Context:
The growth of Africa's digital economy offers great opportunities for economic progress and technological innovation. Although sub-Saharan Africa has the highest growth rate in internet use in the world, only 25 percent of Africa's population is online so far. This is mainly due to a lack of digital infrastructure, which makes the Internet expensive. Better access to the Internet promotes business development, increases competitiveness, facilitates access to knowledge and allows more people to participate in economic and social development. That is why Germany is investing in cooperation with Smart Africa – an initiative of 42 African countries. This is intended to facilitate access to new markets, promote trade and investment with Africa and provide economic impetus on the ground.
Objective:
An African digital single market is facilitating cross-border trade, promoting investment in the digital economy, improving access to technology, boosting economic growth and driving social participation.
Approach:
The project works with the Smart Africa Secretariat on the implementation of digital strategies and technologies, shapes organizational development and connects actors to form new partnerships. The project strengthens Africa's voice in global debates on digital transformation and artificial intelligence, thus promoting geopolitical cooperation with the European Union and Germany. The aim is to promote human rights-oriented and independent technologies in Africa and to establish close cooperation with European partners and companies. The project implements this both continentally, nationally and regionally. Smart Africa's headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda, serves as a coordination center. At the end of 2025, the project was expanded to specifically cover collaboration in the field of human-centered AI.