South Africa’s digital divide continues to threaten economic development. But this divide is not just about connectivity – it is about whether access translates into meaningful opportunities for young people: learning, employment, and participation in an economy that is already digital by default. This challenge was at the heart of a panel discussion on digital…
Lagos — “Let us commit ourselves to including everyone,” urged Father François du Penhoat, Superior General of the Society of African Missions (SMA), at the opening of the 2026 Plenary Council, which has been taking place since Monday, May 18, at the Domus Fidei of the Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus (EHJ) in…
Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a Pan-African organisation, has released its 2025 Annual Impact Report, highlighting a year of exceptional organisational delivery and sustained impact across its digital rights and digital inclusion initiatives in Africa and the rest of the Global South. The report looked at the broader sector-wide developments across Africa and the rest of the…
Mondli Gungubele, deputy minister of communications and digital technologies. (Image source: GCIS) Digital inclusion and the role of tech in driving economic participation were in the spotlight on the second day of the Sentech Africa Tech Week Conference, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, this week. Delivering the opening address, Mondli…
For millions of South Africans, access to opportunity is still determined by access to tools, particularly smartphones and digital financial services that allow for participation in the modern economy. M-KOPA South Africa’s 2025 Impact Report offers a clear view of what happens when those barriers are removed at scale. Read the full M-KOPA report “South…
A widening boycott by African petroleum ministers is casting a shadow over the 2026 Africa Energies Summit in London, raising fresh doubts about the event’s standing and intensifying criticism over representation, local content and fairness within Africa’s oil and gas industry. The decision by more ministers to stay away marks a sharp turn in the…
There are both risks and opportunities presented by the rise of finfluencers. (Image source: 123RF) The rapid rise of financial influencers, or “finfluencers”, across South Africa’s social media platforms is a double-edged sword – representing both unprecedented opportunities for financial inclusion and significant risks related to misinformation. This was the sentiment shared by regulators and…
Malabo — new report from the World Bank Group finds that Equatorial Guinea stands at a decisive moment. The Equatorial Guinea Poverty and Equity Assessment, the first of its kind, finds that, in spite of the oil wealth that transformed this country into an upper-middle-income economy and one of the richest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa,…
At the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Kigali, a bold proposal took centre stage: African telecom operators and government leaders called for the removal of import duties and VAT on smartphones priced under $100. This clarion call came with the aim to accelerate internet access, digital skills, and participation in the digital economy for…
The MTN SA and ICASA delegation. MTN South Africa and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) yesterday met to discuss measures to reduce the cost to communicate. The engagement, according to MTN SA, forms part of its ongoing multi-stakeholder strategy aimed at enhancing collaboration with key partners in government, business and civil society. The…
