By Cairo: TECHX AFR!CA, News Desk
The executives discussed the role of technology in sectors such as education, healthcare, mining, and agriculture.
Rabat – Executives from Huawei’s North Africa division engaged in insightful roundtable conversations with journalists, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities of digitalization on the continent on the sidelines of the recent GITEX Africa 2024 conference held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The event, which took place between May 29 and May 31, brought together key players in the tech industry. These included Colin Hu, President of Enterprise and Cloud Business, Mounir Soussi, VP Cloud of HNA (NWCA), and Youssef Boukary, CTO of Networking Solutions, all representing Huawei North Africa.
One of the central themes of the roundtable was the challenge of connectivity. Youssef Boukary emphasized the pivotal role of reliable connectivity in driving digital transformation.
“In our region, the major challenge is connectivity. We cannot succeed in any digital transformation without good, reliable connectivity,” Boukary said, highlighting Huawei’s initiative, “Accelerate Intelligence for New Africa,” which focuses on bridging the digital divide by building robust infrastructure.
Huawei’s investment in wireless and fiber optic infrastructure has facilitated connectivity for over 360 million people in North Africa. Projects like RuralStar have brought internet access to 11 million individuals across 3,500 villages, addressing the issue of low internet penetration in rural areas.
Meanwhile, Hu shed light on the unique opportunities for innovation in Africa, citing examples such as mobile payment systems in Mauritania.
He emphasized the potential for leapfrogging outdated technologies and directly adopting cutting-edge solutions, positioning Africa as a leader in digital innovation.
“It is said that Africa is lagging behind, but this also represents an opportunity. For example, while in Europe, credit cards are mainly used, in Mauritania, everyone uses mobile payment. In advanced countries, it is necessary to adapt existing models, while in Africa, there is a significant opportunity to leapfrog and directly adopt cutting-edge technologies,” Hu explained.
The discussion also delved into sector-specific digitalization efforts, highlighting the diverse applications of technology across industries.
Education emerged as a focal point, with Hu emphasizing the importance of digital solutions in improving access to education for African youth.
The event showcased Huawei North Africa’s commitment to partnering with governments to offer virtual universities and e-education solutions, addressing the low enrollment rates in higher education.
Beyond education, the executives discussed the role of technology in sectors such as healthcare, mining, and agriculture. Boukary emphasized the need for tailored solutions to address the unique challenges faced by each industry, advocating for an inclusive approach to digitalization.
Cloud computing emerged as a key enabler of digital transformation, with Huawei outlining its “One Network, One Cloud” strategy.
Hu emphasized the importance of localized cloud infrastructure, saying that his company believes that “the cloud should be in every country, and data should be hosted locally.”
The inauguration of a public cloud in Egypt marks a significant milestone in Huawei’s efforts to expand cloud infrastructure across Africa, paving the way for enhanced data management and storage capabilities.
Innovations in the energy sector were also a topic of discussion, with a focus on leveraging renewable resources to provide affordable electricity.
In this regard, Hu highlighted the role of digitalization in optimizing energy efficiency. “Digitalization can bring cheaper and more affordable energy to populations.”
For his part, Mounir Soussi emphasized the potential of artificial intelligence in driving industry transformation, particularly in areas such as pipeline monitoring and maintenance.
