITC will discuss how African tech entrepreneurs are contributing to the recovery and reaching the SDGs.
Opening remarks: Ms Linda Nanan Vallée, ED, Fondation Jeunesse Numérique, Ivory Coast
Opening remarks: Theodore Klouvas, Senior Policy Officer Youth Employment, Orange Corner programme, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands
Panel discussion:
- Ricky Rapa Thomson, Co-founder and Director of Safeboda
- Taha Jiwaji, Founder and CEO, Beem
- Cecile Barayre-El Shami, Head, Capacity Building Programs on E-commerce, UNCTAD
- Joshua Murima, Ecosystem Engagement Lead, Briter Bridges
Moderator: Robert E. Skidmore, Chief, Sector & Enterprise Competitiveness, International Trade Centre
Time
May 4, 2021 02:00 PM in Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna