The African Union (AU) has launched the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020-2030), emphasizing the continent’s vast economic opportunities and its youthful population as key drivers in the digital era. This strategy aims to prioritize digitally enabled socio-economic development to stimulate job creation, address poverty, reduce inequality, and facilitate the delivery of goods and services, all contributing to the achievement of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Africa’s unique position, with fewer legacy challenges, allows it to adopt digitized solutions quickly, presenting a leapfrogging opportunity. Recognizing the continent’s leadership efforts in digital transformation, the AU aims to guide a coordinated response to leverage the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution.
The strategy, developed in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Smart Africa, AUDA-NEPAD, Regional Economic Communities, the African Development Bank, the Africa Telecommunications Union, the Africa Capacity Building Foundation, the International Telecommunication Union, and the World Bank, builds on existing initiatives like PRIDA, PIDA, AfCFTA, AUFIs, SAATM, and the FMP to develop a Digital Single Market for Africa. This strategic vision is part of the Smart Africa Initiative, reflecting the integration priorities of the African Union.
