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US Vice President Kamala Harris has announced the formation of a new partnership to help provide internet access to 80% of Africa by 2030, up from roughly 40% now.
US Vice President Kamala Harris has announced the formation of a new partnership to help provide internet access to 80% of Africa by 2030, up from roughly 40% now.
The announcement comes as follow-through on Harris’ visit to the continent last year in conjunction with this week’s visit to Washington by Kenyan President William Ruto. Harris and the Kenyan leader had a fireside chat on Friday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about how public-private partnerships can increase economic growth. Harris visited Africa last year where she made promises to promote digital innovation. Her well-orchestrated visits were to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia.
The United Nations reported last year that foreign direct investment in the continent fell to US$45 billion in 2022, from a record high of US$80 billion in 2021. Africa accounted for only 3.5% of foreign direct investment worldwide, even though it makes up roughly 18% of the global population. Against this backdrop, Harris announced a new initiative geared toward giving 100 million African people and businesses in the agricultural sector access to the digital economy.
The African Development Bank Group along with Mastercard, among other organizations, will help form the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy Alliance, or MADE. The alliance will start a pilot program to give digital access to 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria, before expanding elsewhere.
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Harris, the first female U.S. vice president, is also announcing that the Women in the Digital Economy efforts to address the gender divide in technology access have now generated more than $1 billion in public and private commitments, with some U.S. commitments pending congressional approval.
