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Africa is making steady progress toward establishing a Single Digital Market by 2030—an ambitious goal led by the Smart Africa Alliance. The seventh Transform Africa Summit (TAS), held this year in Conakry, convened heads of state, policymakers, and technology leaders for three days of dialogue on the continent’s digital future.
Centered on the theme “AI for Africa: Innovate Locally, Impact Globally,” the summit underscored a shared commitment to harnessing technology for sovereignty, economic expansion, and inclusive growth. Smart Africa, now a coalition of 42 member states, spotlighted key initiatives such as Smart Africa Network of Incubators and Accelerators (SANIA), the Smart Africa Data Exchange (SADX), and Digital ID.
SANIA, in particular, aims to strengthen cross-border collaboration among investors, startups, accelerators, and institutions. Ralph Oyini, Smart Africa’s Director of Digital Transformation and Services, emphasized the need to unify Africa’s scattered innovation ecosystems: “Africa has the money, the investors, the startups, and the innovation — but too often these ecosystems operate in silos. SANIA is here to bring them together and connect them.”
Through this platform, an entrepreneur in Conakry could seamlessly connect with investors in Lagos, fostering a coordinated pan-African innovation network.
The summit also introduced several strategic partnerships designed to accelerate Africa’s digital integration across skills development, digital payments, data exchange, and internet governance. Among the major agreements were:
- YouthConnekt Africa: Supporting youth entrepreneurship and leadership through mentorship and joint summit programs.
- Visa: Expanding digital government services, digital payments, financial inclusion, e-commerce, and trade facilitation.
- Ascend Digital Solutions: Launching the SADX pilot linking Benin, Ghana, and Rwanda for secure cross-border digital ID verification and interoperable services.
- The Gambia (SADA): Strengthening digital skills training for policymakers, women, youth, and public-sector professionals.
- AFTLD: Enhancing cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, and harmonized internet governance across African country code domains.
- Women Political Leaders: Advancing inclusive female leadership and gender-responsive digital transformation policies.
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Collectively, these initiatives push forward Smart Africa’s mission to build an interconnected, competitive, and sovereign digital ecosystem that positions Africa as a strong player in the global digital economy.
Founded in 2013, the Smart Africa Alliance has expanded from 37 members three years ago to 42 today, evolving from a consultative forum into a fully operational institution driving large-scale digital projects across the continent.
