African countries are increasingly looking for innovative ways to harness the benefits of technology in their daily operations. Ian Jansen van Rensburg, Senior Systems Engineer at VMware Africa, explains how the next generation and new technologies will present new opportunities for economic growth.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has supplanted Digital Transformation as the hot button conversation starter in boardrooms the world over. This is especially the case in Africa where countries across the continent are looking for increasingly innovative ways to harness the benefits of technology in their daily operations.
One of the reasons for this is its sizeable youth demographic. Research shows that 60% of the continent’s 1.25 billion people are under 25, making it the youngest population in the world. Furthermore, it is anticipated that by 2050, one third of global youth will be in Sub-Sahara Africa.
This generation brings with them a knowledge and passion for harnessing all aspects of the digital era especially through their mobile devices. This focus on mobility, when coupled with new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT), present new opportunities for economic growth and the means to overcome many of the societal issues facing Africans.
Beyond challenges
4IR is not dependant on legacy infrastructure to flourish. We have already seen how mobile connectivity has empowered Africans in all aspects of their lives. It creates job opportunities through entrepreneurship and contributes to a culture of working from wherever there is a connection. Granted, the cost and reliability of access will remain a concern but mobile operators are starting to make data more affordable in some countries.
The advantage of going beyond traditional infrastructure is that the continent can leapfrog other, more developed markets. This sees it embracing future innovation without needing to overhaul existing systems. Not only does this talk to the corporate and government sectors but it greatly assists agriculture, education, healthcare and mining to optimise efficiencies and deliver value much faster than was possible before.
For example, the associated data analysis brought about by 4IR technologies result in farmers being better able to use their land and water and do more with less. It can transform a subsistence approach to one where smallholdings can start producing surplus goods they can sell and create new revenue opportunities.
Connected everything
For its part, IoT can better equip retailers to track stock and identify opportunities to optimise the supply chain. By ensuring levels of the right stock are maintained in outlying areas, wasted distribution will be eliminated. It will also assist those retail stores to sell stock that is more popular with customers, thereby reducing the number of ‘dead’ items in store.
This, and other use cases, have spurred projections that the IoT market in Africa will be worth as much as US$12.6 billion by the end of next year. In fact, both IoT and Big Data will remain the most popular 4IR technologies here for some time. Last year, approximately 6,500 technology start-ups were identified on the continent, 10% of who focused on developed 4IR-specific applications.
To truly change lives and improve the socio-economic conditions of people, 4IR must also be driven by the public sector. Governments across Africa must create enabling regulatory environments that help sustain investments, research and development of 4IR technologies that make a difference in people’s lives.
Additionally, both private and public sectors can work together on creating training opportunities for those interested in getting a better understanding of 4IR-related technologies. In turn, these individuals can become trusted suppliers to those companies and provide them with digital offerings they may not be agile enough to have developed themselves.
4IR will better empower those in Africa to identify potential niche areas for exploration and start using them to drive growth and close the gap that exists in skills, infrastructure, research and development.
